Jag Panzer, the name brings up memories. Heavy metal shows during the so called ‘Golden Age’ of metal, of thrashing metal madness, long hair and the spritz and glamour of the strip. The eighties are gone and a new music dominates the charts, but Jag Panzer are still there. They’re still kicking arse like an Iron Rod that refuses to bend or break. The Deviant Chord is testimony to that attitude.
“Born of The Flame,” kicks things off with a pounding drum beat, and some fascinating guitar licks. The vocals are powerful and commanding, they demand your attention and will accept nothing less than that. A great opener. “Far Beyond All Fear,” shifts in with dynamite and grace, slowly bringing the world to order. The guitars duel with one another to produce the best melodies. The vocals are once more sharp and concise. “The Deviant Chord,” is epic. Slowly building up into a great crescendo, it starts off softly, and slowly gets to its heaviness. The vocals weave in and out, bringing about the most fascinating growth this reviewer has ever seen. Fantastic! “Blacklist,” is grooving and excellent power metal, slowly shifting and turning with the edge and never giving away which way it might turn. “Foggy Dew,” a haunting and soulful and powerful take on an Irish classic, fantastically executed.
“Divine Intervention,” slowly builds and shifts, turning the winds this way and that. The listener is hooked almost immediately on the melodies and the riffs that are pieced together. The vocals are weaved in and out, narrating something both peaceful and haunting. “Long Awaited Kiss,” is the ballad of the album, but my god what a ballad it is. It slowly drives one way and then the next, bringing about haunting melodies, and a soulful appearance of the acoustic guitars, driving the narrative. “Salacious Behaviour,” is a hammer to the gut and the face. Driving guitars, and a barrelling melody brings this song to the fore. “Fire Of Our Spirit,” leads things this way and that, slowly hooking the listener in with a great sense of determination and purpose. “Dare,” moves with insanity and grace, slowly bringing together everything that is good and pure about metal, a fitting finale.
The album is out now via SPV/Steamhammer. If you are a fan of metal, get this record, you will not regret it.