Being honest with all the readers: TANK's name is a legend on NWOBHM for albums like "The Filthy Hounds Of Hades" and "Honour & Blood". But since Algy Ward parted ways with Cliff Evans and Mick Tucker in 2007, the two parts are disputing the use of the band's name. And the part with Mick and Cliff is very active since then, with "Valley Of Tears" being their third album. , I know that all Metal fans are asking how this TANK is sounding by now, and if this part is a true heir of the name's legacy.

Well, if you're looking for something that can link their present to TANK's classical albums, you won't find it here. On "Valley Of Tears", we have a melodic band with a NWOBHM format. The filthy and nasty music from before is almost absent, now being more focused in melodies and very good choruses, but still powerful and having a personality pulsing on their songs. But their work done with melodic vocals (ZP Theart is doing great, singing even better than he did on his DRAGONFORCE times), a great work done by guitars (Mick and Cliff still create a wall of massive riffs and good solos), and a solid rhythmic mass (Barend and Bobby are really play in very good shape on the entire album) is excellent.

Phil Kinman produced the album and did the mixing, Waldemar Sorychta worked as producer of the drums parts, having Cliff Evans supervising all as the executive producer, and Ade Emsley mastered the album. So we can say that "Valley Of Tears" sounds loud, clear and heavy, a bit cleaner than we could expect from an album of TANK, but it's good as it is. And the cover created by Jaroslaw Wieczorek is very good, being one link to their past.

The excellent "Valley Of Tears" (with some nasty moments on the guitars. The song evolves in an energetic and powerful way), the melodic and intense "War Dance" (a catching song with a medium speed on tempos, presenting a great performance of the vocals), the climatic "Make A Little Time", the slower and hooking "Living A Fantasy" (what great riffs!), and the very good instrumental "Hold Your Fire".

Well, the answer for the question every fan has is simple: this isn't the same TANK from the 80s, but it has some links with the past, and it's extremely good!