There are some bands that deserve a better fate. And TANK is without a doubt one of those. Still, some bands are responsible for some of that fate, and some small details, that might seem innocent, will probably damage more than you think. The self-titled album of the band is their fifth, and for hell knows reason, having such a powerful band name, they have one of the worst cover arts ever to grace an album. A flag? A symbol? Only hell knows… (according to Cliff Evans it was the insignia for a British tank regiment – Frank). I mean what was wrong with picturing a heavy armored tank on the cover again? So let everyone know this is a rolling Heavy Metal machine (they used a tank on the cover of a previous album and it was good). But no, a damn simple cover. They had some bad covers in the past but this stands above all. Believe me, back in the ’80s with no opportunity to check bands on the web, a cover art was sometimes the only indication of a music style (ok, yes some fell for some killer and aggressive cover arts just to find out it’s Southern Rock or something like that), but back then it was very important. It’s a shame as the music is still very competent Heavy Metal with some slight tough Hard Rock notes. There is a good variety of songs, with some faster ones, well as fast as true Heavy Metal is, and some more slower songs, even some almost ballads, but always keeping the heavy touch. Mostly compared to a more drunken version of MÖTORHEAD with nods to IRON MAIDEN, the band is very competent and has not released a bad album up to this one, which is something really rare with a band with more than three albums in the ’80s. Yet, it is also true that they have never released a masterpiece (well, how about “Filth Hounds Of Hades” or “This Means War”?? – Frank). Many people will probably have found out about this band from other bands, like SODOM, as they have covered them a couple of times in the ’90s. One of the founding members, bassist / vocalist Algy Ward passed away a few months ago, so this is a good way to find out more about the band he fronted. TANK slowed down after this release until releasing something in 2002 and then dividing into two bands with the same name… but thats another story. This new edition, from the fine folks at High Roller Records, has all the things that this album deserves: an additional slipcase, a poster of the album cover, a booklet that features an interview with guitarist Cliff Evans and a remastered sound. And it is also a good time to revisit all their early albums, as any Lemmy fan will surely find this band to be for their likings. More info at: www.facebook.com/tankfilthhounds, www.facebook.com/hrrecords