UMUR "The Scourge of the Light" is the 9th full-length studio album by US power/heavy metal act Jag Panzer. The album was released through SPV/Steamhammer Records in February 2011. Jag Panzer was formed under the Tyrant monicker as far back as 1978. They changed their name to Jag Panzer in their formative years and released their debut full-length studio album "Ample Destruction" in 1984. They weren´t as successful as they had hoped for and lineup changes and other problems meant that the band split in 1988. They reunited again in 1994 and were particularly active in the years 1994 - 2004, releasing seven full-length studio albums in that period. However "The Scourge of the Light" is the first album since "Casting the Stones (2004)" and it looks like it´s also going to be the last as the band called it quits in July 2011.

...if that is true, it´s a crying shame, because the music on this release is high quality US power/heavy metal. The music is vocal/guitar driven with only moderate use of keyboards. The musicianship is brilliant and especially lead vocalist Harry "The Tyrant " Conklin shines throughout. The man has got a set of really powerful pipes. He is fully able to reach the really high notes as well as deliver more raw type singing. The music on the album reminds me a lot of how many US power/progressive metal acts sounded around the end of the eighties. Acts like Queensrÿche, Lethal and Heir Apparent but maybe with a sligthly more traditional heavy metal sound (once or twice I´m reminded of Iron Maiden). In addition to the excellent musicianship and the powerful, clean and well sounding production, the songwriting is also on a high level. The album features both fast-paced power metal tracks like the opening track "Condemned to Fight" and slower epic tracks like the closing track "The Book of Kells", but common for all tracks is that they are hook laden (at times anthemic) and memorable.

To my ears "The Scourge of the Light" is quite the great US power/heavy metal album and a 4 star (80%) rating is fully deserved.

The Block The Book of Kells

It seems that today’s metal world is over stuffed with progressive, death, and power metal. With all this it is hard to find a band that is original, plays good, and makes you want to listen to them. After being around for 27 odd years, Jag Panzer has still found a way to do all these things, and it has accumulated into this: “The Scourge of the Light”.

With traces of bands such as Savatage and Iron Maiden it is hard not to like this album. What’s great about it, though, is not the sound, but the style. Jag Panzer plays power metal like the heavy metal of the 1980’s, but with a few twists such as great keyboard work by Mark Briody, that brings in an Iron Maiden like feel, and some nice clean guitars by Christian Lasegue. Another thing that I like about this album is that it is not cheesy at all. Every single one of the songs on this album are well thought out and don’t fall into any genre clichés that many bands seem to find themselves trapped in these days. But, I guess since Jag Panzer has been around for so long they can easily bypass these things.

One complaint I have is some of the songs, like ‘Union’ for example, seem a bit repetitive. They repeat the chorus a little too much and make the song just one big chorus. But, the vocals by Harry Conklin are top notch on this track, so it basically wipes out any complaints that I have. The 8 minute mini-epic ‘The Book of Kells’ is perhaps my favorite song on “The Scourge of the Light” mainly for the small bit of progressive leanings it has. The beginning vocals by Harry Conklin are top notch and blend nicely into the harmony section with what sounds like a chorus in the background. The guitars are also very good in this song, offering up a nice drive to it. The tempo of this song is also brought way, way down, really changing up the feeling of the album, and creating a nice creative tone.

The production is perfectly done by Jim Morris of Morrisound Studios, so there’s nothing more to say there except great job.

Not only has this album given me reason to look at Jag Panzer’s earlier albums, but it is also the best power metal I’ve heard this year. It has something for every fan of traditional heavy metal, power metal, or even progressive metal. For this great release Jag Panzer gets 4 stars.

Time Signature Let it out...

Genre: trad. metal / power metal (with a wee progressive inkling)

They say that you can never go wrong with Jag Panzer.

There must be something to it.

This album offers solid and captivating metal music, which draws on power metal and traditional metal. The opener is an energetic power metal tune, and, subsequently, the listener a journey through a musical universe through musical landscapes populated by the best elements of power metal and traditional 80s metal and hard rock.

The music is epic without it never becoming too much, and the epic effect is acquired primarily through guitar and vocal harmonies. There are some keyboards and what sounds like a violin (check out "Overlord" for instance). What I really like is that things never become too cheesy - and this might well be because of the influences from 80s metal.

In a way, listening to this album is like donning a knight's armor and head off to town to slay the dragon who's been terrorizing the local strip joint for many a year.

The musicianship is top notch, and I like how they know when to hold band and when to show off and shred like there's no tomorrow. Harry Conklin has a powerful and expressive voice, which suits the music perfectly.

Recommended to fans of power metal and traditional metal- It's a really good album.

Pelata Jag Panzer certainly need no intoduction to Heavy Metal fans. Stalwarts of American Heavy Metal for going on 30 years now, Jag Panzer has never failed to deliver epic Heavy Metal to its awaiting fans; flying under the mainstream radar (due largley, no doubt, to the 10 year gap between it's first and second albums), yet always retaining a true, dedicated sound. The founding, core trio of Harry "The Tyrant" Conklin (vocals), Mark Briody (guitars) and John Tetley (bass) have always worked hard to establish Jag Panzer's place in the Heavy Metal pantheon.

The band's latest effort, The Scourge Of The Light, is a testament to that hard work. After several spins, I have concluded that The Scourge Of The Light is ranks among the band's best work like 1986's Ample Destruction and 2001's Mechanized Warfare. From start to finish, the songs never fail to deliver the Jag Panzer trademarks with seemingly evergreen vigor. The riffs can go from gallopping and heavy ("Overlord") to grooving and masterful ("Cycles"). Losing Chris Broderick to Megadeth certainly did not slow things down in the lead guitar department as it paved the way for the return of Christian Lasegue, who does a brilliant job carrying melodic flair while shredding with the best of them. Melody, as is stands, is the order of the day with Jag Panzer. In addition to Conklin's soaring vocal phrasing, which is always impressive, the band adds single violin passages and layers to add to the earthy nature of the music without trying to masquerade as a "symphonic" band. "Let It Out" and "Condemned To Fight" find the band in full on headbanging mode, while the 8-minute closing epic "The Book Of Kells" is an intense, brooding journey. The subtlety of the violin goes a long way in creating the mood for this one. Other tracks like "Call To Arms" and "The Setting Of The Sun" carry the classic Jag Panzer trademark with glory and honor. "Bringing On The End" has a giagantic groove riff intro before delving into an almost creepy, subdued verse.

Fans of Jag Panzer and classic Heavy Metal in general have a lot to enjoy on The Scourge Of The Light. The vocals are great, the riffs are strong, and the solos are quite impressive. The overall mood and vibe of the album is one of dark, epic mystery and imagination. It feels great and will no doubt bring about repeated spins. Jag Panzer proves itself as one of the more consistent bands in Metal, delivering the goods time after time. I love it!

J-Man Condemned to Fight

When listening to a Jag Panzer album, you know immediately what you're in for. This band has been blending the hard-hitting sound of the NWoBHM with the beauty of melodic power metal for almost 30 years now, and their long-awaited 9th full-length studio album, The Scourge of the Light, continues in this fashion. Although sticking to this sound definitely confines Jag Panzer's sound to a somewhat small scope, few bands tend to their dedicated fanbase as well as these American lads have been doing since their iconic debut album back in 1984. Jag Panzer has been consistently delivering high-quality power metal for so long that it's hard to criticize them for not revolutionizing the genre each time around. Fans of Jag Panzer will love The Scourge of the Light for sure, but don't expect any new ground to be broken in the process.

The music here shows distinct influences from the NWoBHM (Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, etc.), European power metal (Helloween, Blind Guardian), and touches of American power metal (Iced Earth and Savatage). As such, this is nothing new for Jag Panzer, or the genre in general, but they deliver their music so professionally that it seems a bit nitpicky to criticize their somewhat derivative approach. The Scourge of the Light is filled with enough melodic hooks, captivating compositions, and breathtaking guitar solos to keep my attention for many spins. My biggest knock (aside from the lack of innovation) is that a few compositions are missing a bit of the power needed to fully immerse me, but excellent songs like "Condemned to Fight" and "The Book of Kells" make up for any dull moments in the end. Of course, the musicianship from all aspects is excellent.

One thing that really took me by surprise on The Scourge of the Light is that it was produced by Jim Morris of Morrisound Studios, but that's obviously a positive surprise. He's an excellent producer, and the sound here is unbeatable.

Conclusion:

The Scourge of the Light isn't a revolutionary album or the best thing Jag Panzer has ever done, but it further secures the band's place as one of the most consistent and ready-to-deliver bands in the power metal genre. A few more memorable compositions and a more innovative approach would've impressed me a bit more, but as the entire album is of high quality, 3.5 stars are well deserved. Now that the seven year wait is over, it's safe to say that Jag Panzer are back and still a force to be reckoned with in the power metal scene! Fans of the genre definitely won't want to miss out on yet another gem by this amazingly consistent act.