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two key members of the Ample Destruction line-up, Jag Panzer, or more accurately Briody and Tetley, as Hilyard had also been replaced by Reynold 'Butch' Carlson (who also left in 1986 along with Tafolla), revamped the band by recruiting vocalist Bob Parduba, and guitarist Christian Lasegue.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)
The Book Of Kells
Jag Panzer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is this the message
I need to clear my conscience and bring peace
These symbols now what do they mean?
The same on my body reveals a secret and a path
I've heard this story before
But never in such a way as to strike me to the very core
They bring me answers to a new life
Lead me on; carry me into truth
Carry me onward to glory, glory
Lead me on; carry me on to the end
My eyes see the end of this story
This story my flesh now reveals
Conjuring some sort of truth
Hidden among these strange new patterns
My body a canvas of hope
Piece by piece they connect a mystery hidden for all ages
Lead me on; carry me into truth
Carry me onward to glory, glory
Lead me on; carry me on to the end
Let my eyes see the end of this story
These are the answers I've sought
This is the message I need. The final answers of all time
These symbols are visions of hope
A door to the other side. A new awakening of the mind
Lead me on; carry me into truth
Carry me onward to glory, glory
Lead me on; carry me on to the end
Let my eyes see the end of this story
The lyrics of Jag Panzer's song The Book of Kells describe a spiritual journey of a person who seeks answers and truth to clear their conscience and bring peace to their mind. The person discovers symbols that have a hidden meaning and reveal a path to a new life. The symbols are found both in the pages of the Book of Kells and on their own body, which becomes a canvas of hope.
The Book of Kells is a manuscript that originated from Ireland around the 9th century, and it is famous for its ornate illustrations and symbols. The lyrics allude to the idea that the Book of Kells contains a secret message that can provide answers to life's mysteries. The person listening to the story finds the pages coming alive with every sentence of truth and feels led into a new truth by the symbols.
The chorus "Lead me on; carry me into truth, Carry me onward to glory, glory" expresses the desire to be guided into finding answers and to be enlightened towards a greater truth of life. The person is hopeful that the symbols they discover will reveal more of the mystery hidden for all ages and lead to a new awakening of the mind.
Line by Line Meaning
Are these the answers I've sought?
Am I finally finding the answers I have been searching for?
Is this the message
Is this the message that will bring me peace and clear my conscience?
I need to clear my conscience and bring peace
I am seeking a way to cleanse myself and find inner peace.
These symbols now what do they mean?
I am trying to understand the meaning behind these symbols.
The same on my body reveals a secret and a path
I have discovered that these symbols also appear on my body and may lead me towards a new path.
I've heard this story before
This story is not new to me.
But never in such a way as to strike me to the very core
However, this time it has a profound impact on me.
These pages coming alive with every sentence of truth
Each sentence in these pages seems to come to life and reveal a new truth.
They bring me answers to a new life
These pages are giving me the answers to live a new life.
Lead me on; carry me into truth
Please guide me and show me the truth.
Carry me onward to glory, glory
Lead me towards greatness.
Lead me on; carry me on to the end
Continue leading me towards the end.
My eyes see the end of this story
I can see the end of this story.
This story my flesh now reveals
My own body seems to be revealing the story.
Conjuring some sort of truth
Bringing forth a kind of truth.
Hidden among these strange new patterns
The truth is hidden within these mysterious patterns.
My body a canvas of hope
My body is a symbol of hope.
Piece by piece they connect a mystery hidden for all ages
Slowly, the pieces of the puzzle are coming together to reveal an ancient mystery.
Let my eyes see the end of this story
Please let me see how the story ends.
These are the answers I've sought
These are the answers I have been looking for.
This is the message I need. The final answers of all time
This is the message I need and the ultimate answers of all time.
These symbols are visions of hope
These symbols are filled with hope for me.
A door to the other side. A new awakening of the mind
They are a gateway to a new way of thinking and a new way of life.
Contributed by Matthew C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.