Album Review: Golden Tanks - Golden Tanks

This debut EP from Reading-based five piece, Golden Tanks, can be summed up in one word - simplistic. Now I don’t mean this in the Village Idiot sense of the word, but rather in the manner that there is nothing showy or egotistical about this release. From the simple cover art of grayscale photos, down to the soulful and honest brand of punk ‘n’ roll that forms the basis of their music, everything is genuine and straightforward. The room for pretentiousness is there (the EP consists of four solid tracks that show great promise), but the band do not exploit it.

It must be noted though that the band’s sound is not all that original. They sound like Cancer Bats (hardly surprising given their name) with a little splash of Gallows and Every Time I Die. Whereas with some bands, the element of similarity would make them bland and predictable, the sheer energy behind Golden Tanks actually makes them quite an exciting prospect.

‘The Flag’ is an explosive opener, coming flying out of the blocks, with raging vocals and rampant guitars. The start of second track ‘Mace’ is almost exactly like ‘In The Belly Of A Shark’, but once the vocals kick in, it is it’s own song, and the variation in structure and pace towards the end of the track is a stroke of genius.

There’s a subtle increase in the metal levels for third track ‘Midas Touch’. The riffs are much more bludgeoning and the singers vocals are actually clearest on this track, but still filled with bile. ‘Dead Strings’ starts with an awesome drum fill and then heads into similar territory once again. It descends into a dirty rock and roll tune for a few brief seconds until the track curtails into a storm of fury to close.

Golden Tanks have crafted four songs of unquestionable energy and enthusiasm, which make up for the lack of originality. In the same way Me Vs Hero endear themselves to the listener despite sounding exactly like Four Year Strong, Golden Tanks achieve the same thing. No matter how familiar each track sounds, you will still be left wanting more.

4/5

‘Golden Tanks’ by Golden Tanks is out now and available from iTunes

Golden Tanks on MySpace

Dan Issitt