Store: Metal-Rules.com - Volume I

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Jag Panzer are represented
on this CD by the track "Forsaken"

Web: http://www.jagpanzer.com
Label: www.centurymedia.com

Jag Panzer - Biography

With the legacy of being formed in the ‘80s golden age of metal, Colorado’s JAG PANZER sustains the reputation of being one of the early heroes in the American metal underground. Jag Panzer have triumphantly endured line-up changes in order to continuously create quality traditional metal.

Nurtured with the bonds of childhood friendships and fueled by the music of Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Saxon, guitarist Mark Briody, bassist John Tetley, vocalist Harry Conklin and drummer Rick Hilyard were first known in the Colorado metal scene as Tyrants, then changed it to JAG PANZER after band members saw a picture of a German World War II tank that became their namesake. Signing their first record deal with Azra Records while they were still in high school, they recorded what is historically referred to as the Tyrants EP, and soon invited a talented guitarist by the name of Joey Tafolla into their ranks.

1984 witnessed the release of their milestone (and far ahead of its time) LP, Ample Destruction, which propelled JAG PANZER into the rousing fame of the metal underground. However, within one short year the bonds of unity deteriorated, ultimately denying the band the opportunity to expand the parameters of their success. Rick Hilyard was the first to leave in 1985. Harry “The Tyrant” Conklin departed for a short-lived stint in Riot before recording an album with Satan’s Host and two with Titan Force. Joey Tafolla left to pursue solo projects, and soon only founding members Mark Briody and John Tetley were left to carry on the name.

In 1986, the dynamic abilities of drummer Rikard Stjernquist began to stir up the ashes of creativity once again, and thus JAG PANZER entered the first phase of their own reincarnation. Emerging whole in 1993 with a newly found vision, the trio was recast with Chris Kostka on guitar and Daniel Conca (ex-Gothic Slam) on vocals and collected enough material for yet another full-length release. After releasing Dissident Alliance in 1994, they toured Germany with Overkill and headlined selected shows in the United States. Inspired by the vigorous support of their American and newly-found European fans, Harry “The Tyrant” Conklin and Joey Tafolla rekindled their roles as active band members and JAG PANZER eventually signed a world-wide deal with Century Media Records.

The Fourth Judgement, produced by Jim Morris (Savatage, Death, Iced Earth) and JAG PANZER at Morrisound Studios in 1997, earned praises from Metal Edge magazine as “a virtual how-to recording of metal thunder, guitar wizardry, and awe-inspiring vocals. This isn’t your run-of-the-mill metal, it shines with a luster that legends struggle for, and few can find.” While 1998 once again witnessed the departure of Joey Tafolla, a replacement was quickly found in an extremely gifted and humble classical guitarist from Denver, Colorado: Chris Broderick of Industrial Eden. The band toured for five weeks in Europe with Gamma Ray and Hammerfall, opened for Iced Earth in the United States, building up an incredible anticipation for their next release (also produced by Jim Morris), which did not disappoint. “Panzer is working at a higher creative level than almost any of their competitors,” declared Metal Maniacs, naming The Age Of Mastery as “one of the best power metal albums ever made.” Fans who saw them perform at Germany's Wacken Open Air Festival in 1999 could attest to their passionate delivery of the music which garnered such accolades.

Daring to pursue a theatrical storyline with orchestral arrangements to demonstrate the depth of their musicianship and based on Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the year 2000’s concept album, Thane To The Throne (Jim Morris) even featured a classical piece composed by Broderick, which was performed on the album by The Moscow String Quartet from Russia. Audiences at festivals such as Milwaukee Metalfest; Powermad in Baltimore, Maryland; Ultrasound 2000 in Las Vegas, Nevada; November To Dismember in San Bernardino, California and the Prog Power Festival in Lansing, Illinois reacted excitedly to “King At A Price,” “Fate’s Triumph” and “Hell To Pay” despite having a working knowledge of the timeless piece of literature it was based upon.

Maintaining the same line-up for these last three consecutive releases, JAG PANZER demonstrates how continuity generates an amplified level of musical cohesiveness. Making yet another post-production pilgrimage to Morrisound Studios in Florida for Mechanized Warfare and once again entrusting the reigns of production to Jim Morris (who is well versed in their very unorthodox recording methods!), it is evident that JAG PANZER has managed to reach a new plateau in their abilities as versatile musicians. The rapport established between the dynamic range of vocalist Harry Conklin, the confident contributions of John Tetley, the well-executed wisdoms of Mark Briody, the rhythmic syncopations of drummer Rickard Stjernquist, and the infectiously stellar leads of guitarist Chris Broderick speak to a familiarity bordering on the familial and sets a standard for the intuitive levels of communication between band members eager to create a testimony of their in-studio and on-stage chemistry.

Old school fans say they’ve been waiting for JAG PANZER to return to the reputation of their highly acclaimed cult-classic debut Ample Destruction. Taking the challenge to heart, Mechanized Warfare proudly frees them from this expectation, and proves they have retained the integrity of conviction that launched them over fifteen years ago.

An epic statement that respectfully pays tribute to their roots and clearly prophesizes all that is still ahead of them, Mechanized Warfare continues the momentum gained from all the years of their studio and touring experiences in the metal scene. It speaks boldly to the act of embracing two decades’ worth of struggle and achievement, the art of reconstructing it, and the finesse of transforming it into a mythological creature worthy of legendary status.

Interview Introduction By EvilG

I have to say thanks once again to Jag Panzer's Mark Briody for helping make this CD become a reality. Mark is credited with mastering the CD, a task he volunteered for on our very own forum when the question was raised - "why don't Metal Rules do a compilation CD?" When I saw Mark reply in there and say that Jag Panzer would like to be on it AND that he'd master it, that alone is the reason why I pulled this all together. I've loved Jag Panzer's music for a number of years now and never did I expect to be releasing a CD with one of their songs on it! We also have Marco Barbieri of Century Media Records to thank for taking the (unprecedented?) step of letting us use this song on the compilation.

The below interview is with Jag Panzer's guitairst Mark Briody.

Reviews: Mechanized Warfare, Thane To The Throne, The Era of Kings and Conflict (DVD)

Are you a regular visitor to the Metal-Rules.com webzine?

I visit as often as I can. I have an extremely busy schedule, but I enjoy the website and visit a few times a week.

How important is Metal-Rules.com or the Internet in general for getting your music?

Extremely important. It gives people almost instant access to my band.

In your experience, either as a reader or as a band, what has Metal-Rules.com meant to you?

It has expanded my horizons as far as metal goes. I heard about so many bands through the site. It's my most valuable resource for heavy metal on the internet.

Do you think webzines like Metal-Rules.com are, or maybe someday could, replace traditional published magazines?

Not totally replace (it nice to hold a magazine in my hand) but I can see webzines getting bigger and bigger.

Can you please list the members of the band and what they each person plays?

Harry Conklin - Vocals
Chris Broderick - Guitar
Mark Briody - Guitar
John Tetley - Bass
Rikard Stjernquist - Drums

How long has the band been together and what goals would you like to achieve in the coming years with the band?

We've been together forever! Well, since the 80's. Our goals are fairly simple - to keep playing the kind of music we love.

In your opinion, what style of metal would you say best describes what you play?

Traditional heavy metal.

Who have been some of your main influences?

Sabbath with Dio, Iron Maiden, NWOBHM stuff like Angelwitch and Witchfynde.

Have you contributed work to other compilation CDs?

Yes, several of them. 'Holy Dio', plus tons of magazine compilations.

Where did you hear about this compilation?

I heard about it on the Metal Rules forum. I thought it was a great idea right away and I wanted to be involved.

Why did you choose this compilation to get your music to potential fans?

It's a *real* underground compilation, designed to support the music, not make someone cash.

Besides your song, what is the best feature of the Metal Rules compilation and why?

I enjoyed the wide variety of metal on it.

Why did you choose this particular song for the compilation?

We wanted to do something unique for the compilation.

Where did you record the song & who wrote it and produced it?

The song is a reworking of one of our older songs. In fact, I doubt anyone would even recognize much from the old song. The songwriting credits are Briody / Conklin. Studio location is "Mark's House." Produced and engineered by Jag Panzer.

Would you say that your song on this compilation representative of all your material?

No, not at all. We try to make each song different and original. We have some other stuff that is totally different from this.

What is your song on this compilation about and what was the inspiration behind it?

It's embarrassing to say, but I'll be honest. I haven't read the lyrics enough to answer this question. I'll have to ask Harry about this one.

What about this song made you select it for this compilation OR if your band wrote or recorded a new song specifically for this CD, what things did you have in mind when writing the song for use this compilation?

We wanted to put something different on this compilation. Not just throw some old track from a previous album. This compilation deserved better then that.

What kind of expectations do you have towards this particular compilation? What do you hope to gain by being featured?

We're part of a fantastic compilation album, so that expectation has already been met!

As you know, most of the bands on this compilation are not extremely well known. Do you think a compilation CD with a group of mostly underground bands is a great way to help get your music noticed?

Getting our music known is not so much of an issue for us. We just think it's cool being a part of this release.

What do you think of compilation CD's overall?

Some are good - the very early U.S. Metal albums from Shrapnel. The early Metal Blade compilations. The Friday Night Rockshow albums with all the great NWOBHM bands.

What kinds of things should a compilation feature in order to make it worth purchasing and what makes a compilation worthwhile?

I like to have variety. I like the exposure to different metal types that I may not normally listen to.

If you had a chance to put together this type of compilation, what would be some of the unsigned bands you'd like to feature?

Not sure if they are still unsigned at the moment, but definitely Maudlin of the Well.

Would you be interested in sacrificing another song for "Metal-Rules.com - Vol. II" if the opportunity presented itself?

Of course!

Jag Panzer is perhaps the best-known band on this CD. Obviously you are not just partaking in this compilation for exposure only! Why then did you want Jag Panzer involved?

The whole project reminds me of the way the metal scene was in the early 80's. All the bands seemed interested in putting out a quality release. People weren't complaining about budgets, or being first on the album, or who had a longer song, etc. It was all about the music, which is what it should be.

Tell us all about how the song "Forsaken Child" has been transformed into the song "Forsaken" on this compilation?

We often do songs which are designed to be continued at a later date. 'Forsaken Child' was one of these. It was one of the first tracks we had been working on for the new album, so we decided to include this on the compilation.

Why did you agree to donate your time to help with this project and to master the CD?

Well, to be honest, I didn't do that much. Most of the bands had their songs mastered already. I donated my time because I think that metal-rules has an honest appreciation for the music. I have the highest respect for that.

What is your honest opinion on the songs we've selected for this compilation? Perhaps you can pick some of your favorite songs both from a musical point of view and pick a few whose production stood out for you?!

I thought that the bands did a GREAT job. The songs I like are because of my taste in music, not because one band did a better job then another. I think everyone did an excellent job and the bands should be very proud. For my personal taste, I like the Imagika and Seasons of the Wolf tracks.

Did you think the range of metal styles on here was diverse enough?

Very diverse. It's great. The diversity will make this compilation stand out.

Would you of done anything differently if EvilG wasn't the one making most of the decisions on who to include on the CD? hehe!

I would not change anything!

Where can people order your other recorded material?

Anyplace that sells Century Media products.

What are your band's upcoming battle plans?

New album soon. Booking some festivals now.

Do you have any live dates coming up that you'd like to list here?

Some fests will be announced shortly.