Jag Panzer - Thane to the Throne (14 tracks) +Album Reviews

Extremely well done metal concept album based on Macbeth

Just Bill | Grand Rapids, MI United States | 03/16/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Jag Panzer is a recent discovery of mine. And a good one at that. My first foray into the world of the Panzer was Mechanized Warfare -- and I was both pleasantly surprised and impressed by it.So I sent an e-mail to the band to tell them so. Surprise again! Within about an hour, guitarist Mark Briody replied. After a couple of e-mail exchanges, I asked him what other Jag Panzer CD he recommend I buy. His reply? Thane to the Throne. I lost no time finding a copy and buying it.Unbelievable. Jag Panzer is truly an unsung American treasure. The guitarists shred like you wouldn't believe. Fast, yet clean. (By the way, I found Mark to be extremely intelligent and articulate. If he's any indication of the caliber of the other members of the band, I'd say this is the group to watch in the future. They have a different approach to songwriting from other metal bands today, and seem to put a lot of time and effort into their melodies, harmonies and lyrics.)Thane to the Thrown is a powerful CD, full of creativity, depth and a cool groove that just won't quit.The drummer is tight and explosive. The vocalist has an excellent voice. Excellent harmonies, too. And the songs are tailor made for metal fans who like their riffs clean, memorable and chock full of surprises. Jag Panzer uses other instruments to great effect, too. Classical guitar, violin, choirs -- it's all here, folks. The classical/flamenco guitar piece (track 16 "The Downward Fall") shows these guys have abilities very, very few other metal guitarists have. The penultimate track ("Tragedy of Macbeth") is a stirring closer to the album. It has a majestic, triumphant sound that amazes me.In fact, this concept album is so good that it reminds me more of classic Rush circa 2112, Fates Warning circa Perfect Symmetry or Savatage circa The Wake of Magellan than run-of-the-mill metal of today. It's that deep and musically surprising. Bombastic? Sure. Pretentious? Perhaps. But you gotta give these guys high marks for attempting to rise above the norm.Jag Panzer is metal for the discerning music fan. And I heartily recommend them -- not to mention their incredible concept album Thane to the Throne."

Out damned spot, out I say!

Kevin McDonald | Seattle | 12/05/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is hands-down my favorite JP album. It's a concept album based on Shakespeare's "Macbeth" (easily Billy Bob's best work), and it is great. The musicianship is top notch, and the vocals are great. Harry kinda overdoes it with the operatic vocals a bit, but it's power metal, so what do you expect? The story is great, very accurate, but it doesn't quite match the original. In case you're not familiar with the story, "Macbeth" is about a guy who is told by these witches that he'll be king of Scotland if he kills the current king. He does it, it works, but the prophecies from the witches keep coming, and he keeps killing, cuz he's convinced others will try to stop him. He basically goes from a normal guy to a power-hungry psycho who hallucinates, and thinks everyone's against him. I don't think they did a good job of showing his "descent into madness" here, but the story is otherwise pretty accurate. I hope that those who buy this and like it will be compelled to read the story, cuz it's really good, much better than the overrated "Romeo and Juliet". If you love metal and have already read it, and don't have this, BUY NOW!! You don't know what you're missing. Also, get all of JP's other albums, especially the new one, "Mechanized Warfare". Don't let this rockin' band from the Rockies pass you by!"

To rock or not to rock?--that is the qustion

king beagley | warsaw, in usa | 11/22/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"jag panzer's latest is a combination of iced earth, anvil, hammerfall, and steel prophet with a touch of edguy thrown in for good measure. shakespeare gives this album his approval as these gentlemen perform a great play by shakespeare called macbeth. this album might even help you to pass your english with flying colors, provided that your teacher and fellow students are avid metalheads"

Flawless classic/power metal

General Zombie | the West | 01/13/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Jag Panzer are currently the best band out there playing classicist metal, and this is the best album I've heard from them. The only conceivable problem with this album is that the tempos aren't terribly varied, but the songwriting and varied texture of the material more than makes up for this. Definitely mandatory listening for anyone who has any interest in the more melodic metal styles.

This album is, of course, based on Shakespeare's 'Machbeth'. There are plenty of amusing concept album premises out there, but I'd dare say this one is the best. It follows the plot quite closely, though the lyric's aren't so hot, I'm afraid, as they often are in plot driven music. As is common with albums of this sort, there are a number of little interludes. These actually work quite well, maintaining the mood of the album and sorta stringing it all together nicely. And, they aren't excessively prevalent or long, as they often are in conceptual works.

Subtracting the shorter tracks, there are 12 full songs on 'Thane to the Throne' and they are all at least quite good. This album is less driving and spritely than much classic/power metal, and is generally fairly mid-paced, with a very thick, grinding guitar tone. This leads to the album perhaps being not as varied or energetic as many are, but the songwriting is strong enough that this isn't of any real concern. Harry Conklin does the vox here, and he's as good a melodic metal vocalist as there ever was. He's from the Dickinson school, but even more powerful and dramatic, I'd dare say. And the vocal melodies and chorus hooks are consistently memorable. The band itself is very capable, and lead guitarist Chris Broderick really stands out. He's utterly classicist, providing numerous stunning, shredding leads throughout the album. He's not a terribly innovative guitarist, by any means, but he does what he does very well. Better than anyone else i've heard, as a matter of fact. It would be nice if he'd do some slower, more emotional stuff a bit more often, but it's tough to complain about what is here, and it does provide a nice couterpoint to the surprisingly grinding riffwork.

Going into specifics is tough and kinda a waste, as most of the songs on here are good in the same way, but I'll go ahead with it anway. 'Thane of Cawdor' is a great opening track. Normally you like opening tracks to be fast, which this one isn't, but it's so epic and huge that it doesn't even matter. Conklin is completely over the top here, and in the best possible way, and the multi-voiced vox representing the witches are great too. 'King at a Price' is arguably the best track on the album. It's one of the faster, more energetic pieces, with the best chorus on an album filled with great choruses. 'Three Voices of Fate' reminds of the opening track, and is perhaps even more epic. The alternating vocals between Macbeth and the witches work beautifully, and it's got some great guitar melodies, and another huge chorus. 'Hell to Pay' is one of the angrier tracks, with an immediately memorable main riff, and another brilliant chorus and a particularly powerful ending. 'Insanity's Mind' isn't actually one of the stronger tracks, but it is interesting. A bit more atmospheric and menacing than the rest. 'Face of Fear' opens the triad which closes are story, and is another heavier, more brute track, with a main riff that reminds one of the bridge to 'Creeping Death'. The next two tracks are both very strong as well, and have genuinely tragic feel to them. 'The Downward Fall' is the coda to the album. It's just a handpicked guitar piece with a lil bit of percussion, but it's one of the very best tracks on the album, and is a very fitting end to the tale. 'Tragedy of Macbeth' is the final track, but it's not really part of the concept album as the story is already over- it just kinda recounts all that happened. It's another great song. Over 8 minutes long and very grandiose, with plenty of nice melody and a great general progression to the track. The final guitar solo is awesome too. Probably the best one on the album.

This album rules in the way that only classic and power metal can. It's not for everyone, but those of you who like that sorta thing ought to find a lot to like here."

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	Jag Panzer Thane to the Throne Genres: Pop, Rock, Metal Track Listings (14) - Disc #1 Thane of Cawdor King at a Price Bloody Crime Treacherys Stain Spectres of the Past Three Voices of Fate Hell to Pay The The Prophecies - Jag Panzer, Broderick, Chris Insanitys Mind Face of Fear Fall of Dunsinane Fates Triumph The The Downward Fall - Jag Panzer, Broderick, Chris Tragedy of Macbeth
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