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two key members of the Ample Destruction line-up, Jag Panzer, or more accurately Briody and Tetley, as Hilyard had also been replaced by Reynold 'Butch' Carlson (who also left in 1986 along with Tafolla), revamped the band by recruiting vocalist Bob Parduba, and guitarist Christian Lasegue.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)
Future Shock
Jag Panzer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I see and I know there's something awry
They see and they know with laser eyes
Digital dreams on digital screens
Creating life as they glow
Nightmares forming without a warning,
There's no one to patrol
What securities will the future hold
It's getting out of control
I'm in future shock
Overlapping textures of pain
Nightmares race through information veins
Who claims what's wrong, who controls what's right
And who cares anyway
The information highway will take you there
For such a small price to pay
Our lives are on a screen
(Who knows what the other side sees)
Secret lives we all lead
(Who knows what the other side needs)
Secure these lives with a digital lock
(Who hold the other side's keys)
I'm living in future shock
(The other side has me on my knees)
Pulses scanning at the speed of light
Draining our life flow with every megabyte
The beast, all seeing master minds
Rule the Internet
Who knows their means beyond our screens
They will have you yet
The lyrics to Jag Panzer's song Future Shock address the dangers and uncertainties of technology and the digital age. The first stanza sets the tone, painting a picture of unchecked technological progress leading to unexpected and uncontrollable consequences. The imagery of digital dreams and nightmares forming on digital screens speaks to the power of technology to create and shape our perceptions of reality.
The second stanza continues this theme, highlighting the ways in which technology and the information highway have made our lives more public and more vulnerable. The idea of overlapping textures of pain and nightmares racing through information veins suggests that technology can be a source of anxiety and trauma as well as connection and empowerment. Meanwhile, the question of who controls what's right and who cares anyway speaks to the broader societal implications of technological advancement.
Line by Line Meaning
I see and I know there's something awry
I perceive that there is something wrong or unusual.
They see and they know with laser eyes
Others can perceive what is going on with precision and clarity.
Digital dreams on digital screens
Virtual and man-made imaginary scenarios shown on electronic display devices.
Creating life as they glow
The screens showing virtual situations can have a profound impact on one's imagination and psyche.
Nightmares forming without a warning
Undesirable scenarios can come into existence unexpectedly.
There's no one to patrol
No one is watching over or regulating what is happening.
What securities will the future hold
What kind of protections will exist in the future?
It's getting out of control
The situation is becoming untenable.
I'm in future shock
I'm feeling overwhelmed by the rapid developments in technology and its effects on society.
Overlapping textures of pain
Multiple unpleasant occurrences occurring simultaneously and burdening one's mind.
Nightmares race through information veins
Desirable scenarios propagate quickly among the general population.
Who claims what's wrong, who controls what's right
Who decides what is incorrect, and who will determine what is correct in the future?
And who cares anyway
Does anyone actually care about the future of society?
The information highway will take you there
The virtual world is easily accessible and cheap.
For such a small price to pay
The cost to enter the virtual world is meager.
Our lives are on a screen
Our very existence and day-to-day lives are digitized and displayed.
(Who knows what the other side sees)
Who knows the true intentions and desires of others in the virtual world.
Secret lives we all lead
Everyone has a private life that they keep hidden from the rest of the world.
(Who knows what the other side needs)
Who knows what other people in the virtual world really want.
Secure these lives with a digital lock
Protect your digital identity and virtual life with encryption and strong security measures.
(Who hold the other side's keys)
Who controls the access to digital identities of others in the virtual world?
I'm living in future shock
I'm overwhelmed and astonished at the rapid development of technology and its influence on humanity.
(The other side has me on my knees)
The potential for manipulation and exploitation by those in the virtual world is vast and concerning.
Pulses scanning at the speed of light
Data transmissions and analysis are happening incredibly fast.
Draining our life flow with every megabyte
The virtual world is siphoning our attention and time with every bit of data used.
The beast, all seeing master minds
Powerful entities that have a vast amount of control over the virtual world.
Rule the Internet
The virtual world is governed by corporations and other organizations that wield a tremendous amount of power.
Who knows their means beyond our screens
Who is really behind the organizations that govern the virtual world and what is their ultimate goal?
They will have you yet
Despite our best efforts, the power of the virtual world will eventually become inescapable.
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
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