They saw a poster featuring a German World War II tank, named Jagdpanzer literally "hunting tank" in German, but actually referring to what in English would be called a tank destroyer, which they decided to name their band after. They were, however, unable to pronounce the name correctly and as a result, dropped the letter "D" from the name and simply called it Jag Panzer. The band, who were all in their late teens at the time, played at local venues in the Denver club circuit, and recorded an EP in 1983, later known as Tyrants. In early 1984, the band recruited Joey Tafolla, a native of California, and promptly recorded their first album, Ample Destruction. The album was released in August of that year by the independent record label Azra Records. The album was an underground hit in the United States, and in Europe and Japan it was available on import only.
After the release of the album, the band relocated to Southern California. Tafolla quit the band in 1986, releasing a solo album, Out of the Sun, in 1987, while Conklin played with Riot for a brief period in the late 1980s, before forming his own band, Titan Force. Without the two key members of the Ample Destruction line-up, Jag Panzer, or more accurately Briody and Tetley, as Hilyard had also been replaced by Reynold 'Butch' Carlson (who also left in 1986 along with Tafolla), revamped the band by recruiting vocalist Bob Parduba, and guitarist Christian Lasegue.
The Swedish born drummer, Rikard Stjernquist, was added to the line-up and the band proceeded to record the follow-up to their debut LP. The album was recorded in late 1987, but never got an official release.
By 1994, the band had reunited, this time with vocalist Daniel J. Conca, with Tetley and Briody on bass and guitar. Guitarist Chris Hostka and drummer Rikard Stjernquist were employed on their first official album in almost 10 years, Dissident Alliance. It was released by the German indie label Rising Sun.
The next album was on Century Media, The Fourth Judgement, which came out in late 1997, followed by Age of Mastery (1998). Jag Panzer sought to tackle more ambitious territory for their next album, with Thane to the Throne, a concept album about William Shakespeare's Macbeth.
Mechanized Warfare was released in 2001, then the band released a double album in 2003 that featured previously unreleased tracks as well as songs from their first LP. Decade of the Nail Spiked Bat came out in 2003, and featured re-recorded and remixed old material. In 2004, the band released Casting the Stones. The previously unreleased Chain of Command album was remixed and was issued in 2004 as a limited edition.
In 2008, Chris Broderick left the band to join Megadeth, and was replaced by Christian Lasegue, who handled lead guitar duties on Chain of Command.
On December 23, 2008, Briody made a post on the band's official forum stating that the title of their next album would be The Scourge of the Light. On the official site, the band announced that SPV/Sony planned to release the album in February 2011. The album was released March 8, 2011.
Two weeks after its release, The Scourge of the Light placed at No. 117 on the Billboard New Artist Chart, making the album Jag Panzer's most successful to date.
On July 25, 2011, the band announced that they are to disband due to the rising costs of touring. Jag Panzer played a special early days show tour with Joey Tafolla for the first time in Europe. They played two shows in Greece, one in Austria and they headlined the Keep It True Festival XVII on April 25, 2014, in Germany.
High Roller Records released a 4-LP vinyl box set entitled Historical Battles – The Early Years, on April 19, 2013, limited to 500 copies.
By 2014, Jag Panzer had commenced working on their tenth album for a near future release, also featuring lead guitarist Joey Tafolla for the first time since 1997's The Fourth Judgement. Jag Panzer announced in August 2014 that it was looking for a new vocalist. However, it now appears that Harry Conklin has rejoined the group as of March 2015. In October 2015 the band announced their new album title would be The Deviant Chord and would be released sometime in 2017. The album, which was released by SPV/Steamhammer on September 29, 2017, included a cover version of the Irish folk song "Foggy Dew".
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jag_Panzer
Discography
Ample Destruction (1984)
Dissident Alliance (1994)
The Fourth Judgement (1997)
The Age of Mastery (1998)
Thane to the Throne (2000)
Mechanized Warfare (2001)
Chain of Command (2004, inedits in 1987)
Casting the Stones (2004)
The Scourge of the Light (2011)
The Deviant Chord (2017)
The Hallowed (2023)
Death Row
Jag Panzer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Standing so close to the stage
Hear the sound like a battering ram
But what you don't know
Is Jag Panzer's got control
And the power is all in our hands
Your eardrums will split
Like fire from hell and the grave
With vengeance and malice
We'll yell and we'll scream
Our violence evolves from the stage
So I'll give you my body
To do what you want
I'm boiling with passionate flare
You know it's controlled
But not for very long
Take your soul with my deadly stare
Death Row
Your standing in the
Death Row
Ringing inside your head
Death Row
First seven rows
Death Row
Louder till we raise the dead
So keep raising your hands
Oh you're such loving fans
We're headbangers, one and all
I'm aiming to please
Bring you down to your knees
You've suddenly lost all control
Death Row
Your standing in the
Death Row
Ringing inside your head
Death Row
First seven rows
Death Row
Louder till we raise the dead
The song Death Row by Jag Panzer describes a heavy metal concert and the power that the band has over their fans. The lyrics depict the feeling of being in the audience, so close to the stage, and the excitement that comes with it. The band is portrayed as having complete control over the situation, using their music to create an atmosphere of violence and aggression. As the decibels increase, the lyrics suggest that the listeners are taken away from reality, losing control of themselves and engaging in the violent energy of the concert.
The chorus of the song, "Death Row, Your standing in the Death Row, Ringing inside your head, Death Row, First seven rows, Death Row, Louder till we raise the dead," is repeated several times throughout the song. The lyrics here are a metaphor for the way the music of Jag Panzer can take you away from reality and put you in this almost trance-like state. It's as if you're waiting in line to be executed, hence the title of the song. The repetition of the chorus, especially as the volume of the music increases, creates an almost hypnotic effect, reinforcing the idea that the band has complete control over their fans.
Overall, the song Death Row by Jag Panzer is an intense interpretation of a heavy metal concert. The lyrics are intended to make the listener feel as though they are there, experiencing the violence and aggression of the music first-hand.
Line by Line Meaning
So you think you got it made
You feel confident, standing close to the stage, thinking you know what's coming.
Standing so close to the stage
Being so close to the stage, you feel connected to the music in a powerful way.
Hear the sound like a battering ram
The music hits you like a battering ram, with force and intensity.
But what you don't know
Although you feel confident, you don't know what's coming.
Is Jag Panzer's got control
The band Jag Panzer has control, not the audience.
And the power is all in our hands
The band has the power to create the world they are presenting on stage.
Yes, as decibels raise
The music gets louder and more intense.
Your eardrums will split
The music is so loud, it feels like your eardrums might burst.
Like fire from hell and the grave
The sound is intense and powerful, like it's coming from beyond the grave.
With vengeance and malice
The music is full of malice and vengeance, creating an intense atmosphere.
We'll yell and we'll scream
The intensity of the music will come through in the members of the band yelling and screaming.
Our violence evolves from the stage
The violence of the music and atmosphere is coming from the stage and seeping out into the audience.
So I'll give you my body
The lead singer is giving their all to the performance, putting their body into the music.
To do what you want
By doing so, they will give the audience what they want and create an intense experience.
I'm boiling with passionate flare
The singer is full of passionate energy, ready to give an incredible performance.
You know it's controlled
The performance is controlled by the band, even though it feels chaotic.
But not for very long
The band knows the limits of their intensity and how long they can keep it up.
Take your soul with my deadly stare
The lead singer is entrancing the audience, creating an intense experience that takes them out of their own reality.
Death Row
The intensity of the performance creates a feeling of being on death row, as if each day is your last.
Your standing in the
The audience is immersed in this feeling.
Ringing inside your head
The feeling is intense and stays with you, even when you leave the concert venue.
First seven rows
The intensity of the music is strongest in the first seven rows of the audience.
Louder till we raise the dead
The music will get louder and more intense, creating an almost otherworldly experience that feels like it could raise the dead.
So keep raising your hands
The band encourages the audience to keep the intensity going by raising their hands and staying engaged with the music.
Oh you're such loving fans
The band recognizes the love and intensity of their fans and their connection to the music.
We're headbangers, one and all
The band and the fans are all united in their love of headbanging music with a powerful and intense atmosphere.
I'm aiming to please
The lead singer wants to please the audience and give them the best performance possible.
Bring you down to your knees
The music is so intense that it takes the audience down to their knees.
You've suddenly lost all control
The intensity of the performance is so strong that the audience loses control of their own emotions and becomes consumed by the music.
Contributed by Owen M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.