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two key members of the Ample Destruction line-up, Jag Panzer, or more accurately Briody and Tetley, as Hilyard had also been replaced by Reynold 'Butch' Carlson (who also left in 1986 along with Tafolla), revamped the band by recruiting vocalist Bob Parduba, and guitarist Christian Lasegue.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)
Union
Jag Panzer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When the skies shed no more light
Comes the setting of the sun
Fly on, soar above it all
Fly far beyond the sun
In union we are brothers in union stand as one
Danger's rounding every corner
Fear splitting every son
When we face another adversary?
We will do what needs be done
Fly on, soar above it all
Fly far beyond the sun
In union we are brothers in union stand as one
In union as all of us in union we are one
In union we are brothers in union stand as one
In union as all of us in union we are one
Now together we forge a new world far better than before
No longer fall for anything
We will rise in strength once more
Fly on, soar above it all
Fly far beyond the sun
In union we are brothers in union stand as one
In union as all of us in union we are one
The lyrics to "Union" by Jag Panzer explore the power of unity and solidarity in overcoming fear and adversity. The opening lines evoke a sense of resolution and closure, as the tears have been spent and the skies shed no more light. The setting of the sun represents the end of a cycle, but also suggests a new beginning. This is followed by a call to action, to fly on and soar above all challenges and obstacles.
The song emphasizes the importance of standing together as brothers, as one, in the face of danger and fear. The second verse acknowledges the existence of adversaries and the need to do what needs to be done to face them. The chorus repeats the message of unity, emphasizing that when we stand together, we are stronger.
The final verse looks towards the future, imagining a new world that is better than what came before. The lyrics encourage listeners to not fall for anything anymore, and to rise in strength once more. Overall, "Union" is a powerful anthem that celebrates the strength and resilience of human connection.
Line by Line Meaning
When our fears have all ended the tears spent and done
After overcoming our fears and shedding tears of sadness
When the skies shed no more light
When things seem bleak and hopeless
Comes the setting of the sun
The end of a difficult time
Fly on, soar above it all
Keep moving forward and rise above the situation
Fly far beyond the sun
Keep striving and pushing past limitations
In union we are brothers in union stand as one
We are stronger together and need to unite as a team
In union as all of us in union we are one
Together we are a force to be reckoned with
Danger's rounding every corner
There are risks and obstacles everywhere
Fear splitting every son
Fear can tear apart families and relationships
When we face another adversary?
When a new challenge arises
We will do what needs be done
We will do whatever it takes to succeed
Now together we forge a new world far better than before
We can create a brighter future by working together
No longer fall for anything
We won't be easily swayed or fooled anymore
We will rise in strength once more
We will become stronger and more resilient
Contributed by Scarlett F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Redblack Metalhead
So good!!