Label: Atomic Fire Records
Release date: June 23, 2023
Production: Jag Panzer
Album length: 53.03 min
Genre: Heavy Metal / Power Metal
Rating: 9.0/10
The cult American power metal heroes Jag Panzer are back among us with a new album, “The Hallowed.” Six years have passed since its predecessor “The Deviant Chord” (2017), and plenty of fans had started to seriously wonder what was going on with a band that locked in its cult status with its debut “Ample Destruction” (1984) and went through a full-blown artistic renaissance in the late nineties.
Sadly, “The Hallowed” no longer features guitar virtuoso Joey Tafolla, who has a habit of coming and going, right when the band’s followers get used to his versatile guitar work again. Joey’s lesser-known replacement on “The Hallowed” is Ken Rodarte, who also comes from the ‘old school’ of guitar masters, which means his playing is marked by neoclassical runs and the occasional bout of shredding in a style close to his predecessor’s. Jag Panzer fans can breathe easy, since it happens pretty often to the American power metal greats that their excellent (lead) guitarists leave after a run of very good studio efforts. That’s how it went down when Chris Broderick left, a guy who seemed like he could hardly wait to join the much more notorious (and more lucrative) Megadeth.
“The Hallowed,” Jag Panzer’s first concept album since “Thane to the Throne” (2000), is a classic Jag Panzer record in every respect, which means it’s stuffed with epic, potent power metal, plenty of battle-ready choruses and some seriously tasty guitar harmonies. No surprise there, since all three founding members, or rather four longtime members, are still around, led by vocalist Harry ‘The Tyrant’ Conklin and rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Mark Briody, the main songwriters. Conklin, who decided at the last minute about ten years ago not to leave Jag Panzer, still sings like a kid, and on some tracks this time he seems to push his voice up into the higher registers even more often than usual. His outstanding vocals are pretty much the key, most recognizable building block of the classic Jag Panzer sound. No wonder “Dissident Alliance” (1994), the only (officially released) studio effort in Jag Panzer history without Conklin’s vocals, turned out to be a complete disaster.
Conklin’s vocal supremacy is obvious right from the opener “Bound As One,” which is well on its way to becoming a Jag Panzer classic and will very likely soon be a live staple; the combo of a mighty chorus, melodic guitar harmonies and smart drum transitions is the recipe for a relatively short but excellent power metal energy catalyst. “Prey!”, which in many ways recalls some of Jag Panzer’s eighties output, only with way better production, was practically made for firing up a warmed-up crowd with its raw chorus. “Ties That Bind” is a thoroughly classic Jag Panzer piece that, unlike the simpler “Prey!”, is more reminiscent of some of their more complex and ambitious work from the late nineties and the last two decades.
On “Stronger Than You Know,” a wound-up rhythm, scorching guitar runs and Conklin’s angry singing create an absolutely hellish atmosphere, crowned in the middle by a virtuoso guitar solo. “Onward We Toil” is packed with an epic chorus that will make the hearts of all true metal warriors race. Its ‘barbarian’ energy and atmosphere will remind plenty of listeners of the era of the classic Jag Panzer album “The Age of Mastery” (1998).
On the excellent “Edge of a Knife,” you can pick out some orchestral elements in the intro, courtesy of Briody’s keyboards, while the superbly executed and perfectly harmonized transition into the epic chorus will once again send shivers down the spines of fans of epic, manly power metal. “Dark Descent” masterfully combines epic and brutal elements of the classic Jag Panzer sound and hits its climax in a mighty chorus, which means it’s not hard to fall in love with this track on the first listen. On the splendid “Weather The Storm,” you can once again hear just how important a role Conklin’s vocal skills play in Jag Panzer’s music, because with a less charismatic and talented singer this one would have come off far less interesting and energetic. “Renewed Flame” is one of those wound-up, melodramatic Jag Panzer numbers that crank up the atmospheric drama second by second, all the way to the climax in an epic chorus. Fans of longtime classics like “Shadow Thief” and “Chain of Command” will definitely be thrilled.
The ambitious closing venture “Last Rites” is also the final act of a dystopian, post-apocalyptic concept that was accompanied by a comic book when “The Hallowed” came out. They didn’t use real string arrangements this time (a few orchestral arrangements made on keyboards do pop up here and there), and the intro drags a bit, while the slower tempo and gloomier-than-usual mood make the whole thing feel less like a classic Jag Panzer track and more like one of Manilla Road’s more ambitious pieces. Still, as a whole it comes off very well.
“The Hallowed” is a classic Jag Panzer album in every respect, one that will satisfy the appetites of all the longtime fans and can be ranked among their best work without hesitation. As long as Conklin and Briody steer the whole creative process, there’s no need to worry about Jag Panzer’s future. Still, it’s a noticeably less complex and polished concept project compared to the symphonic “Thane to the Trone” (2000), which most Jag Panzer fans consider their creative peak so far.
Author: Peter “Dr. ProgRock” Podbrežnik
Tracklist:
1. Bound As One
2. Prey!
3. Ties That Bind
4. Stronger Than You Know
5. Onward We Toil
6. Edge Of A Knife
7. Dark Descent
8. Weather The Storm
9. Renewed Flame
10. Last Rites
Lineup:
Harry Conklin – vocals
Mark Briody – guitar
Ken Rodarte – guitar
John Tetley – bass
Rikard Stjernquist – drums
