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Need a model for young bands? A symbol of consistency and dedication to the music they love? An example of passion far from any commercial interest? Let me throw a name out there: Tankard, most likely the Thrash Metal band with the highest blood alcohol content. Active for almost thirty years, they were among the few to stay afloat during the storm of the '90s (which commercially and stylistically hit them too), only to find the magical formula again around the millennium: music as pure fun. Some go fishing, some play curling, some drink their brains out for women, some read, some love doing absolutely nothing all day, and then there are Tankard, who spend their time playing metal and guzzling beer; an utterly enviable hobby, without any constraints, pathologically debatable.
With ''Kings Of Beer'' (2000) and ''B-Day'' (2002), the downward trend was reversed, and with ''Beast Of Bourbon'' in 2004, Gerre and company certify their second youth marked by good humor, frontal assault without compromise, and, inevitably, beer. The eleventh album by the Frankfurt band features direct and tight arrangements but are not stripped or disorganized, with the usual lyrics halfway between witty and bawdy, but also an impeccable musical performance by the whole group. In short, a work that certainly does more for our mood than for our spine. Tracks like the rough and devastating ''Under Friendly Fire''' and ''Fistful Of Love''' stand out, the Anthrax-like ''Alien Revenge''', or the hilarious ''Dead Men Drinking''; ''Slipping From Reality'' showcases a bone-crushing refrain, while ''The Horde'' with its more rhythmic feel highlights Frank Thorwarth's great bass work. All marked, as per the best tradition, by a raw and spontaneous Thrash Metal powered by the animalistic drumming of Olaf Zissel and perfectly embellished by the guitar of Andreas ''Fucking Christian'' Gutjahr, who sometimes recalls his Power past and delivers some melodic solos with a pleasant neoclassical aftertaste.
The Tankard can also add a touch of variety to their sound, and they do so with the mid-tempo ''Die With A Beer In Your Hand''' (a title, a manifesto), a track that winks at Epic Metal, but especially with the dark arpeggiated passages of ''Endless Pleasure'', where Gerre really seems like a serious singer... But they are Tankard and in closing comes the cover of ''We're Coming Back'' by the British punkers Cocksparrer, one of the few bands that, for their jollity, could aspire to match our own.
A masterpiece then? There is no need, Tankard releases their masterpiece album after album, concert after concert; they update it in the ardor of their musical adventure, in the charge with which they attack every stage, in the humor with which they infuse their lyrics. ''Beast Of Bourbon'' gives us eleven tracks of excellent Thrash Metal, and, above all, the urgent need to (re)find ourselves in front of a sweaty fat guy screaming "This is my belly" before launching into exaggerated headbanging.
At least for once, let's forget about scholarly and laborious music, and let ourselves be drenched in liters and liters of delirious and liquor-filled Teutonic metal.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
02 Endless Pleasure (04:56)
My head is light
Relieved of all the pressure
No need to fight
‘Cause life is endless pleasure!
My mind is free
I found a hidden treasure
That makes me see
And life is endless pleasure
Refrain:
It’s endless pleasure!
It’s endless pleasure!
I’m rolling, I’m reeling
Scratch ‘till my skin is peeling!
Cold sweat soaks all my covers
And in my bed I’m wheeling!
I’m twisting, I’m shaking,
I feel my soul is breaking!
I’m tossing and I’m turning
But still my mind keeps yearning!
I owe this shot
Powers beyond all measure
Fell like a God
My life is endless pleasure
Refrain:
It’s endless pleasure!
It’s endless pleasure!
I’m screaming, I’m crying!
My body’s slowly dying!
And as my heart stops beating
Breath ceases with a sighing!
Refrain:
It’s endless pleasure!
It’s endless pleasure!
I’m safe and warm
This cold, cruel world around me
Can’t do me harm
Now life is endless pleasure
Refrain:
It’s endless pleasure!
It’s endless pleasure!
It’s endless pleasure!
It’s endless pleasure!
It’s endless pleasure………………
03 Under Friendly Fire (03:00)
The Yearning! For Conflict! I am a Cowboy from up ´nigh
I´ve got my Go Pills-I´m a Winner!
On the way up I´m gonna get high!
I´m speeding! Do I care?
Demitry orders us to fly
Amphetamines have made us Killers
Ooops! British Troops! Was that a Crime?
Bleeding and Suffering!
Descision met-Thy will is done
I don´t recall much of the Mission
Carried it out-sure must´ve been fun
Bleeding and Suffering! Nowhere to run
Refrain:
Under Friendly Fire- Speeding with a Gun
Under Friendly Fire- Where´s my go-pill?
Under Friendly Fire- To impress my Son
Under Friendly Fire- That´s my final thrill!
I´m craving – I need some! The Dealer Doctor´s on my mind!
The Pentagon wills “Pre-Flight” Dinners
To stay awake, not follow behind
I´m speeding, Do I care?
Adrenaline dictates my crime
Canadians are not the the Winners
The Ground Troops dead-I´m doing fine
Bleeding and Suffering! What has my Country done to me?
A blind Robot with lot´s of Uppers
Gonna get wild and gonna kill thee
Bleeding and Suffering! Nowhere to run
Refrain:
Under Friendly Fire- Speeding with a Gun
Under Friendly Fire- Where´s my go-pill?
Under Friendly Fire- To impress my Son
Under Friendly Fire- That´s my final thrill!
The Yearning! For Conflict! I am a Cowboy from up ´nigh
I´ve got my Go Pills-I´m a Winner!
On the way up I´m gonna get high!
I´m speeding! Do I care?
Demitry orders us to fly
Amphetamines have made us Killers
Ooops! British Troops! Was that a Crime?
Bleeding and Suffering!
Descision met-Thy will is done
I don´t recall much of the Mission
Carried it out-sure must´ve been fun
Bleeding and Suffering! Nowhere to run
Refrain:
Under Friendly Fire- Speeding with a Gun
Under Friendly Fire- Where´s my go-pill?
Under Friendly Fire- To impress my Son
Under Friendly Fire- That´s my final, that´s my final, that´s my final thrill!
08 Endless Pleasure (04:38)
My head is light
Relieved of all the pressure
No need to fight
‘Cause life is endless pleasure!
My mind is free
I found a hidden treasure
That makes me see
And life is endless pleasure
Refrain:
It’s endless pleasure!
It’s endless pleasure!
I’m rolling, I’m reeling
Scratch ‘till my skin is peeling!
Cold sweat soaks all my covers
And in my bed I’m wheeling!
I’m twisting, I’m shaking,
I feel my soul is breaking!
I’m tossing and I’m turning
But still my mind keeps yearning!
I owe this shot
Powers beyond all measure
Fell like a God
My life is endless pleasure
Refrain:
It’s endless pleasure!
It’s endless pleasure!
I’m screaming, I’m crying!
My body’s slowly dying!
And as my heart stops beating
Breath ceases with a sighing!
Refrain:
It’s endless pleasure!
It’s endless pleasure!
I’m safe and warm
This cold, cruel world around me
Can’t do me harm
Now life is endless pleasure
Refrain:
It’s endless pleasure!
It’s endless pleasure!
It’s endless pleasure!
It’s endless pleasure!
It’s endless pleasure………………
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