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This Means War is the third full-length album from Tank and, to my ears, the first one where they sound like an actual NWOBHM band and not a ‘70s, bluesy hard rock act. The riffing is faster and tighter (in general) and the lyrics less about drinking and carousing. They skew darker and frankly cooler with titles like "Just Like Something from Hell" and "Echoes of a Distant Battle." The first few songs ooze the grimy, gritty attitude of Angel Witch or Diamond Head, then This Means War takes on a smoother, polished sound like Tygers of Pan Tang on songs like "(If We Go) We Go Down Fighting." They can’t fully stay away from the bluesy stuff and "Echoes of a Distant Battle" is a chimera, a mix of Brocas Helm or even Manilla Road riffing during the verses and a Molly Hatchet southern boogie on the lead up to the chorus. The bonus tracks, as has been the case with the previous High Roller reissues, aren’t anything you need unless you are a Tank completist. If you’ve never heard Tank before but are a NWOBHM fan, I recommend starting with This Means War and branching out to find out if you like their earlier or later works.