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two key members of the Ample Destruction line-up, Jag Panzer, or more accurately Briody and Tetley, as Hilyard had also been replaced by Reynold 'Butch' Carlson (who also left in 1986 along with Tafolla), revamped the band by recruiting vocalist Bob Parduba, and guitarist Christian Lasegue.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)
Edge Of Blindness
Jag Panzer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Killer queen – is that what you say
Diamonds rough – he makes his call
Ritual religion – a spirit game
Calvary blue – a genocide shame
You're running – over the edge
You're screaming – over the edge
You're bleeding – over the edge
Enfant king – river runs deep
Castle's burning – a dragon sleeps
Newborns cry – to mother's milk
Whorelike babe – soft as silk
You're running – over the edge
You're screaming – over the edge
You're falling – over the edge
You're bleeding – over the edge
You're running
You're screaming
You're falling
You're bleeding
You're driving me past my dreams
Listen to the night, hear their screams
You keep on pushing for a promised land
You keep the beast at bay – he'll catch you if he can
Times healing – cliche we say
Soul aware – of colourless grey
Killing clown, in cavalry blue
Look at your hands – the killer be you
You're running – over the edge
You're screaming – over the edge
You're falling – over the edge
You're bleeding – over the edge
The lyrics of "Edge Of Blindness" by Jag Panzer depict a world turned upside down, where the lines between good and evil are blurred, and the innocent are caught in the middle. The song begins with the phrase "Killer queen," a reference to a powerful and deadly ruler who rules with an iron fist. The next line, "Diamonds rough," suggests that her power is not gained through conventional means, but rather through violence and coercion.
The next line, "Ritual religion - a spirit game," implies that the Killer Queen uses religion as a tool to manipulate her people, drawing them into a twisted game of power and control. The phrase "Calvary blue - a genocide shame" suggests that this game has deadly consequences, with the Calvary Blue army committing acts of genocide on behalf of the Killer Queen.
The chorus of the song repeats the words "You're running, you're screaming, you're falling, you're bleeding over the edge," reinforcing the idea that the characters in the song are on the brink of destruction, pushed to their limits by the chaotic world they inhabit. The later verses of the song reference the Enfant King, a powerful ruler in his own right, and the burning of a castle, suggesting that violence and instability are widespread in this world.
Overall, "Edge Of Blindness" is a dark and haunting portrayal of a world gone mad, with powerful rulers and deadly armies vying for control. The repeated chorus reinforces the idea that no one is safe from the chaos, and that anyone can be pushed over the edge.
Line by Line Meaning
Killer queen
Refers to a deadly and seductive woman
Killer queen - is that what you say
Questioning whether the woman in question is a killer queen
Diamonds rough - he makes his call
Refers to a man who is not easily fooled and makes his decisions wisely
Ritual religion - a spirit game
Describes religion as a spiritual game through repetitive rituals
Calvary blue - a genocide shame
A reference to the blue uniforms worn by soldiers during the genocide, suggesting it was a shameful event
You're running - over the edge
Metaphor for losing control, going too far
You're screaming - over the edge
Expression of fear, panic
You're falling - over the edge
Metaphor for a loss of power, control
You're bleeding - over the edge
Metaphor for the consequences of the loss of power and control
Enfant king - river runs deep
Refers to an inexperienced yet powerful man, using a river metaphor implying hidden depths
Castle's burning - a dragon sleeps
Describing a situation where chaos reigns, while an even greater threat is lurking in the shadows
Newborns cry - to mother's milk
Reference to the natural state of dependence of newborns on their mothers
Whorelike babe - soft as silk
Describes a woman's sexual attractiveness
You're driving me past my dreams
Refers to a situation where one's desires are surpassed, and not in a good way
Listen to the night, hear their screams
Metaphor for people's suffering, crying out for help
You keep on pushing for a promised land
Refers to the pursuit of a goal, often at any cost
You keep the beast at bay - he'll catch you if he can
Metaphor for keeping one's darker impulses in check, while acknowledging the danger of them taking over
Times healing - cliche we say
Reference to the saying 'time heals all wounds', suggesting that it is a surface level platitude
Soul aware - of colourless grey
Acknowledges the muted feeling of depression and sadness
Killing clown, in cavalry blue
Reference to a murderous soldier, dressed in blue and also described as a clown
Look at your hands - the killer be you
Metaphor for recognizing one's own culpability in a situation
Contributed by Christian C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.