«Chemical Invasion» is the second album by the German band Tankard and it came out in October 1987 on Noise Records. It was recorded in the summer of 1987 at Musiclab Studio in Berlin, with Harris Johns producing. The line-up is Andreas «Gerre» Geremia on vocals, Andy Boulgaropoulos and Axel Katzmann on guitars, Frank Thorwarth on bass and Oliver Werner on drums.
“`Country: Germany
Style: Thrash Metal
For fans of: Sodom, Kreator, Destruction
The sound is Teutonic thrash with humour and lyrics about beer, without missing the fast tempos and the heavy riffs. Gerre sings with a rough voice that gives the tracks their character, and the two guitars keep a steady energy. Thorwarth on bass and Werner on drums hold a steady rhythm for the riffs to stand on.
«Total Addiction», «Chemical Invasion» and «Traitor» stand out. The instrumental «For a Thousand Beers» shows their more technical side, while «Alcohol» is a Gang Green cover. «Don’t Panic» is among the most melodic tracks. «Farewell to a Slut» gives a darker moment, while the «Intro» opens the album briefly.
The album was recorded over the summer of 1987 in Berlin, with Harris Johns producing, a man who had worked with many German thrash bands. The cover was painted by the cartoonist Sebastian Krüger. Johns kept the sound clean but loud, with a good balance between the instruments.
The album is considered one of the most entertaining of German thrash and clearly improved on the debut «Zombie Attack» in line-up and playing. Tankard remain known for their humour and their live party. «Alcohol», the cover, became a fixture of their live shows.
See also
Accept: 50 years of heavy metal on «Teutonic Titans» and The 50 best Metal albums of all time | Metal Territory.
