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two key members of the Ample Destruction line-up, Jag Panzer, or more accurately Briody and Tetley, as Hilyard had also been replaced by Reynold 'Butch' Carlson (who also left in 1986 along with Tafolla), revamped the band by recruiting vocalist Bob Parduba, and guitarist Christian Lasegue.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)
Despair
Jag Panzer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There is a place that no one goes about
Or fears to conjure in the mind
Sacred chants heard whispered in the dark
Watch for your shadow behind
Hands of time wind in reverse
When you find yourself alone in the dark
You know you've been left behind
Down in the depths of despair
Is it laughter or lamenting that you hear
A host of insanity all around
A chill of terror surrounds you standing there
Shackles of fear have you bound
Doors slam shut and you feel no return
Many voices have your head spinning around
Find yourself in the center of a circle
Something tugging at your soul, pulling it down
Patient pupil have you learned now any spells
And incantations from this life
Have you opened every door that's come to an end
Then ventured inside
Jag Panzer's song "Despair" is a haunting and dark depiction of a place no one goes to or even wants to imagine. The lyrics speak about a place filled with sacred chants whispered in the dark and shadows that follow you. It's a place where time moves backward and mirrors reflect a lie, leaving you feeling lost and alone in the dark. This place is the depths of despair and there is no way out.
The song speaks about the fear and terror that surrounds the singer as they find themselves in this dark and grim place. The laughter and lamenting that they hear, the host of insanity that surrounds them, shackles of fear that bind them, and the doors that slam shut with no way out all serve to create an eerie and chilling atmosphere. The lyrics also suggest that in this place, the singer is being tested, as they are asked if they have learned any spells or incantations that might help them escape.
Overall, "Despair" by Jag Panzer is a powerful yet haunting song that leaves the listener with a sense of dread and unease. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a place where fear and terror reign supreme, and where the only way out is through learning and mastery of spells and incantations.
Line by Line Meaning
There is a place that no one goes about
There's a place shrouded in mystery that no one dares even think about.
Or fears to conjure in the mind
It's something so terrifying that people refuse to even imagine it.
Sacred chants heard whispered in the dark
The silence is broken by eerie whispers that sound like hypnotic spells.
Watch for your shadow behind
Be careful, because something is lurking and following your every move.
Hands of time wind in reverse
Everything seems to be going in reverse, as if time itself is playing tricks on you.
Mirrors reflect a lie
Even the mirrors seem to be lying and showing you a twisted and distorted version of reality.
When you find yourself alone in the dark
When you're by yourself in a pitch-black setting.
You know you've been left behind
You realize that you're all alone and abandoned in this terrifying place.
Down in the depths of despair
You're in the lowest and darkest point of hopelessness.
Is it laughter or lamenting that you hear
You can't tell if the sounds you're hearing are terrifying screams or sad cries.
A host of insanity all around
You're surrounded by pure madness and insanity.
A chill of terror surrounds you standing there
You feel a cold shiver down your spine as you stand there, paralyzed with fear.
Shackles of fear have you bound
You're so scared that you're frozen in place like you're shackled to the ground.
Doors slam shut and you feel no return
All the doors around you close and you feel like there's no way out.
Many voices have your head spinning around
You hear so many voices that you start to lose your sense of direction.
Find yourself in the center of a circle
You suddenly realize that you're in the center of a mysterious ritual or ceremony.
Something tugging at your soul, pulling it down
You feel like something is trying to grab your soul and pull it down to the abyss.
Patient pupil have you learned now any spells
After all you've been through, have you learned any magic spells?
And incantations from this life
Have you discovered any powerful and sacred chants in your current existence?
Have you opened every door that's come to an end
Have you explored every possible outcome and option of your past choices?
Then ventured inside
And bravely stepped inside to face the unknown and learn from the darkest experiences.
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind