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two key members of the Ample Destruction line-up, Jag Panzer, or more accurately Briody and Tetley, as Hilyard had also been replaced by Reynold 'Butch' Carlson (who also left in 1986 along with Tafolla), revamped the band by recruiting vocalist Bob Parduba, and guitarist Christian Lasegue.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)
Spirit Suicide
Jag Panzer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oceans and deserts, lost souls in the wind
Time rolls on like a cold winter's night
To hang from the cross, the child must died
Fire in the valley – a suicide
Child in the alley – a suicide
The mass graved sinners, the no name dead
Breath of life whispers past your soul
A cavalry blue sinner, as black as coal
Fire in the valley – a suicide
Child in the alley – a suicide
Say a prayer, say a prayer…
Say a prayer
Do you understand what happened that day
They slaughtered our kin, they slaughtered our way
A manifest destiny is what they teach
Our souls aren't for sale, they're way out of reach
Did you hear the tale of the headless corpse?
A sinner's breed, and the devil scores
Want to know why man could kill a child
Just because another calls him savage and wild
A prayer for the dying, the weak and the old
Forsaken this child, both beaten and cold
Native is our skin, invaded is our land
Death to the tyrant, united we stand
Fire in the valley – a suicide
Child in the alley – a suicide
The lyrics to Jag Panzer's song "Spirit Suicide" delve into the heavy themes of war, oppression, and injustice. The verse "Spirit forgive me for I had sinned, Oceans and deserts, lost souls in the wind, Time rolls on like a cold winter's night, To hang from the cross, the child must die" points towards a moment of desperate pleading and remorse for the sins committed in the midst of war. The image of the "lost souls in the wind" reflects a strong sense of displacement and uncertainty that many soldiers feel while fighting for their country.
The chorus "Fire in the valley - a suicide, Child in the alley - a suicide, Say a prayer" speaks to the heaviness of life and death during times of war. It seems to paint a picture of individuals taking their lives, either due to the brutality of war or the hopelessness and grief that comes with it. The last verse goes on to reflect on the cruelty and violence that comes with colonization. It speaks to the displacement of Indigenous people from their land and the atrocities committed against them in the name of "manifest destiny". The line "Native is our skin, invaded is our land, Death to the tyrant, united we stand" points towards a spirit of resilience and determination in the face of oppression.
Line by Line Meaning
Spirit forgive me for I had sinned
Asking for spiritual forgiveness due to past mistakes
Oceans and deserts, lost souls in the wind
The vastness of the world and how people get lost in it
Time rolls on like a cold winter's night
Time marches on relentlessly like a harsh winter
To hang from the cross, the child must died
The reference to Christ's crucifixion and the price of sacrifice
Fire in the valley - a suicide
The desperation that drives people to self-harm
Child in the alley - a suicide
The tragic loss of young life due to neglect and abuse
No food on the table, with war on their head
The dire conditions of war and poverty
The mass graved sinners, the no name dead
The anonymity of death and how it affects people on a mass scale
Breath of life whispers past your soul
The fleeting nature of life and how we must cherish it
A cavalry blue sinner, as black as coal
The duality of human nature and how we can be both virtuous and sinful
Say a prayer, say a prayer...
The importance of faith and how it can give comfort to those in need
Do you understand what happened that day
The struggle for justice and how some events are hard to comprehend
They slaughtered our kin, they slaughtered our way
The loss of culture and tradition due to oppression and violence
A manifest destiny is what they teach
The false belief in entitlement and how it can lead to harm
Our souls aren't for sale, they're way out of reach
The importance of maintaining one's integrity and self-worth
Did you hear the tale of the headless corpse?
The horrific nature of violence and how it can dehumanize us
A sinner's breed, and the devil scores
How evil can manifest in people and use them for its purposes
Want to know why man could kill a child
The incomprehensible nature of violence against the innocent
Just because another calls him savage and wild
How prejudice and negative stereotypes can lead to harm
A prayer for the dying, the weak and the old
The compassion we must have for those in their final descent
Forsaken this child, both beaten and cold
The tragedy of neglect and abandonment of children
Native is our skin, invaded is our land
The importance of recognizing one's cultural heritage and its connection to the earth
Death to the tyrant, united we stand
The call for resistance against oppressive regimes
Contributed by Jackson C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Βαγγελης Ε
Not bad though they have better but this song sucks
Raziel redeemer and destroyer , peon and messiah
This album is bad , ample destruction is much better