Few can say they left such a profound mark on a style of music that it altered the course of its evolution altogether. Even fewer can say they did the same for two styles of music. And yet, that’s exactly what Algy Ward did. The young punk rocker spent the late 70s holding down the low end for The Saints and The Damned: two bands who embodied the punk ethos of the 70s, and saw what the genre was capable of in the 80s. Come 1980, Ward went his own way. He followed in his hero Lemmy’s footsteps and formed a power trio of his own: Tank. Fusing punk rock attitude with the brute force of the burgeoning NWOBHM, Tank served as a mediator between classic metal and thrash, influencing Metallica, Sodom, and every other metal band that was remotely fast and filthy to follow. Today, we pay tribute to Ward, who passed away last Wednesday, May 17, at the all too young age of 63. This is our Top 10 Tank Songs!
10. “Power of the Hunter”
For whatever reason or another, Tank’s second album, Power of the Hunter, is one of those albums that tends to get lost in the shuffle. Sure, it ain’t Filth Hounds of Hades, but it’s no sophomore slump either. There’s no shortage of classic cuts on here, among those being “Walking Barefoot over Glass”, “Used Leather (Hanging Loose)”, and the rip-roaring high-speed title track. With its rumbling bass lines, nasty riffs, thundering drums, and rotten production, this could very well be the greatest song Motörhead never made. Ward’s vocals are even more gravelly than usual, reminiscent of Venom’s Cronos and, of course, Lemmy. There’s no doubt in my mind future thrashers the world over were taking notes from this one.
9. “Blood, Guts and Beer”
If there’s one thing Algy Ward picked up in his punk rock days, it was a knack for writing classic rock n’ roll tunes, such as this one. “Blood, Guts and Beer” is more than just another raucous NWOBHM pub hymn; it’s THEE raucous NWOBHM pub hymn. That lead riff is on par with anything Aerosmith, ZZ Top, or AC/DC conjured in their 70s heyday, and the chorus, simplistic as it is, sticks. While Tank no doubt pushed the limits of speed and extremity on their debut album, Filth Hounds of Hades, “Blood, Guts and Beer” was proof positive that having swagger and balls was equally important. Although Ward’s former band The Damned had since evolved into a post-punk outfit, I can’t help but think Dave Vanian and company wish they released this one in ’79.
8. “Kill”
The Tank of 1983-1984 was worlds apart from the Tank of 1981-1982. For one, the introduction of guitarists Mick Tucker and Cliff Evans broadened the band’s musical palette, replacing their primal one guitar riff-oriented approach with the twin guitar formula that dominated the NWOBHM scene. Furthermore, Ward had grown as both a musician and songwriter, all but abandoning his rudimentary punk leanings on albums like This Means War and the band’s pièce de résistance, Honour & Blood. The 8 minute closer, “Kill”, was said to be inspired by Mott the Hoople’s (another band crucial to both punk and metal) “Thunderbuck Ram”, albeit with a far more epic arrangement and a gloriously bluesy guitar solo to boot.
7. “(He Fell in Love with a) Stormtrooper”
Much like “Blood, Guts and Beer”, “(He Fell in Love with a) Stormtrooper” is another no frills rock n’ roller, packed to the brim with electricity and vigor. If the lyrics were penned by any act outside of the NWOBHM, they’d be viewed as corny at best and vapid at worst. Yet within the context of the scene and era, it works. Besides, Tank weren’t the only band singing about women at war (See Iron Maiden’s cover of Skyhooks’ “Women in Uniform”). Granted, that Maiden single obscurity isn’t exactly a “classic”, but “Stormtrooper” most definitely is. The song became a regular at NWOBHM discotheques and is still revered among the denim and leather faithful to this day.
6. “Shellshock”
“Wakey! Wakey!” Could you imagine waking up to the sound of “Shellshock”? Hell, it’d do the job of an alarm clock and your first 2 cups of morning coffee. This high speed rager goes for the throat with precise brutality. The band fires away on all cylinders, bringing down the hammer on their respective instruments the only way a trio of savage metalpunks could. Although best known as the opener on Filth Hounds, “Shellshock” first appeared on the B-side of Tank’s debut EP, Don’t Walk Away, just 6 months earlier. Clearly it stuck, because it was the one song that was rerecorded for the full length. Although the EP version is expectedly rawer, the full length version stays true to the original’s arrangement, delivery, and spirit.
5. “Turn Your Head Around”
Did you think “Shellshock” was fast? Wait until you get a load of “Turn Your Head Around”. While I’m sure most Tank fanatics would include this in their top 10s (live yours in the comments), I must admit that my inclusion of this classic is not without its bias. It was as a young teenage headbanger, already well versed in the maniacal speed of Motörhead, Venom, and Raven, that I stumbled upon this song. Needless to say, it was love at first headbang. Before I knew it, I was air guitaring and shouting along to the repetitive chorus of “TURN YOUR HEAD AROUND!!!” Whenever I hear it today, I can’t help but smile as I’m instantly transported back to this simpler time.
4. “This Means War”
Like I said earlier when reflecting on “Kill”, Tank took a complete 180 in ’83, come the release of their third album, This Means War. The heaviness and speed remained intact, but with a more refined production, elevated compositions, and a central lyrical focus on, you guessed it, war. The twin guitar riffing, face-meltingly melodic soloing, and overall apocalyptic feel aren’t far removed from Thin Lizzy’s Thunder and Lightning, which happened to be released the same year. New guitarist Mick Tucker most definitely came from the same ’80s school of guitar as John Sykes, where leads trumped riffs and had to be delivered with meaning and soul. It shows on this masterclass of six string wizardry.
3. “Just like Something from Hell”
Awesome as the first 2 Tank albums are, there’s nothing remotely “epic” about them. That all changed with This Means War, especially on the opener, “Just like Something from Hell”. A chilling synth buildup leads to an explosion of melodic, hook-centric speed. On past Tank albums, this song would’ve been finished by the 4 minute mark. On This Means War, it’s an 8 and a half minute tour de force that sets the tone for the entire album. Yet again, the aforementioned Tucker and original guitarist Peter Brabbs trade licks like kids trading baseball cards. There’s an urgency to the delivery that grabs the listener by the throat, as if to dare you to stop listening. Needless to say, nobody stopped. We just turned it up louder.
2. “Honour & Blood”
Here’s a hot take: This Means War walked so Honour & Blood could run. Don’t get me wrong. Both are flawless 10/10 slabs of English metal perfection. That said, Honour & Blood ups the epic factor hundredfold in every aspect: songwriting, musicianship, delivery, production, etc. Take the title track for example. Whenever I hear “Honour & Blood”, I envision myself cruising down the highway at maximum speed with both windows rolled down, the world’s largest car stereo blasting it at deafening volume. It’s one of those songs that makes tears well up and the hair on the back of my neck stand at attention, especially when the guitar solo hits.
- “The War Drags Ever On”
Ranking this list was no easy task, especially the top 4 entries. However, when all’s said and done, no Tank song stands taller than “The War Drags On”. Get a load of the barbaric speed, dramatic tension, picturesque lyricism, and melodic flourishes, all colliding at once to create an epic metal monolith. I mean, my God, it’s essentially this aesthetic that Sodom took and ran with on Agent Orange (1989), thrashifying it for the times, of course. Make no mistake: Tom Angelripper proudly genuflects at the altar of Algy Ward, and for good reason. “The War Drags On” alone would’ve cemented his reputation as a metal legend, hence why it’s the greatest Tank song of all time. Rest in power Algy Ward.