Tank
Filth Hounds of Hades (Slipcase)

In the year 1982, the NWOBHM was in the mainstream in it's home country. Sure, the music in the movement as a whole was a bit formulaic, but it was damn good. However, some of the music was a bit different than the rest. One of those outliers was the band Tank. Fronted by Algy Ward (formerly of the legendary punk band, The Damned), this band played straightforward heavy/speed metal, but still contained Algy punk roots. This makes the music even more raw. It's one big metal/punk opera about beer, women and warfare. The majority of the music has the rawness and simplicity of punk rock, but adds in metallic riffs and songwriting. A lot of the heavier songs are the fast ones, such as the opener, "Shellshock" (which is probably the heaviest song on the album) or the Rainbow-ish "Blood, Guts & Beer". There are also a few tracks that lead more towards punk than metal, such as the blues-influenced "Stormtrooper" or the Sex-Pistols-ish "Run Like Hell". However, most of it just mixes the two together, such as the title track, or "Struck By Lightning". The guitar work is quite simple and sleazy, and it has a somewhat in the middle of thick and thin tone. It sounds quite reminiscent of Richie Blackmore, and at times, Eddie Van Halen, but it adds a bit of a punk flavor. Sometimes, the solos are actually quite impressive, but what attracts me most about it is the riffs. The riffs on this album are badass and catchy as hell. Sure, they're pretty reminiscent of the 70s, but hey, so is the rest of the music. The vocals are pretty raspy, but have a lot of soul to them. Unlike Lemmy Kilmister, Algy Ward has a pretty wide range. His high-pitched screams are nothing special, but he can hit them, for sure. He also tends to go lower than Lemmy would tend to. I can see why he is often compared to him, but they have their differences. As for Algy's other weapon of mass destruction, the bass guitar, it's actually a little jazzy. He gives us smooth bass lines that sound quite raw, but not as stripped down as the other instruments on this album, which surprisingly fits pretty well. You can tell that he has grown as a bassist since The Damned, as you can now listen to the bass lines and say to yourself "Oh hey, that was impressive". The drums get almost no chance to shine on this album. Sure, they keep the beat, but they rarely do anything special outside of that. But when they do, it's rarely that impressive. He sounds like he was focusing more on some other instrument, but it was taken, so he had to play the other instrument that he had taken some time to learn. There is one exception, though. The drumming on "Stormtrooper" was where he got to do a whole lot more, and he did his absolute best. His little hooks are pretty good here. They're not really the catchiest, but they definitely let you know that what was going on with them took a bit of talent. This album continues to influence rock musicians today and I can see why. The sleazy sound is pretty cool and the mood of the music gives you a bit of an urge to yell "FUCK YEAH!" at whatever is in front of you. It's a good album for both metal and punk fans, or just fans of rock n roll in general. So sit back, grab some beers and start headbanging.