Tankard: Hymns For the Drunk (AFM)

Beer-swilling German thrashers Tankard have a new “best of” collection out, titled (appropriately enough) Hymns For the Drunk. They did this back in 2007 with the Best Case Scenario – 25 Years in Beers collection, but apparently it was time for another look back.

Hymns For the Drunk has 17 songs, with four of those songs taken directly from Best Case Scenario. The rest come from the band’s later albums on the AFM label, so it’s more of a “best of volume 2.” We get three songs from 2002’s B-Day, three songs from 2004’s Beast of Bourbon, three songs from 2006’s The Beauty and the Beer, two songs from 2008’s Thirst and two from 2010’s Vol(l)ume 14. No new tracks, no b-sides, just a straight-up compilation.

The music itself is solid enough, and exactly what you expect from Tankard. It’s all upbeat, simple thrash metal with some tried and true lyrical themes. It’s a lot of fun in small doses, which is where a collection like Hymns For the Drunk comes in really handy.

If you’ve been buying all of Tankard’s albums regularly, you have no need for this collection. Hymns For the Drunk is perfect for casual fans, especially those who want to get a feel for what the band has been up to since Best Case Scenario. Spoiler alert: it’s beer.