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Löanshark is a band out of Spain, a country where the traditional metal scene has been growing quickly over the past few years, producing bands like Redshark, Slowburn, Muro, Street Lethal, etc. The Gangland Tapes collects Löanshark's The Warning Sessions EP and the "Midnight Shooter" and "Fast, Heavy, Loud & Proud" singles. That last single sums up what you can expect from this band as they play exactly what the title indicates. High, screaming vocals, fat, crunchy riffs, songs about metal and the metal life are what Löanshark are all about. No epic battles, no socioeconomic outrage, just loud music and all the things that go with it. There are some really good songs on here, like "Sinner Rider" and "Fast, Heavy, Loud & Proud" along with some lesser lights such as "Black Leather Queen" (I wanted that one to kick all kinds of ass with that title, but alas...) and "Heavy Metal Addicts." The latter songs aren't bad, suffering more from being generic and not as exciting as some of the other tracks than anything else. It reminds me of Judas Priest albums like British Steel where the good songs are really good, and the others aren't. Despite its inconsistency, The Gangland Tapes is a good introduction to this band for those that are into old school metal, especially of the European variety pioneered by bands like Crossfire, Killer, and kept going by newer acts like Sin Starlett.