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two key members of the Ample Destruction line-up, Jag Panzer, or more accurately Briody and Tetley, as Hilyard had also been replaced by Reynold 'Butch' Carlson (who also left in 1986 along with Tafolla), revamped the band by recruiting vocalist Bob Parduba, and guitarist Christian Lasegue.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)
Take To The Sky
Jag Panzer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Instruments glowing amber red
Light up the turbine engines, they scream and start their burn
G-forces push my heart deep into my chest
Take to the sky ten miles high
Stealthily we fly take to the sky
Silent, invisible black death from above
Laser guided, automated, precise computer control
The enemy blind and unprotected
Pinpoint accuracy certain death sent down below
No mercy, no regret for the unknowing foe
Mission completed heading for home
Objective neutralized
One more kill, one more scar for her side
The lyrics to Jag Panzer's song Take To The Sky describe the experience of a fighter pilot taking off, flying high into the sky, and executing a deadly mission. The "orders and runway cleared" represent a sense of urgency, preparation, and readiness for what's to come. The "instruments glowing amber red" and the "turbine engines... scream and start their burn" add to the intensity and anticipation of the moment. The "G-forces push my heart deep into my chest" serves as a physical reminder of the power and speed of the aircraft.
As the aircraft ascends to a "ten miles high" altitude, the pilot notes that Earth appears small and far below. The lyrics then shift focus to the nature of the fighter pilot's mission: "Silent, invisible black death from above / Laser guided, automated, precise computer control." The use of the phrase "black death from above" communicates a sense of danger and foreboding. The pilot notes that their target is "blind and unprotected," suggesting that they are an unsuspecting victim of the mission. Lastly, the pilot declares with a sinister tone that "no mercy, no regret" will be shown to the enemy.
As the mission draws to a close and the objective is neutralized, the pilot notes that "one more kill, one more scar" has been added to the aircraft's legacy. The song creates an atmosphere of danger, power, and ruthlessness. The fighter pilot is depicted as a skilled and fearsome force to be reckoned with, but also as a harbinger of death.
Line by Line Meaning
Orders and runway cleared given the green to go
The flight has been authorized and the runway is clear to take off
Instruments glowing amber red
The flight instruments are powered on and ready for use
Light up the turbine engines, they scream and start their burn
The engines are started up and running at full power, making a lot of noise
G-forces push my heart deep into my chest
The acceleration is so strong that it feels like the pilot's heart is being pushed into their chest
Take to the sky ten miles high
The plane is ascending to an altitude of ten miles or more
Stealthily we fly take to the sky
The plane is flying quietly and secretly, unnoticed by the enemy
Upon reaching altitude earth seems so small below
From the high altitude, the earth looks very small and far away
Silent, invisible black death from above
The plane is like a silent, invisible killer from the sky
Laser guided, automated, precise computer control
The plane's weapons are guided by laser and controlled by a computer for precise targeting
The enemy blind and unprotected
The enemy is unaware and unprepared for the plane's attack
Pinpoint accuracy certain death sent down below
The plane's attack is very precise and deadly to the target below
No mercy, no regret for the unknowing foe
The pilot has no sympathy or second thoughts about attacking an unsuspecting enemy
Mission completed heading for home
The mission is finished and the plane is heading back to base
Objective neutralized
The target has been successfully destroyed
One more kill, one more scar for her side
The successful mission is another victory for the pilot and their side
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lionsheart31
Such a great band.... they really deserve recognition. I bought all of their CD's.
John Osbourne
This song is a masterpiece..true heavy metal..vocals.. melody.. rhythm changes.. like 2 songs combined..and that guitar playing..solo..Jag Panzer at its greatest and over 20 years ago!
Jerry Velardi
WOW...how did I ever miss this band !!!
Brodereick RULES !!! 🤟
Yan César
Yeah!! Broderick is a beast!!!
mmotorhead
One of the most underrated bands of all times..
david ramirez
criminally underrated
April Santos
This song is great!!! I remember when the 4th judgement album first was released. I listened to that album many, many times over. This band is inspiring because it has emotion and energy in the music and vocals. That's what makes the best rock and metal albums. There is no song that I don't like from this band. I have been a fan for years.
Shane Bush
One of my absolute favorite bands for many years!
Andreas Nilsson
Criminally underrated. Why would you not like this?
Kevin
Just amazing. It's a shame I honestly didn't hear about this band until Chris Broderick joined Megadeth. Shred on Broderick!