German thrash metal legends, Tankard, unfortunaly has to announce that drummer Olaf Zissel was taken to hospital due to a suspected stroke. Olaf is doing well according to circumstances at the moment. He will undergo a examination by the team of doctors during the next days. So he won’t be able to play the shows at Summer Breeze Festival, Germany and Motocultor Fest, France.

Gerd Lücking (Holy Moses), who would be on the road as a soundtech for Tankard, consented short dated to jump in as stand-in for Olaf and to play the two upcoming gigs. So both shows don’t have to be cancelled.

Tankard comment: "We’re shocked and keep our fingers crossed for Olaf, that the suspicion doesn’t confirm and that he will be released from the hospital soon. We wish, that he will get well soon and fast. And we want to thank Gerd, who consented short dated to play these both shows with us."

Upcoming dates include:

August
13 - Dinkelsbühl, Germany - Summer Breeze
15 - St. Nolff, France - Motocultor Festival

September
4 - Hoorn, Netherlands - Manifesto
5 - Loos en Gohelle, France - Gohelle Fest

October
2 - Fosser, Netherlands - Oak Metal Club
3 - Trondheim, Netherlands - Trondheim Metal-Fest
9 - Turin, Italy - Audiodrome
10 - Brescia, Italy - Colony

November
13 - Marburg, Germany - Kfz
14 - Weissenhäuser Strand /Ostsee, Germany - Metal Hammer Paradise

December
11 - Andernach, Germany - JUZ Live
12 - Geiselwind, Germany - Christmas Bash

April
2 - Moita, Poland - Moita Metal Fest
22 - Karlsruhe, Germany - Substage
23 - Zürich, Switzerland - Dynamo

The band’s current album, R.I.B. (Rest In Beer), was released June 20th, 2014 via Nuclear Blast.