British band Tank burst on the NWOBHM scene back in 1980, and were fairly active for a few years releasing numerous albums and touring throughout the decade. However, constant line-up changes and bouts of inactivity limited their success, and here we have them in 2012 with original members Mick Tucker & Cliff Evans (both on guitars) regrouping the band with returing drummer Steve Hopgood, and new recruits Doogie White (ex-Rainbow, Yngwie Malmsteen) on vocals and bassist Chris Dale (ex-Bruce Dickinson). The results are a refreshing old school metal album complete with Tank's standard war themed song imagery that most fans have come to expect.
Those familiar with White's classic sounding delivery will find lots to enjoy here. Doogie's recent work with Demon's Eye showed that he's still a force to be reckoned with, and here on War Nation he drives Tank to new heights. Tunes such as "Don't Dream in the Dark", "Hammer and Nails", "Justice for All" and the superb title track all feature White's confident, soaring vocals over arrangements that contain crunchy riff-o-rama, tight rhythms, and plenty of hooks. Tucker and Evans lay the tasty riffage down thick on "Wings of Heaven", and their screaming solos never fail to impress either throughout the CD. Fans of Saxon will love the old school feel of "State of the Union" and "Song of the Dead", and the band even throw in a classy instrumental called "Hard Road", which again lets the two guitar veterans strut their stuff.
If Tank can keep this line-up together and keep releasing material this strong, there's no reason why they can't start to recapture the momentum they had over 30 years ago. The NWOBHM is still alive and well!
Track Listing
1. War Nation
2. Song Of The Dead
3. Hammer And Nails
4. Don't Dream In The Dark
5. Grace Of God
6. Dreamer
7. Justice For All
8. Wings Of Heaven
9. State Of The Union
10. Hard Road
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