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two key members of the Ample Destruction line-up, Jag Panzer, or more accurately Briody and Tetley, as Hilyard had also been replaced by Reynold 'Butch' Carlson (who also left in 1986 along with Tafolla), revamped the band by recruiting vocalist Bob Parduba, and guitarist Christian Lasegue.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)
Generally Hostile
Jag Panzer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Town clock echo splits the night,
The witching hour moves even closer to the brink of time that is at hand.
Sound of heels pound the street from the curse that rules the town.
Chill of death has come to reap the damned.
For years ago he went away and now he's back to claim
The unsuspected souls to justify his death.
To contemplate. The hammer brings the twelfth and your last breath.
He's the one who holds the night in the hollow of his hand.
Evil reigning ruler of the dark
Striking with a furious urge, a thunderbolt from hell.
Everything he touches bears his mark.
Seeking no amusement in any lovers foolish games
But go ahead and let them all begin.
He lives his life in malice, not a single night in shame.
Burning bright the everlasting flames of sin.
I'm a man who shows no mercy for the weak.
No mercy! [Repeat]
Dangling at the end of your rope, can't you see it's 'round your neck
Desolation of another kind.
Your head's in heaven flying high. Your heart's in hell burning lust
Infatuation's always in your mind
You're the perfect sinner, yes, the one who stabbed me
In the back. You've got no guts, just like the rest.
Thrust my blade in, give a twist, tear a scream from your lips.
One o'clock takes your final breath.
The song Generally Hostile by Jag Panzer tells the dark tale of a town ruled by a cursed individual who has returned after years of absence to claim the souls of the unsuspected. The song opens with the town clock echoing at night, indicating that the witching hour is drawing near. The sound of heels pounding the street signifies the imminent arrival of the ruler who holds the night in the hollow of his hand. The chill of death has come to claim those who are doomed. The ruler is seeking no amusement in lovers' games, but instead, he lives his life in malice, burning bright in the everlasting flames of sin.
The chorus of the song is a reminder that the singer of the song shows no mercy for the weak. The final verse sends a clear message to a specific individual who is infatuated with sinning. The person referred to as the perfect sinner is the one who stabbed the singer in the back and has no guts. The singer thrusts his blade into the perfect sinner, giving a twist and tearing a scream from his lips as 1 o'clock marks the end of his journey.
Overall, this song is a hauntingly vivid portrayal of evil and the repercussions of giving in to sin.
Line by Line Meaning
Town clock echo splits the night,
The ominous sound of the town clock can be heard throughout the night and marks the approach of the witching hour.
The witching hour moves even closer to the brink of time that is at hand.
The time of evil and dark magic draws near.
Sound of heels pound the street from the curse that rules the town.
Something wicked is afoot in the town, and the sound of footsteps echoes ominously through the streets.
Chill of death has come to reap the damned.
The cold embrace of death is drawing near for those who are marked for destruction.
For years ago he went away and now he's back to claim
The malevolent ruler had disappeared for some time, but has now returned to take what he is owed.
The unsuspected souls to justify his death.
The innocent are caught up in the ruler's wrath and are to be sacrificed to avenge his death.
Oh, foolish one, you'd best make haste. There is no time
Those who are marked for death have no time left to escape and must act quickly.
To contemplate. The hammer brings the twelfth and your last breath.
Death will strike at the twelfth hour, and it will be the victim's last breath.
He's the one who holds the night in the hollow of his hand.
The malevolent ruler is in complete control of the darkness.
Evil reigning ruler of the dark
A despotic and malicious being rules over the world of darkness.
Striking with a furious urge, a thunderbolt from hell.
His wrath is terrible and strikes with the force of a bolt of lightning from the depths of hell.
Everything he touches bears his mark.
Everything that the ruler touches is tainted by his evil influence.
Seeking no amusement in any lovers foolish games
The ruler is not interested in the frivolous games of love and romance.
But go ahead and let them all begin.
Despite this, they are free to engage in such games if they so choose.
He lives his life in malice, not a single night in shame.
The ruler revels in malice and wickedness without any sense of shame or remorse.
Burning bright the everlasting flames of sin.
His evil deeds burn brightly like a flame that can never be extinguished.
I'm a man who shows no mercy for the weak.
The artist is ruthless and merciless when it comes to dealing with others.
Dangling at the end of your rope, can't you see it's 'round your neck
The victim is caught in a dire situation with no hope of escape.
Desolation of another kind.
The kind of desolation that the victim is experiencing is different from ordinary sorrow.
Your head's in heaven flying high. Your heart's in hell burning lust.
The victim is in a state of confusion, with their mind on heavenly things and their heart burning with sinful desires.
Infatuation's always in your mind
The victim is obsessed with something or someone to their own detriment.
You're the perfect sinner, yes, the one who stabbed me
The victim is the perfect embodiment of sin, and has personally wronged the artist in some way.
In the back. You've got no guts, just like the rest.
The victim is a coward and lacks the courage to stand up to the singer or others like them.
Thrust my blade in, give a twist, tear a scream from your lips.
The artist will take revenge on the victim and cause them great pain and suffering.
One o'clock takes your final breath.
At one o'clock, the victim will breathe their last breath and die.
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind