Jag Panzer is a heavy metal band from the USA formed during the early eighties, inspired by the burgeoning NWOBHM evolution erupting out of the UK. The band have endured a number of line-up changes and a short hiatus, released eleven studio albums, and a comic book, too! Yes, readers – a comic book! Jag Panzer released The Hallowed comic book late last year, prior to the album’s release this summer…
…the summer of 2023! ‘The Hallowed’ features ten brand new songs across a fifty-two minute run time, with the current line-up consisting of vocalist Harry Conklin (The Three Tremors), guitarists Mark Briody and Ken Rodarte, bassist John Tetley, and drummer Rikard Stjernquist. The new album is brought to life with the fast-paced fire and brimstone fuelled ‘Bound As One’, pounding the ground hard with immense force and authority. Walls begin to crumble as ‘Bound As One’ rumbles on past, the band leaving a trail of destruction in their wake – the band’s army of fans and followers (old and new) left in no doubt that this is a heavy metal album.
A heavy metal album that rolls on with ‘Prey’, flattening everything in its path like a steam roller on a mission. It’s abundantly clear where the band’s musical inspiration lies – in the glorious sound of old school, traditional heavy metal – the head bang ability rising higher and higher. Even the iconic metal stance of “foot on the monitor” is immediately recognisable, Jag Panzer delivering a brand of heavy metal to please old and new fans alike. Introducing a more melodious feel than either of the two previous songs, ‘Ties That Bind’ echoes the majestic march of the epic elegancy of the mighty Dio – a meld of the epic, glory and doom styles of metal. The opening treble has featured three different styles of metal, all coming at you from the heavy metal genre where the band are roaming freely. Free to deliver a blend of metal that’s infectious and immensely powerful, the pace doubling for the blistering ‘Stronger Than You Know’, and a head bang ability that’s rising right through the fucking roof! Boy the mosh pits are gonna love this one!
As they will the entire album, I reckon – every metalhead everywhere vigorously exercising their neck muscles, stretching them to their limits and beyond! And with immense heaviness, ‘The Hallowed’ marches on with ‘Onward We Toil’ – a thundering, lumbering stroll of anthemic metal. The mid-tempo stomp of ‘Onward We Toil’ is incredibly heavy, shuddering the ground under its feet and crumbling walls into rubble! Yet the band weave a phenomenal amount of melodious intent into ‘Onward We Toil’, as with every other song on offer! It is simply amazing stuff from one of the “elders” of heavy metal. And with a short tension-fuelled intro, ‘Edge Of A Knife’ explodes into life with a jackhammer-style riff so sharp that flesh is gonna be lacerated bones broken too! The band are in a mean mood here, marching on with a level of menace not heard before, yet still managing to deliver a magical and highly melodious chorus break! Picking up the pace and power, ‘Dark Descent’ plants both feet firmly on the monitor, Jag Panzer striding on with a massive old-school mentality, pleasing the metal traditionalists with an explosive eighties-sounding anthem. And why shouldn’t they, the band are a child of the eighties, after all!
And with no sign of a breather coming forth anytime soon, ‘The Hallowed’ continues its incredible march with the mid-tempo majesty of ‘Weather The Storm’, its relentless rhythm gently nodding heads back and forth. The intensity the album began with is as strong now as it has ever been, the band not allowing the level to drop below maximum – ‘Renewed Flame’ stepping on the gas and thundering forward like a freight train on a deadline! Jag Panzer, just like the Jagdpanzer the band is named after, are a relentless metal machine, intent on destroying everything and anything standing in its way! The heavy metal onslaught comes to a close with the ten-minute-long final hurrah ‘Last Rites’, and a return of the majestic elegance heard previously. Coupled with a mighty ground-shuddering foot stomp, ‘Last Rites’ is a bold, big and brash march of doom-fueled heavy metal the likes of Black Sabbath made a fifty-year career out of. ‘The Hallowed’ is highly recommended for fans of traditional metal, whatever age you are – for heavy metal has no boundaries, easily transcending borders and breaking down barriers.
Overall, a relentless march of highly head-banging heavy metal, immensely infectious and massively melodious.
TRACKLIST
Bound As One
Prey
Ties That Bind
Stronger Than You Know
Onward We Toil
Edge Of A Knife
Dark Descent
Weather The Storm
Renewed Flame
Last Rites
Jag Panzer: Facebook
Release Year: 2023
Label: Atomic Fire Records
Category: Album
Country: USA
Reviewed by Iron Mathew for Frenzy Fire and Metal-Roos.
