One of the great things about rock
is the immutable truth that you're never gonna hear it all. I
don't care how genre-specific the radio stations get; no matter
what your poison is, whether it be folk or metal or alternative
or new wave or no wave, there is going to be somebody out there,
putting out the irregular release, booking the occasional out of
town gig or festival, that you haven't heard. Yet. Word of mouth
propels the band outward and upward, CDs get passed around, and
maybe the band isn't headlining your local stadium, but they're
hitting your town, and enough people have heard their music that
a good portion of the crowd is singing along.
Jag Panzer has been around since 1983, gigging around their
hometown of Colorado Springs, Colorado, gradually spreading the
word, doing festivals and tours here and abroad, releasing the
occasional CD. They've weathered personnel changes, label
changes, and the discouragement that comes with being much, much
better than anyone really knows.
The members of Jag Panzer are proud of their influences ---
Judas Priest and Iron Maiden --- and these show shine through on
MECHANIZED WARFARE, the band's seventh release. Make no mistake,
however; this is not a slavish imitation, but a tribute that
stands on its own quite well.
This is thinking man's metal; I don't know of many bands with
the stones to pair up Priest power chords and Halford vocals
with Gregorian chants and acoustic guitar. I know of even fewer
that can make it work as well as Jag Panzer does on
"Unworthy." And...operatic chorale and metal sturm
und drang? Yeah, they do that too, on "All Things
Renewed." A lesson that a lot of the second generation
metal bands forgot is that dynamics are important. Zep, Deep
Purple, Rainbow, and the aforementioned Priest and Maiden turned
the volume up, sure, but they knew how to throw in some
contrast, too. Jag Panzer hasn't forgotten.
Interestingly enough, Jag Panzer hasn't forgotten about lyrics
either. My favorites come off of
"The Scarlet Letter." Metal isn't my first music of
choice, but I can't remember a recent track I've heard that cuts
across age demographics like this one: "She walks in
moonlit shadows to make men beg/her slender figure slithers and
you will pay/a tender morsel for rich men, a prize to the
poor/the way she looks so lethal, drops you to the floor."
I don't care at what point across the age bracket of 14 to 70
you are, if you're a male, and you've had any sort of
involvement with women, there will be at least one who comes to
mind when you hear those lyrics.
MECHANIZED WARFARE is the work of a band which, well into their
second decade of performing, shows that they can surprise and
intrigue without sacrificing their basic reason for existence.
They'll come to your city sooner or later. It may not be this
year, or next year, but they'll get to you eventually. In the
meantime, MECHANIZED WARFARE will remind you why you want to see
them in the first place. Highly recommended.
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| Artist |
Jag Panzer |
| Title |
Mechanical
Warfare |
| Label |
Century
Media |
| Reviewer |
Joe Hartlaub |
| Rating |
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| web site |
Jag
Panzer Home |
| win stuff |
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