Band:	Tank
Album:	War Nation
Style:	Heavy metal
Release date:	June 04, 2012
A review by:	Doc G.

01. War Nation
02. Song Of The Dead
03. Hammer And Nails
04. Don't Dream In The Dark
05. Grace Of God
06. Dreamer
07. Justice For All
08. Wings Of Heaven
09. State Of The Union
10. Hard Road
11. War Machine [demo] [Limited edition bonus]
12. Feast Of The Devil [live]
13. W.M.L.A (Wasting My Life Away). [acoustic version]

NWOBHM - when you really think about it, hasn't been a musical movement that has supported grand fruits of longevity. Sure, you've got your Iron Maiden and Saxon, but what about bands like Tokyo Blade, Tygers Of Pan Tang, or Tank, amongst many others? Most of them are in fact, around in some incarnation or another, but with next to no notable activities or output.

Surprisingly enough, Tank have managed to put out something with War Nation that doesn't completely suck.

Pleasant surprise of the year? Not entirely. War Nation is an album that shows how many of these older bands are are hesitant toward change. It's full of moments that simply parallel other classic acts extremely closely, most notably Saxon and Dio. Hard to call it strictly "derivative", as Tank has been kicking around for almost as long as their contemporaries, but this certainly isn't a fresh sounding album.

Yet, it is an enjoyable album. They recognized their talents, even if they are borrowed from other sources. Riffs from the likes of "Hammer And Nails" and "Wings Of Heaven" are quite infectious, while the peak of the album, "Grace Of God" proves to be an epic, plodding anthem, intelligently built from the ground up.

Why Tank didn't gain the notoriety that their comrades had achieved is made fairly apparent here. Sure, individual riffs, and individual songs are really chunky, but the overall feel of War Nation is that it is a slothful piece of work. It's all mid-tempo; something that is easy to get away with on single tracks, but a difficult thing to make an entire album out of.

Tank haven't really put out anything mind-blowing here, pretty plain when it comes right down to it. In spite of this, War Nation still proves to be a rewarding listen in short doses.