Estonian band Tankist have released a new thrash metal album, that is old school stuff done in 2010s. Nothing new there, but whereas so many bands just sound so much like Exodus, Slayer, Testament or whatever, music-wise 'Unhuman' sounds like it actually was from 1980s. Definitely not a carbon copy of any band here.

Tankist sound like a bastard mutant child of old Finnish thrashers such as Airdash, Prestige and Stone, US legends such as Slayer, Vio-lence and Nuclear Assault, plus some early German hordes like Deathrow and Exumer. Chaotic and dissonant parts give a feeling of old Voivod. They also have some blackened vibes going on, reminding of Venom and Mercyful Fate at times. Just to name some kind of bands in which kind of area Tankist operate... Wait a bit, I need to throw another one in: Polish band Astharoth and their sole album 'Gloomy Experiments' from 1990. Now, if this list of bands doesn't get you excited, I suggest you move on to some other review. Thrash technicality, punky vibes and evil-sounding moments are alloyed. Tankist have found their niche.

Riffs play a huge part in Tankist's music, as expected. The band also incorporate some melodiousness here and there. Often these melodic lead guitar bits and solos, too, are quite weird or insane-sounding, but there also are some really ear-catching things. To make it s tad more alien, they are reverbed to some extent. The rhythm guitar tone is sharp and rusty, very much fittingly brutal. Loads of shredding done. The bass often travels its own path, putting itself out nicely. Rhythms change a lot. That's another major trait of the band. Mainly the music is on faster side, but there are some mid-paced moments. One same beat isn't repeated for a long time. It's not rare, that songwriting can take a listener by surprise every now and then; this is not radio-friendly music, nor is it basic 1-2-3-4 rhythms all the time. The production is kind of dry and cold, but it also allows every elements to be heard. Reminds me of Finnish thrash pancakes put out in early 1990s. It's lovely ancient, but it still booms. Well, at least bass guitar and bass and tom drums do. It is rather trebly.

The vocals are... Well, nothing too typical. Mostly it is about clean or a bit raspy vocalization, that reminds me of King Diamond's non-falsetto singing. Shouting, growling and howling are also heard, but it could be more powerful. However, they are performed by a guitarist, so... Gang vocals are also used at times. The lyrics make one think how much things have changed during past 3 decades: Politics, drugs, terrorism, religions, polluting the planet, and the perpetrator for all these, human. Plastic is a newer topic, as the planet is drowning in it.

In all, Tankist's debut platter 'Unhuman' is a cool excursion into the past. Plus, it is impossible to categorize properly, just like many of old metal bands are. So, no dread of djent or metalcore here, ha! Get your face ripped of and your brain drilled with this small old school gem made with full affection to all things archaic in metal music scene.

Rating: 7+ (out of 10) ratings explained

Reviewed by Lane
03/24/2018 16:48