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Tankard (band)
Encyclopedia
Tankard is a thrash metal
band from Frankfurt am Main, Germany
, founded in 1982. After losing their guitarist because of their image as a bunch of drunks, they moved on to issue their first record in 1986. From that point on, the band has continuously made songs and records in the same style they started out with - fast metal
songs in honor of alcohol
. Thus they claim to have invented a new genre called "alcoholic metal". Tankard are self-proclaimed "Kings of Beer" in honour of the folkloric character Gambrinus
.
. Their first song written was called "Ray Death", a song about nuclear war
and their first gig was played in a local classroom in 1983. As the band were not permitted to drink alcohol in the school, they smuggled their beer
in with milk cartons. Soon after, band member Bernhard Rapprich left the band as his conservative father did not want him "hanging around with a bunch of drunks" and was replaced by Andy Bulgaropoulos.
In 1984, Tankard signed to Noise Records
, after narrowly missing out on signing with Steamhammer during a gig where guitarist Andy Bulgaropulous made the mistake of wearing a blue sweatshirt with a deer
on the front, creating a wrong image and causing Steamhammer to retract their offer of a contract.
Over the years, Tankard have built a steady fanbase and have released a series of albums cementing their niche fame. Despite still having to work "day jobs" to maintain themselves and their families, they managed to keep themselves on the metal fans' collective radar and to tour and appear in Europe's most popular Summer festivals with regularity.
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
band from Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, founded in 1982. After losing their guitarist because of their image as a bunch of drunks, they moved on to issue their first record in 1986. From that point on, the band has continuously made songs and records in the same style they started out with - fast metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
songs in honor of alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
. Thus they claim to have invented a new genre called "alcoholic metal". Tankard are self-proclaimed "Kings of Beer" in honour of the folkloric character Gambrinus
Gambrinus
Gambrinus is a legendary king of Flanders, and an unofficial patron saint of beer or beer brewing. Gambrinus is variously depicted as a European king, as an English knight of the Middle Ages, or as a plump old man...
.
History
Tankard were formed in 1982 by three classmates, Andreas Geremia, Axel Katzmann and Frank Thorwarth. At the time, the band was known as Vortex and Avenger until the current name of Tankard was discovered by the band in a dictionaryDictionary
A dictionary is a collection of words in one or more specific languages, often listed alphabetically, with usage information, definitions, etymologies, phonetics, pronunciations, and other information; or a book of words in one language with their equivalents in another, also known as a lexicon...
. Their first song written was called "Ray Death", a song about nuclear war
Nuclear warfare
Nuclear warfare, or atomic warfare, is a military conflict or political strategy in which nuclear weaponry is detonated on an opponent. Compared to conventional warfare, nuclear warfare can be vastly more destructive in range and extent of damage...
and their first gig was played in a local classroom in 1983. As the band were not permitted to drink alcohol in the school, they smuggled their beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
in with milk cartons. Soon after, band member Bernhard Rapprich left the band as his conservative father did not want him "hanging around with a bunch of drunks" and was replaced by Andy Bulgaropoulos.
In 1984, Tankard signed to Noise Records
Noise Records (Germany)
Noise Records was a German record label founded by German music industry personality Karl-Ulrich Walterbach in 1983 as an expansion of his company Modern Music Records. Noise Records specialized in thrash and melodic speed metal. It was sold to the Sanctuary Records Group in 2001 and ceased any...
, after narrowly missing out on signing with Steamhammer during a gig where guitarist Andy Bulgaropulous made the mistake of wearing a blue sweatshirt with a deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
on the front, creating a wrong image and causing Steamhammer to retract their offer of a contract.
Over the years, Tankard have built a steady fanbase and have released a series of albums cementing their niche fame. Despite still having to work "day jobs" to maintain themselves and their families, they managed to keep themselves on the metal fans' collective radar and to tour and appear in Europe's most popular Summer festivals with regularity.
Current line-up
- Andreas Geremia - vocals
- Andreas Gutjahr - guitar
- Frank Thorwarth - bass
- Olaf Zissel - drums
Past members
- Axel Katzmann - guitar (1982–1993)
- Bernhard Rapprich - guitar (1982–1983)
- Andy Bulgaropoulos - guitar (1983–1999)
- Oliver Werner - drums (1982–1989)
- Arnulf Tunn - drums (1989–1994)
Studio Albums
| Year of Release | Title | Label |
| 1986 | Zombie Attack Zombie Attack Zombie Attack is the debut album of German thrash metal band Tankard. The album was re-released in a set with another Tankard album Chemical Invasion in 2005.-Track listing:-Credits:* Andreas "Gerre" Geremia – vocals* Frank Thorwarth – bass... |
Noise Records Noise Records (Germany) Noise Records was a German record label founded by German music industry personality Karl-Ulrich Walterbach in 1983 as an expansion of his company Modern Music Records. Noise Records specialized in thrash and melodic speed metal. It was sold to the Sanctuary Records Group in 2001 and ceased any... |
| 1987 | Chemical Invasion Chemical Invasion -Credits:* Andreas "Gerre" Geremia - vocals* Frank Thorwarth - bass* Axel Katzmann - guitar* Andy Bulgaropulos - guitar* Oliver "O.W." Werner - drums... |
Noise Records Noise Records (Germany) Noise Records was a German record label founded by German music industry personality Karl-Ulrich Walterbach in 1983 as an expansion of his company Modern Music Records. Noise Records specialized in thrash and melodic speed metal. It was sold to the Sanctuary Records Group in 2001 and ceased any... |
| 1988 | The Morning After The Morning After (Tankard album) -Credits:* Andreas "Gerre" Geremia - vocals* Frank Thorwarth - bass* Axel Katzmann - guitar* Andy Bulgaropulos - guitar* Oliver "O.W." Werner - drums... |
Noise Records Noise Records (Germany) Noise Records was a German record label founded by German music industry personality Karl-Ulrich Walterbach in 1983 as an expansion of his company Modern Music Records. Noise Records specialized in thrash and melodic speed metal. It was sold to the Sanctuary Records Group in 2001 and ceased any... |
| 1990 | The Meaning of Life The Meaning of Life (Tankard album) -Credits:* Andreas "Gerre" Geremia - vocals* Frank Thorwarth - bass* Axel Katzmann - guitar* Andy Bulgaropulos - guitar* Arnulf Tunn - drums... |
Noise Records Noise Records (Germany) Noise Records was a German record label founded by German music industry personality Karl-Ulrich Walterbach in 1983 as an expansion of his company Modern Music Records. Noise Records specialized in thrash and melodic speed metal. It was sold to the Sanctuary Records Group in 2001 and ceased any... |
| 1992 | Stone Cold Sober Stone Cold Sober (album) -Line up:*Andreas "Gerre" Geremia *Frank Thorwarth *Andy Bulgaropulos *Axel Katzmann *Arnulf Tunn... |
Noise Records Noise Records (Germany) Noise Records was a German record label founded by German music industry personality Karl-Ulrich Walterbach in 1983 as an expansion of his company Modern Music Records. Noise Records specialized in thrash and melodic speed metal. It was sold to the Sanctuary Records Group in 2001 and ceased any... |
| 1994 | Two-Faced Two-faced Two-faced may refer to:*"Two-Faced" , a song by Quasi from their 1997 album R&B Transmogrification*Diprosopus, an extremely rare congenital disorder whereby part or all of the face is duplicated on the head... |
Noise Records Noise Records (Germany) Noise Records was a German record label founded by German music industry personality Karl-Ulrich Walterbach in 1983 as an expansion of his company Modern Music Records. Noise Records specialized in thrash and melodic speed metal. It was sold to the Sanctuary Records Group in 2001 and ceased any... |
| 1995 | The Tankard The Tankard -Line up:* Andreas "Gerre" Geremia * Frank Thorwarth * Andy Bulgaropulos * Olaf Zissel... |
Noise Records Noise Records (Germany) Noise Records was a German record label founded by German music industry personality Karl-Ulrich Walterbach in 1983 as an expansion of his company Modern Music Records. Noise Records specialized in thrash and melodic speed metal. It was sold to the Sanctuary Records Group in 2001 and ceased any... |
| 1998 | Disco Destroyer Disco Destroyer -Line up:* Andreas "Gerre" Geremia * Frank Thorwarth * Andy Bulgaropulos * Olaf Zissel... |
Century Media Century Media Records Century Media Records is an Independent record label with offices in the United States, Germany, Australia, France, Italy, Sweden, Finland, and the United Kingdom.- Background :... |
| 2000 | Kings of Beer Kings of Beer -Line up:* Andreas "Gerre" Geremia * Frank Thorwarth * Andy Gutjahr * Olaf Zissel... |
Century Media Century Media Records Century Media Records is an Independent record label with offices in the United States, Germany, Australia, France, Italy, Sweden, Finland, and the United Kingdom.- Background :... |
| 2002 | B-Day | AFM Records AFM Records AFM-Records GmbH is a music label based in Schwalmstadt, Germany. They focus on the heavy metal musical genre, signing bands such as U.D.O., Doro, Kotipelto, Masterplan, Nostradameus, and Annihilator.... |
| 2003 | Beast of Bourbon Beast of Bourbon -Line up:*Andreas "Gerre" Geremia - vocals*Andy Gutjahr - guitar*Frank Thorwarth - bass, backing vocals*Olaf Zissel - drums*Additional backing vocals by Chris Luft, Alex Wenzel, and Harald Maul.... |
AFM Records AFM Records AFM-Records GmbH is a music label based in Schwalmstadt, Germany. They focus on the heavy metal musical genre, signing bands such as U.D.O., Doro, Kotipelto, Masterplan, Nostradameus, and Annihilator.... |
| 2005 | The Beauty and the Beer The Beauty and the Beer The Beauty and the Beer is the twelfth studio album by German thrash metal band Tankard.-Track listing:-Line Up:*Andreas "Gerre" Geremia - vocals*Andy Gutjahr - guitar*Frank Thorwarth - bass, backing vocals*Olaf Zissel - drums... |
AFM Records AFM Records AFM-Records GmbH is a music label based in Schwalmstadt, Germany. They focus on the heavy metal musical genre, signing bands such as U.D.O., Doro, Kotipelto, Masterplan, Nostradameus, and Annihilator.... |
| 2008 | Thirst Thirst (Tankard album) -Line up:*Andreas "Gerre" Geremia - vocals*Andy Gutjahr - guitar*Frank Thorwarth - bass, backing vocals*Olaf Zissel - drums... |
AFM Records AFM Records AFM-Records GmbH is a music label based in Schwalmstadt, Germany. They focus on the heavy metal musical genre, signing bands such as U.D.O., Doro, Kotipelto, Masterplan, Nostradameus, and Annihilator.... |
| 2010 | Vol(l)ume 14 Vol(l)ume 14 Volume 14 is the fourteenth studio album by German thrash metal band Tankard released through AFM Records.-Track listing:-Personnel:*Andreas "Gerre" Geremia - vocals*Andy Gutjahr - guitar*Frank Thorwarth - bass, backing vocals... |
AFM Records AFM Records AFM-Records GmbH is a music label based in Schwalmstadt, Germany. They focus on the heavy metal musical genre, signing bands such as U.D.O., Doro, Kotipelto, Masterplan, Nostradameus, and Annihilator.... |
Other releases
- Heavy Metal Vanguard (19841984 in musicThis is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1984.-Janury-March:*January 21 – "Relax" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood reaches number one in the UK singles chart, despite being banned by the BBC; it spends a total of forty-two weeks in the Top 40.*January 27 – Michael Jackson's...
) - demo - Alcoholic Metal (19851985 in musicThis is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1985.-January–March:*January 1 - The newest music video channel, VH-1, debuts on American cable. It is aimed at an older demographic than its sister station, MTV...
) - demo - Alien (19891989 in musicThis is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1989.-Events:*January 14 – Paul McCartney releases Снова в СССР exclusively in the USSR...
) - EP - Hair of the Dog (19891989 in musicThis is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1989.-Events:*January 14 – Paul McCartney releases Снова в СССР exclusively in the USSR...
) - compilation - Open All Night (19901990 in musicThis is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1990.-Events:*January 21 – MTV's Unplugged premieres on cable television with British band Squeeze...
) - video - Fat, Ugly and Live (19911991 in musicSee also:* 1991 in music Record labels established in 1991-Summary:The year 1991 is the year that grunge music made its popular breakthrough. Nirvana's Nevermind, led by the surprise hit single "Smells Like Teen Spirit", becomes the most popular U.S. album of the year...
) - live album - Fat, Ugly And Still (A) Live (20052005 in music-Events:*During the year 2005, 12 rock music albums scored number 1 in the USA. This was the first time even ten albums have scored number 1 since 1996.-January:...
) - DVD - Best Case Scenario: 25 Years in Beers (20072007 in musicThis is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2007.-January:*January 1 - George Shearing is knighted for services to music in the Queen's New Year Honours List. Evelyn Glennie becomes a Dame...
) - re-recorded compilation album