Jag Panzer

Booking Agent

Bart Gabriel
bart@dragon-productions.com

All regions

Biography

Legendary American stalwarts JAG PANZER come roaring back with their 11^th studio album of unrelenting and unapologetic Heavy Metal, The Hallowed.  The follow-up to 2017’s critically-acclaimed The Deviant Chord, the new masterpiece is easily the band’s most powerful and focused release of the last two decades and is scheduled for a June 23 release date. Masterfully crafted and recorded, The Hallowed not only is a stark testament to JAG PANZER‘s undying quest for delivering world-class Heavy Metal, but the conceptual storyline of the album is strong and creative enough that the album was preceded with a comic book with the same title that the band themselves released in late 2022. Founding guitarist Mark Briody explains, “The Hallowed is a concept album, so our approach was very different from the last few releases. With a concept album, we like to score the music to the story, which is a different songwriting style for us. We moved (drummer) Rikard Stjernquist into the role of music director, so while I was working on the writing and the arrangements for new songs, he took tracks from all of the band members and mixed all the new song demos. We actually completed an entire version of the album in demo form before we hit the studio for the real thing.” 

      Musically, The Hallowed contains all of the best parts of JAG PANZER spread throughout 10 songs and just over 50 minutes. Opening track “Bound As One” wastes no time in setting the musical landscape with near-Thrash Metal rhythms and ferocious guitar playing, not unlike the band’s early work on such heralded releases as Ample Destruction and Chain Of Command. “Prey” (a track the band shot a video for in their original hometown of Colorado Springs, Colorado) and “Ties That Bind” mix tempos and drum beats to create intoxicating songs which proves the band’s knack of delivering multiple styles in a single album. As a powerhouse drummer, Stjernquist (a member since 1987) and original bassist John Tetley have a kinetic connection with each other that provides an incredibly tight but nimble backbone for The Hallowed, something that only comes easy for players who have such a rich history together. “Stronger Than You Know”, possibly one of the most impressive songs on the album, combines blistering fretwork and double-bass drumming which brings a whirlwind like atmosphere along with the dizzying and dazzling lead guitar work of (now) full-time member Ken Rodarte. With big shoes to fill since Joey Tafolla’s departure after the release of The Deviant Chord, Rodarte has certainly risen to the challenge both on the road and in the rehearsal room. Briody states, “Ken has done a great job on the last several tours with us. When he expressed interest in joining the band full time, we put him on an 8-week audition to see how he’d fit in with our creative process. Ken’s contribution to The Hallowed exceeded all of our expectations!”   

      Of course, no JAG PANZER album would be complete without the air-raid siren like vocals of Harry “The Tyrant” Conklin, and his commanding presence is possibly at a career high on The Hallowed. Not merely relying on his high-pitched screams and shrieks that have become legendary, Conklin’s varying display of vocal acrobatics and melodic texturing are simply awe inspiring and at times unexpected. The album’s first single, “Onward We Toil“, naturally features one of the strongest choruses on the album, but it rides on top of a plodding rhythm that really catches the ear. “Dark Descent” is an up-tempo rager in the second half of the album that continually hammers away, while tasty guitar harmonies and a powerful shouting style chorus help bring a perfect balance to this strong track. As the album winds down,“Weather The Storm”, “Renewed Flames” and the finale, “Last Rites”, are an impressive culmination of what will surely become an instant classic for both JAG PANZER and their rabid worldwide fanbase.   

      Longtime JAG PANZER fans will be drawn to the The Hallowed immediately, as not only does the album check all of the musical boxes that made such previous efforts as The Fourth Judgement, The Age of Mastery andMechanized Warfare so charismatic, but the album’s production is a strong as anything the band has offered to date. The bass and drum tracks were recorded at Sonic Phish Productions in Arizona and engineered by revered drummer Ken Mary (Alice Cooper, Fifth Angel, Flotsam & Jetsam), with additional recording for guitars and vocals taking place at SteamPunk Audio Labs (Arizona) and Hound House Studios in Colorado. “Ken Mary not only has the expertise to record amazing drums, he also has a great sounding monitor system in the main room which allowed us to track bass at the same time. The experience of working with Ken was incredible,” boasts Briody. Each instrument has a big presence, and in turn each member’s efforts are on full display. To top off the album’s overall sonic impact, longtime engineering guru and extended JAG PANZER family member Jim Morris mixed The Hallowed at the famous Morrisound Studios in Florida, bringing everything together in a triumphant package. “Jim Morris is vital to us because he knows what we are trying to achieve with a mix. We’re a Metal band, but we’ve also got a lot of melodies and harmonies going on. Jim is a wizard at striking the balance between a heavy and melodic mix, and he’s also fun to work with.  We love Jim!” 

      The staggering album cover artwork of Dusan Markovic (Angel Witch, Virgin Steele), who previously lent his talents to The Deviant Chord, is a perfect complement to the songs contained on The Hallowed and continue the band’s long history of delivering great Metal and great visuals. Longtime underground Metal artist Travis Smith (Megadeth, Opeth, Overkill) was brought in to handle the layout of The Hallowed, finalizing an amazing team of artists for the new album. Much like the album and cover art, the comic book is remarkable upon first visit and abruptly leads the reader along with stellar artwork and visuals by E. Rubio and Yan Sek. The story (written by band members Briody, Stjernquist and Conklin) follows a team of 5 people who are crossing a frozen wasteland in search of a new home. Their journey is one of many hardships and perils, and they encounter some terrifying creatures including the hyena-like flesh rippers, The Jaw, and the large bat-like flyers, The Swarm. With their own team of dogs, eagles and panthers, the team fights for their lives while forging onward to an unknown destination to form a new community and life. This will no doubt be an influence on other bands to add a visual compliment to their future albums, once again proving that JAG PANZER are leaders and not followers!  

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