War is an art. Namely, this Danish Panzer Division is known for their morb… Read Full Bio ↴War is an art. Namely, this Danish Panzer Division is known for their morbid fascination with huge tanks. In 1993, when Michael Enevoldsen left the death metal band Illdisposed, the group was born. Uncannily, an onslaught of disagreeable circumstances were to come. In 1996, their first album, "Six Seconds Kill", was recorded and released by the label Serious Entertainment, with the debut effort very well received in the death metal scene. In 1998, a totally revamped Panzerchrist recorded their second album, "Outpost Fort Europa", also released on the Serious Entertainment-label. Only drummer/founding member Michael Enevoldsen and celebrated vocalist Lasse Hoile remained of the original line-up. In 2000, Panzerchrist released one of their heaviest albums bar none, "Soul Collector", on their shiny, new label Mighty Music. At the risk of being esoteric, the lyrics were done completely in German. Alas, it proved to be right up their fans' alley, adding a new dimension to the audial essence of total death worship. It would be unjust not to stress here that their entire body of work is apolitical and contains no rhetoric sympathetic to national socialism. Founding member of Panzerchrist, Michael Enevoldsen, had at this time switched from drums to guitars and had furthermore collected the following souls to make the absolute strongest Panzerchrist album so far: Reno Killerich (who delivers one of the most intense drum attacks in metal history), Bo Summer (whose vocals intensify the level of brutality drastically), Michael Kopietz (who used to play guitars in the death metal band Frozen Sun) and female bass player Karina Bundgaard (who also played on the previous album "Outpost Fort Europa"). The entire album is focused on war. From the song titles to the cover itself. The cover (shot by a close friend of the band who was stationed in war-ridden Kosovo) displays a graveyard with several destroyed tanks and troop carriers. To those of you interested, the tank on the cover is the Yugoslavic version of the Russian T-34 main battle tank. In 2002, the fourth album, "Roomservice", was released on Mighty Music. Still yet another line-up emerged once again. With "Roomservice" they returned to English lyrics, but the themes never changed. The music had at this point became very much blackened death metal-oriented, coupled with hyperblasts and even keyboards. In 2006, record number five, "Battalion Beast", was released on "Neurotic Records". The new album introduced a devastating new sound, for the band had moved even closer to their cold, tremolo-picking black metal roots. Reno Kiilerich left the band precariously before the recordings and was quickly replaced by Bent Bisballe Nyeng from the band Die, but his style proved ill-fitting. Again Reno recorded drums for this one yet it is uncertain if he was to stay with Panzerchrist or not. In December of the same year, long-time lead guitarist Frederik O'Carroll left the band stating: "After having thought about it for quite some time now I've decided to leave the band. I've had a great run and I wish the rest of the band the best of luck."

It is currently unknown how Panzerchrist will handle their ever-evolving line-up in future. At any rate, they fight where they are told, and they win where they fight.

Discography:
* Forever Panzer (demo, 1995)
* Six Seconds Kill (Album, Serious, 1996)
* Outpost Fort Europa (Album, Serious, 1998)
* Soul Collector (Album, Mighty Music, 2000)
* Room Service (Album, Mighty Music, 2003)
* Battalion Beast (Album, Neurotic Records, 2006)
* Bello 2007 (Compilation, Mighty Music, 2007)
* Himmelfartskommando (Compilation, Mighty Music, 2008)

Current members:
* Johnny Pump - vocals
* Lasse Bak - guitars, keyboards
* Rasmus Henriksen - guitars
* Michael Enevoldsen - bass
* Morten Løwe Sørensen - drums

Former members:
* Lasse Hoile - vocals
* Bo Summer - vocals
* Finn Henriksen - guitars
* Jes Christensen - guitars
* Kim Jensen - guitars
* Rasmus Normand - guitars
* Michael Kopietz - guitars
* Jakob Mølbjerg - guitars
* Frederik O'Carroll - guitars
* Nicolej Brink - bass
* Karina Bundgaard - bass, keyboards
* Dea Lillelund - keyboards
* Michael Pedersen - drums
* Bent Bisballe Nyeng - drums
* Reno Killerich - drums
* Lars Hald - drums

At the Grave
Panzerchrist Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Grieving
I stand before the gravestone
I say my last goodbye
Self righteous indignation lies
Behind the mask of apathy
Seduction
To an
Artificial thrill

Dionysus'
Takes her hold
As I embrace
I
Choose
To
Make

A Stand
But to be a martyr – first you have to die

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Panzerchrist's "At the Grave" describe a scene of grieving, in which the singer stands before a gravestone to say their last goodbye. However, there is an undercurrent of self-righteous indignation behind the singer's facade of apathy. As they embrace an artificial thrill, symbolized by the seductive power of Dionysus, the singer is torn between two paths: to make a stand or to give in to the temptation and become a martyr.

The song explores the tension between grief and the desire for a sense of purpose. The singer's desire for a misguided form of justice and the temptation to be seduced by Dionysus represent conflicting paths for the singer to take. The last two lines, "But to be a martyr – first you have to die" speak to the ultimate consequences of either path. The singer must choose between living a life of relative ease and complacency, or taking a stand and potentially sacrificing their life for a larger cause.

Overall, the song creates a powerful image of a conflicted and grieving individual attempting to navigate the complexities of grief and moral responsibility.

Line by Line Meaning

Grieving
I feel deep sadness and pain

I stand before the gravestone
I am standing in front of a marked burial place of someone

I say my last goodbye
I am bidding farewell for the last time

Self righteous indignation lies
I am filled with anger due to a perceived sense of moral superiority

Behind the mask of apathy
I am hiding my true emotions behind a façade of indifference

Seduction
I am attracted to something that is irresistible

To an
Towards

Artificial thrill
A fake and superficial feeling of excitement

Dionysus'
Referring to the Greek God of wine, parties and ecstasy

Takes her hold
I am consumed by the influence of Dionysus, personified here as a female entity

As I embrace
I am holding on tightly to something I desire