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two key members of the Ample Destruction line-up, Jag Panzer, or more accurately Briody and Tetley, as Hilyard had also been replaced by Reynold 'Butch' Carlson (who also left in 1986 along with Tafolla), revamped the band by recruiting vocalist Bob Parduba, and guitarist Christian Lasegue.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)
Power Surge
Jag Panzer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fist raising overlords
Corruption our cry
We're metal till we die
Power, in our hearts
Surging, in our veins
Power, there's no stopping this force
Full throttle we soar
Fist raising overlords
All hells in our eyes
We're metal till we die
Up from the depths dark children arise
Only to claim this earth as their prize
Ancient ones have spoken so
The dark ones arises from below
A birthright to the beastly one
This earth and all its fallen sons
Dark children await the timely hour
In which to claim this earth with fire
And then devour
Hells fire red glow
Fist raising overlords
We're burning with might
We're metal till we die
Up from the depths dark children arise
Only to claim this earth as their prize
Dark children await the timely hour
In which to claim this earth with fire
And then devour
Jag Panzer's song "Power Surge" is a fiery anthem to the unbridled power of heavy metal music. The lyrics are a call to arms for those who feel the surge of adrenaline and the rush of energy that comes with hard-driving rhythms and scorching guitar riffs. The opening lines immediately set the tone, with the proclamation that "Hearts racing, blood boils, fist raising overlords" are the true masters of this world. The theme of corruption and the struggle to overthrow it is central to the song, with the repetition of the phrase "We're metal till we die" serving as a rallying cry for those who are ready to fight back against the forces of oppression.
The chorus of "Power, in our hearts, Surging, in our veins, Power, there's no stopping this force" reinforces the idea that heavy metal music is more than just an art form, it's a powerful force that can't be contained. The lyrics also reference the idea of the "dark children" as a symbol of rebellion and resistance, coming up from the depths to claim their rightful place as rulers of the earth. The final lines of the song, "Dark children await the timely hour, In which to claim this earth with fire And then devour", are a chilling reminder that the struggle for power is ongoing, and that those who are willing to fight for it will stop at nothing to achieve their goals.
Line by Line Meaning
Hearts racing, blood boils
Our emotions are heightened and we are filled with excitement.
Fist raising overlords
We are powerful rulers, ready to take on any challenge.
Corruption our cry
We are calling out against those who seek to corrupt and control us.
We're metal till we die
Our loyalty to the metal genre and way of life is unwavering, even in death.
Power, in our hearts
We feel a strong sense of power within ourselves.
Surging, in our veins
This power is coursing through our bodies.
Power, there's no stopping this force
Our power is unstoppable and cannot be contained or controlled.
Full throttle we soar
We are moving forward with full speed and intensity.
All hells in our eyes
We are ready and determined to face any challenges that come our way.
Up from the depths dark children arise
Sinister forces are emerging from hidden depths.
Only to claim this earth as their prize
Their ultimate goal is to take over and dominate the world.
Ancient ones have spoken so
This has been prophesied by powerful and wise beings from the past.
The dark ones arises from below
These dark forces are emerging from underground or hidden places.
A birthright to the beastly one
These forces believe it is their right to rule as beasts and conquerors.
This earth and all its fallen sons
They see all humanity as corrupt and fallen.
Dark children await the timely hour
These sinister beings are waiting for the right moment to strike.
In which to claim this earth with fire
They plan to lay waste to the world with fire and destruction.
And then devour
After taking over the world, they plan to consume and destroy everything in their path.
Hells fire red glow
The fires of destruction and chaos are visible and burning brightly.
We're burning with might
We ourselves are filled with great power and intensity.
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Neonmirrorblack
The entire album is great, but this is easily the best song on it. Mechanized Warfare, and Casting the Stones are two of the best metal albums from 2000 on, yet the band never got it's due, despite being around since 84/94. Harry is as good, if not better in some ways than Dickinson, Halford and Barlow. I'd dare say he's as good as Dio ever was.
Dragon Fear
I've seen both Halford and The Tyrant live and both still blow the hell out of a lot of other heavy metal and power metal bands.
Nester Pereira
Probably one of the greatest guitar solos. Incredible!
Eva Rojas Bassist
This is such a finding! The vocals are really good, and so the band!
Bollard
My god, this was recommended to me by someone, saying it was "old-school" power metal. HOLY SHIT! This stuff sounds modern compared to today's stuff, and how old is this?! It's fucking fantastic!
IamAlwaysRight
Holy shit the voice is epic, hight pitch VOCALS RULE SUPREME! Know that metal fans... know that! True power can only come from those epic mighty intense vocals!
blood
This gives me chills, I love the vocals \m/
juan phillips
THE VOCALS ARE MAJESTIC
Adam Mundwarf
How isnt Jag Panzer more well known then they are?! they are bloody awesome!!! cant wait till febuary!
DESPIERTOS CUANTICOS
Exelente banda.los oigo desde los 80s.