Jag Panzer
“Decade of the Nail-spiked Bat”
(Century Media)
I had to do some research, but what we have here is a double CD release on which Jag Panzer has re-recorded (or sometimes just remastered?) old classics from their back catalogue. The bands reason… I’m not sure, but it is suggested that rampant poor quality bootlegs of Jag Panzer’s early releases. The songs here are primarily taken from their “Tyrants” ep (every song on this one), “Ample destruction” (all songs re-recorded except “harder than Steel” and “Cardiac Arrest”), “Dissident Alliance” (5 tunes off here)and three other songs.
The re-recording, I’d have to say despite having heard the originals, is a smashing success. These are good old power metal/progressive metal songs in the vain of Maiden, Fates Warning, DIO, etc… that are treated to new millennium recording in the age of Pro Tools and other digital delights. So it’s not just that this is old sounding power metal, but it’s actually old power metal, updated, so the fans have a much better point of reference for where the band came from than all the crappy third generation bootlegs in the world could provide. It’s like a trip down memory lane, even if you haven’t been there before.
