During his career with the Damned, and influenced and inspired by Lemmy Kilmister and his band Motörhead, Ward began to express interest in the burgeoning new wave of British heavy metal movement, which was kicked off by bands like Witchfynde and Saxon. Ward planned to create a new band, which he called Tank inspired and influenced by Motörhead. He hired Peter and Mark Brabbs to play with him, and in 1980 Tank was officially formed.
In 1982, they released their debut album Filth Hounds of Hades recorded and produced by Motörhead Guitarist Fast Eddie Clarke, considered by some to be a landmark album in the NWOBHM movement. Fast Eddie Clarke produced the Tank album before going on to produce Motorhead's Iron Fist (album). Initial copies of the album came with a free 7", featuring The Snake, a cover of a song originally written by Larry Wallis and Mick Farren's proto-punk psychedelic band, The Pink Fairies. Tank were asked by Motörhead to join them as support band on the Iron Fist tour in 1982.
Shortly before Tank's third record This Means War was released, Mick Tucker became the second guitarist, and shortly after the release, the Brabbs brothers left. They were replaced by Cliff Evans on guitar, Graeme Crallan on drums, and later Michael Bettel on drums. After their fifth album (which was self-titled) was released in 1987, growing disputes over musical direction and lack of commercial success grew more frequent, which led the band to split in 1989.
Ward died on 17 May 2023, at the age of 63 at a hospital in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, apparently after suffering from serious health issues for some time. The news was confirmed by Tank guitarist Mick Tucker on his Facebook page.
