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two key members of the Ample Destruction line-up, Jag Panzer, or more accurately Briody and Tetley, as Hilyard had also been replaced by Reynold 'Butch' Carlson (who also left in 1986 along with Tafolla), revamped the band by recruiting vocalist Bob Parduba, and guitarist Christian Lasegue.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)
Thane Of Cawdor
Jag Panzer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Duncan whom now is King of Scotland
Hears of a victorious battle won by his noblemen
Banquo and MacBeth
To award MacBeth for his bravery in battle
Duncan orders the rebel Thane of Cawdor assassinated
As the witches words unfold into this terrible tale of fate
I am mighty. Death follows in my wake
None will stand against my sword
I thank thee Duncan thou art of kingly blood
Proudly I do accept this ward
Thane of Cawdor dubbed by the king
All men will testify this day
Banquo, my friend can ye trust thine eyes
Set forth announce of my new name
I will enforce that Malcolm shall be heir
Of kingly blood they are the same
Thane to the throne of Duncan the king
All men will testify this day
The sister's words have come to light
To seize the throne with all my might
The throne is in sight!
I must devise a way Duncan's crown to gain
I know it's madness, I'm compelled
M'lady must aid my hand, I cannot commit alone
Deep in my heart this madness swells
Thane of Cawdor soon to be king
In bloody crime of fate
The lyrics to "Thane of Cawdor" by Jag Panzer are based on the story of Macbeth, the Scottish general who receives a prophecy from three witches that he will become the Thane of Cawdor and eventually the King of Scotland. Duncan, the current King of Scotland, rewards Macbeth for his bravery in battle by ordering the assassination of the rebel Thane of Cawdor, thus fulfilling the witches' prophecy. Macbeth accepts the title and begins to plot his ascension to the throne. As he becomes consumed by his ambition, he is driven to commit a series of bloody crimes to seize the crown.
The lyrics reflect Macbeth's arrogance and ruthlessness as he embraces his new title and begins his quest for power. He proclaims himself "mighty" and boasts that death follows in his wake, declaring that none can stand against his sword. He thanks Duncan for the title of Thane of Cawdor and proudly accepts the ward, while secretly plotting his next move. Macbeth's madness and desperation are evident in the final verse as he seeks the aid of Lady Macbeth to help him commit the ultimate crime of killing Duncan.
The lyrics to "Thane of Cawdor" are a powerful retelling of the classic Shakespearean tragedy, with themes of greed, ambition, and the corrupting influence of power. The song showcases Jag Panzer's talent for storytelling and their ability to weave intricate narratives into their music.
Line by Line Meaning
Duncan whom now is King of Scotland
Duncan is the current King of Scotland
Hears of a victorious battle won by his noblemen
Duncan hears of a battle that his noblemen, Banquo and MacBeth, have won
Banquo and MacBeth
Banquo and MacBeth are two noblemen who have won a battle
To award MacBeth for his bravery in battle
Duncan wants to reward MacBeth for being brave in the battle
Duncan orders the rebel Thane of Cawdor assassinated
Duncan orders the assassination of the rebel Thane of Cawdor
As the witches words unfold into this terrible tale of fate
The witches' words reveal a terrible fate that is about to unfold
MacBeth accepts the title Thane of Cawdor
MacBeth accepts the title of Thane of Cawdor
I am mighty. Death follows in my wake
I am powerful and wherever I go, death follows
None will stand against my sword
No one can withstand my sword
I thank thee Duncan thou art of kingly blood
I thank you, Duncan, for being of royal blood
Proudly I do accept this ward
I am proud to accept this title
Thane of Cawdor dubbed by the king
I have been given the title of Thane of Cawdor by the king
All men will testify this day
Everyone will witness this event
Banquo, my friend can ye trust thine eyes
Banquo, my friend, can you believe what you are seeing?
Set forth announce of my new name
Let it be known that I have a new title
I will enforce that Malcolm shall be heir
I will make sure that Malcolm becomes the heir to the throne
Of kingly blood they are the same
Malcolm and Duncan are both of royal blood
Thane to the throne of Duncan the king
I will become the Thane who will eventually take over Duncan's throne
The sister's words have come to light
The witches' prophecies are coming true
To seize the throne with all my might
I will do everything in my power to take the throne
The throne is in sight!
The throne is within my reach!
I must devise a way Duncan's crown to gain
I must come up with a plan to take Duncan's crown
I know it's madness, I'm compelled
I know it's crazy, but I feel like I have to do it
M'lady must aid my hand, I cannot commit alone
My wife must help me, I can't do this alone
Deep in my heart this madness swells
I feel a deep madness growing inside me
Thane of Cawdor soon to be king
As the Thane of Cawdor, I will soon become king
In bloody crime of fate
My path to becoming king will involve a bloody fate
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
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