•
Rating: Third full-length dated 1988 for the Frankfurt thrashers, after the less than stellar debut “Zombie Attack” (’86) and the more than decent “Chemical Invasion” (’87).
Certainly among the peaks of the band's now twenty-year career, “The Morning After” faithfully reproduces what was - and will practically be until today - the musical formula of the previous records: decidedly aggressive Teutonic thrash metal (thanks also to the particularly raucous vocals of Andreas Geremia, today the only remaining member of the original lineup, along with bassist Frank Thorwarth), built on riffing that may not be particularly original or technical, but sufficiently varied and, above all, incredibly fast, with essential arrangements and some of the craziest solos ever.
The record presents itself as extremely compact, devoid of dips in tension, catchy at the right point - especially thanks to the excellent vocal lines - but lends itself to certain criticisms regarding the originality and variety of the compositions. Worth noting is the cover of “Try Again” by Spermbirds and the hardcore-esque and throat-tearing conclusion “Mon Cherie.” An excellent album, therefore, recommended (and, in some ways, essential) for every lover of '80s German thrash... and do you think Tankard can be summed up like this, in a few lines?!? Apart from the music (on which I don't think there's much more to say), what really makes Tankard great is an added value lacking in the vast majority of metal bands: (self) irony. The issue is very simple: Tankard is a band of indefatigable goofballs and they are proud of it. We are talking about a band that, at one of the last Bang Your Head Festivals, took to the stage in pajamas to protest against the disrespectful scheduling that had them performing at two in the afternoon (a more suitable time for a nap than a metal concert).
But above all, we are talking about a band that for 20 years has chosen to discuss, with great participation and knowledge of the facts, one of the subjects most dear to the average metalhead: boozing (so much so that the “tankard” is nothing but the typical German beer mug, sometimes even equipped with a freshness-saving lid). The drinking – and here's the genius – is brought up with any excuse: as a divine law (as in the opener “Commandments” , in which the existence of some commandments to be added to the ten canonic is hypothesized: “Thou shalt not waste nor spill it. Drink your beer and be done.”), as a snapshot of the modern man's daily life (the traumatic post-bacchanal awakening of the drunkard of the title track) and, even, as a horror element (the evil creature of the night named Lohocla, who steals beer from honest drunkards and gives title to “Feed The Lohocla,” indeed). For the sake of the record, however, it should be noted that, at least in this album, a certain variety of themes can be found: in “F. U. N.” the band addresses its audience directly, asking for greater moderation during concerts, in “Desperation” there is a foray into a merciless analysis of the compositional neuroses that assail the lazy artist, up to “Help Yourself”, a rare case where the band puts aside irony to address, though with their typically over-the-top style, the burning theme of religious wars.
If we then add the ultra-referential, and very likely autobiographical cover (even though the one from the latest LP “The Beauty & The Beer” is unmatched), and the fact that Gerre has a beer belly like Santa Claus after a business dinner based on reindeer meat, it is easy to understand why the group can boast such an affectionate following. In short, Tankard will certainly not be remembered (if they ever stop thrashing one day) for having churned out who knows what masterpieces (with possibly the only exception of “The Morning After”), but they deserve due respect for having produced more than dignified extreme music for over twenty years. They may never have reached the heights of success or historical-musical “indispensability” of the triad and perhaps they can be accused of excessive artistic coherence (a refined way of saying they’ve been doing the same stuff for twenty years), but they remain an important piece of '80s German thrash scene, arriving to us with constancy and dedication to the genre, offering, among other things, a party alternative to the stereotype of the evil, sullen, and violent thrasher.
And that, if it certainly does not exempt them from legitimate criticism of their musical production, at least makes them more likeable to us.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
02 Commandments (02:51)
Moral law! The drinker's guide
Was handed down by god
Sacred law for man to follow
Revere them as your own
Life's too short to waste your brew
It's plain to see-obey the rules
Thou shalt not waste and thou shalt not spill
Just drink your beer - Commandments!!!
Thou shalt not puke cause there's no excuse
Just drink your beer - Commandments!!!
Mankind was long deprived
Of the rules encased in stone
Ten written the rest were lost
When will they be found?
Laws misplaced for centuries
Where can they be? The brewery!
Thou shalt not waste and thou shalt not spill
Just drink your beer - Commandments!!!
Thou shalt not puke cause there's no excuse
Just drink your beer - Commandments!!!
Rejoice I The time is now
Fulfill Your sacred vows
Pay need to the blessed stone
Respect the holy law
Life's too short to waste your brew
It's plain to see-obey the rules
Thou shalt not waste and thou shalt not spill
Just drink your beer - Commandments!!!
Thou shalt not puke cause there's no excuse
Just drink your beer - Commandments!!!
Moral law! The drinker's guide
Was handed down by god
Sacred law for man to follow
Revere them as your own
Laws misplaced for centuries
Where can they be? The brewery!
Thou shalt not waste and thou shalt not spill
Just drink your beer - Commandments!!!
Thou shalt not puke cause there's no excuse
Just drink your beer - Commandments!!!
03 Shit-Faced (04:02)
Nice hotel - place to stay
We sought a place to get some rest
The owner said: "Please keep it down"
"We're good boys" - so we lied
Raise some Hell!
Two days passed - fuckin' mess
The maids refused to clean our stys
Ravioli neath the rug
Stench of beer - everywhere
We were shit-faced - relieving stress is so much fun
Fuckin' shit-faced - getting sick and thrashing rooms
One week down - place was fucked
We tore the heater off the wall
And broke the windows in our room
No one cared - we were drunk
Raise some Hell!
Bed diving - brand new sport
From our beds we'd start to leap
And dive into the cabinets
They broke too - nothing spared
Went downtown - forgot the keys
We climbed into someone's window
But they shot teargas in our eyes
Didn't look - locked outside
Raise some Hell!
Place destroyed - where to now?
We moved into another room
Five minutes passed and it was thrashed
Last warning - they kicked us out
07 The Morning After (04:26)
Can this be or am I dreaming?
What a mess!
Woke up drunk lying on the floor
This cannot be, my place is trashed
Broken bottles everywhere
Vomit oozing down the stairs
I asked myself how did this happen
Don't recall
Why the nasty, pounding headache?
I need relief, where's the tylenol
Lying in my bed! With a swollen head!
What did I do? I always regret the morning after!
Morning's passed, now I think I remember
Holy shit!
Ugly bitch playing with my member
Mutated sow with an extra tit
Senseless ruckus late at night
That's when we began to fight
Four AM and we were hungry
Cooked some food
Ate until the fridge was empty
Then they left, all their bellies full
Now my brain feels like mashed potatoes
Getting sick
I swear to kick this nasty habit
And never drink for ever more
Headache ceases, all is fine
Getting thirsty, where's the wine?
I cannot stop though I'm seeing double
Sloshed again
I know it's sad but I really need it
Cause alcohol is my only friend
Lying in my bed! With a swollen head!
What did I do?
Lying in my bed! With a swollen head!
What did I do? I always regret the morning after!
09 Feed the Lohocla (03:59)
Was it destiny that one day It was born
Drunk creature of the night who haunts us for our brew
It was dark, midnight or so, when most had left for home
Breath of life, Lohocla lives, the barley entity
Now it is alive spawned from the loins of beer
Throat parched and on a quest to quench his - die hard thirst
All he asks oblige him in giving up your drink
It's okay, don't shit your pants, he's tamer than you think
Where is he from? Why is he here?
Nocturnal boozer on a pursuit of beer
So set him free from sobriety-tonight!
Inebriate! One of his favorite words
Control his state of mind though he has no dime
Out of cash and out of stash, he's coming off his high
Time to cruise the local joints to mooch Iiquld food
Wading through the bar and wasted off his ass
Lohocla's drunk again yet still he begs for more
One day you'll encounter him,
you'd better share your beer
Loading comments slowly
