Kind of ironic for an instrumental band to have an album cover of an open-mouthed statue that’s essentially locked in an eternal scream, but that’s nonetheless what Dutch rockers Tank86 (via the artist Alexander Von Wieding) chose to put out front on their debut full-length, Rise. Released through Rising Magma Records, the eight-tracks of Rise work in a surprisingly metallic vein. One might expect coming from The Netherlands in 2011 with a sans-vocals approach, the four-piece are rooted deep in heavy psychedelic jamming. Well, they kept the heavy and sent the psych packing.

They can’t be bothered with the progressive pretension of minimalist Godspeed You! Black Emperor followers or the post-Explosions in the Sky new wave of instrumental indie passing itself off as heavy psychedelic rock, and the requisite Karma to Burn comparison fails as well, because although there are some similarities – mostly in that both bands have guitars, bass and drums – Tank86 are way less stoner and way more metal. Even the swaying, late-arriving semi-acoustic “Black Lake” has more in common sonically with Metallica and High on Fire than it does with Pelican or anything so pastoral as that. Instru-metal.

Rise is pretty straightforward from the outset, with most tracks in the five-to-seven-minute range, but Tank86 leave room for a more expansive feel in the 8:29 centerpiece “Apparat” and likewise a thrashier edge to the much shorter “Gottes Krieger,” on which Dozer/Greenleaf guitarist Tommi Holappa contributes a guest solo. His is one of two guest solos on the record – Peter Van Elderen of Peter Pan Speedrock also donates one to the earlier “Axe” – and it’s worth noting that although there are plenty of pinch-harmonic squeals and lead lines, Tank86 guitarists Joost Kruiswijk or Harold Aling feel more concerned with setting the rhythm, which one might not expect with the six-stringers having the added task of carrying the songs in the absence of singing. That is, it’s the guitars that most listeners to Rise will latch onto without the convenience of a verse or hooky chorus, and though there are some rippers scattered throughout, it’s not like the lead guitar is stepping up to provide a lyrical anchor. Opener “Barrosphere” hints at a solo in its final moments, but the track ends before it can really pay off.

Pacing varies, which works greatly to Tank86’s benefit, and bassist Jochum Van Weert and drummer Rogier Berben provide a smooth foundation for Kruiswijk’s and Aling’s guitars, the latter laying on the double-kick a little thicker than I might prefer, but still keeping with (and adding to) the overall metal vibe. Van Elderen’s solo blends easily into “Axe,” and though Rise is never atmospheric in the sense of concerning itself with ambience or veering too far from its forthright modus, there is unquestionably a mood set. “Axe” is arguably one of the heaviest tracks on Rise, but “Saint Piran” touches on some slower late-‘90s Slayer creepiness and the extended runtime of “Apparat” allows Tank86 to explore a more individualized blend of parts, so Rise earns its darker feel through its guitar harmonies and heavy groove.

Because the songs are so straightforward, it would be easy to label Rise as generic, but far harder is it to come up with any single band it sounds like. Tank86, after two EPs, have honed a style on their debut that’s both familiar and their own. No easy feat, and for European acts, this kind of sound is viable in a commercial sense. Still, as they thrash their way through “Gottes Krieger” with the help of Holappa, I’m stuck on the feeling that I’ve heard the riff that ends the song before, or at least heard a dozen like it, and in terms of tone, Tank86 don’t offer much that modern metal didn’t already have. I don’t think plugging into huge Orange amps is the solution for that, but there’s a level of intricacy with which Rise feels largely unconcerned, and a lot of the time, it’s those minute details that warrant repeat listens.

All the same, Tank86 satisfies an urge for the uncomplicated that the better part of underground heavy instrumental acts today have forsaken in favor of trying to find a niche for themselves. As “Black Lake” gives way to the sizable riffing of “Infidel” and the slow mosh breakdown of closer “Dying Mountain,” I’m much less concerned with how revolutionary Rise is than I am with how hard it rocks, and for Tank86’s first album, I tend to think it’s more helpful to focus on what’s working than where the songs stumble. They have some growing to do yet, and I’d like to see more development in the guitar interplay and contrast of tonality between Kruiswijk and Aling, but Tank86 have made a solid full-length that will no doubt make them many friends along the way to their next one.

Tank86 on (Nobody Goes to) MySpace (Anymore)

Rising Magma Records

Tags: Brabant, Rising Magma Records, Tank86, The Netherlands

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 7th, 2011 at 12:36 pm and is filed under Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.