JAG PANZER - Casting the Stones
www.jagpanzer.com
www.centurymedia.com
1.Feast Or Famine
2.The Mission (1943)
3.Vigilant
4.Achilles
5.Temptest
6.Legion Immortal
7.Battered & Bruised
8.Cold
9.Starlight's Fury
10. The Harkening
11.Precipice
If there was ever a problem with Mechanized Warfare, their previous 2001 release, it just seemed a little held back. The songs never really grabbed you by the throat, the vocal lines became monotonous after a while where each song just had that same ol' same 'ol feel to it, and inevitably the longevity was reduced to about a 1 month shelf life. Sure, it had some great songs like "Take to the Sky" or "Cold is the Blade", but I never listen to Mechanized Warfare anymore, and indeed I think I probably traded it away for that very reason.
So here we are with the latest album, Casting the Stones, and I've sat on it for a while now before crafting this review. The reason being, I didn't want to fall victim to the excitement of hearing this new material too early only to find that, after review, it slowly morphed into another Mechanized Warfare where it just sat there collecting dust after a month of coninual spinning. Anyway, the verdict is out: THIS IS FUCKING AWESOME. This is their most mature and well written JAG PANZER album to date. Real songs, fantastic melody lines, and amazing musicianship. No wankery solos, no boring riffs -- most importantly, this album has a spark, and if there was ever a band that needed to just throw caution to the wind, it would be JAG PANZER.
Probably the most notable aspect this time round is the gathering of influences from other bands in today's North American metal scene. First of all, there is no doubt in my mind that these guys have been listening to a lot of SYMPHONY X lately - both in song structuring and production, there seems to be a hint of Michael Romeo guitar work at play and some vocal lines have a Sy X feel to them, although without falling into the neo-classical loop. Secondly, the melody is a standout. Songs like "The Mission (1941)" or "Tempest" deliver catchy chorus lines, particularly where the latter delves towards an INTO ETERNITY semblance in its harmonized (clean) vocals. It's actually pretty uncanny. Finally, the riff structures are just mindblowingly adrenalized -- if you're getting off on MEGADETH's recent comeback with tracks like "Blackmail the Universe" then you really need to hear JP's "Feast or Famine". How cool would it be to see JAG PANZER supporting MEGADETH on the upcoming tour? They're both 20 year veterans of the same game, and it would be as good a match up as, say, ICED EARTH from the last 'Deth tour of duty.
If you're a long time fan, you will love this. If you're new to the band, you will love this. Yet another contender for the top ten, and third '04 release from Century Media (together with INTO ETERNITY and ORPHANED LAND) that could probably end up in the year end list.
8.5/10
www.jagpanzer.com
www.centurymedia.com
1.Feast Or Famine
2.The Mission (1943)
3.Vigilant
4.Achilles
5.Temptest
6.Legion Immortal
7.Battered & Bruised
8.Cold
9.Starlight's Fury
10. The Harkening
11.Precipice
If there was ever a problem with Mechanized Warfare, their previous 2001 release, it just seemed a little held back. The songs never really grabbed you by the throat, the vocal lines became monotonous after a while where each song just had that same ol' same 'ol feel to it, and inevitably the longevity was reduced to about a 1 month shelf life. Sure, it had some great songs like "Take to the Sky" or "Cold is the Blade", but I never listen to Mechanized Warfare anymore, and indeed I think I probably traded it away for that very reason.
So here we are with the latest album, Casting the Stones, and I've sat on it for a while now before crafting this review. The reason being, I didn't want to fall victim to the excitement of hearing this new material too early only to find that, after review, it slowly morphed into another Mechanized Warfare where it just sat there collecting dust after a month of coninual spinning. Anyway, the verdict is out: THIS IS FUCKING AWESOME. This is their most mature and well written JAG PANZER album to date. Real songs, fantastic melody lines, and amazing musicianship. No wankery solos, no boring riffs -- most importantly, this album has a spark, and if there was ever a band that needed to just throw caution to the wind, it would be JAG PANZER.
Probably the most notable aspect this time round is the gathering of influences from other bands in today's North American metal scene. First of all, there is no doubt in my mind that these guys have been listening to a lot of SYMPHONY X lately - both in song structuring and production, there seems to be a hint of Michael Romeo guitar work at play and some vocal lines have a Sy X feel to them, although without falling into the neo-classical loop. Secondly, the melody is a standout. Songs like "The Mission (1941)" or "Tempest" deliver catchy chorus lines, particularly where the latter delves towards an INTO ETERNITY semblance in its harmonized (clean) vocals. It's actually pretty uncanny. Finally, the riff structures are just mindblowingly adrenalized -- if you're getting off on MEGADETH's recent comeback with tracks like "Blackmail the Universe" then you really need to hear JP's "Feast or Famine". How cool would it be to see JAG PANZER supporting MEGADETH on the upcoming tour? They're both 20 year veterans of the same game, and it would be as good a match up as, say, ICED EARTH from the last 'Deth tour of duty.
If you're a long time fan, you will love this. If you're new to the band, you will love this. Yet another contender for the top ten, and third '04 release from Century Media (together with INTO ETERNITY and ORPHANED LAND) that could probably end up in the year end list.
8.5/10
