Algy Ward, Tank Frontman and Onetime Member of The Damned, Dead at 63

Algy Ward, the founding frontman of cult British heavy metallic band Tank, has died on the age of 63 after affected by recurring well being points.

Ward, born Alasdair Mackie Ward, reportedly handed away final Wednesday (Might seventeenth) at a hospital in Tunbridge Wells, Kent. The information was confirmed by Tank guitarist Mick Tucker, who posted the next message on social media:

“R.I.P Algy… Simply heard the unhappy information my previous band mate handed away in hospital final Wednesday Might seventeenth.

We shaped a formidable songwriting crew once I joined TANK in 1983 and recorded some nice albums alongside the way in which and plenty of reveals with TANK and the Nicky Moore band who I joined in 1990 with Algy.

Over the past couple of years we needed to keep on with out him however hoped in the future we may get him again onstage with us.

A glass will probably be raised tonight in your honour ….”

Earlier than forming Tank, Ward obtained his begin as a musician because the bassist for Australian punk act The Saints, acting on their acclaimed 1978 albums Eternally Yours and Prehistoric Sounds. He would then exit The Saints to turn into the bassist for seminal UK punk act The Damned for his or her 1979 effort Machine Gun Etiquette.

After a fallout with The Damned drummer Rat Scabies, Ward left the group and was impressed by Lemmy and Motörhead to kind Tank in 1980. Ward and firm even enlisted Motörhead guitarist Quick Eddie Clarke to provide their debut, 1982’s Filth Hounds of Hades — an underground traditional of the NWOBHM motion.

Tank went by quite a few lineup modifications with Ward on the helm, with the band releasing a complete of 5 full-length LPs throughout its preliminary Nineteen Eighties run. Tank would go on hiatus following 1987’s self-titled album resulting from a scarcity of economic success and turmoil surrounding the artistic route of the group, although Ward would ultimately launch extra music underneath the Tank identify starting with 2002’s comeback Nonetheless at Battle.

A lot of Tank’s output has been preserved and reissued by German imprint Excessive Curler Data, the place you could find the band’s data on vinyl.

At one level, following authorized disputes, there have been two variations of Tank, one led by Ward and the opposite led by Tucker and fellow guitarist Cliff Evans.

Revisit Tank’s Filth Hounds of Hades beneath.