When three Teutonic metal legends unite in a Swiss nightclub to create a power trio which suddenly takes the European Metal Scene by storm, you know you have something special on your hands. With one part Destruction and two parts Accept, you get a clear picture of what this metal war machine is all about – a heavy, fast and melodic assault which goes route one, just like its namesake, the Panzer Tank. Let’s load it up and see how much power this tank packs.
“Death Knell” opens with the sinister raspy whisperings of Schmier (Destruction, Victory) saying five unsettling words ‘Send them all to hell’ before the riffs kick in. Tight rhythm work, pounding drums and cutting guitars are complimented by an air raid siren vocal wail before it all kicks in. Not as fast as some thrash, this beast powers on and it’s a fantastic appetizer for the album. Its venomously delivered lyrics cut just as much as the soloing and the drums, much like a Panzer tank, crush everything beneath them. “Hail and Kill” isn’t a Manowar cover sadly. Instead it’s got a really steady, heavy groove feel to it. The thunderous bass and deep sounding rhythm guitar sound keeps the intense theme from the previous track, and the layered chanting style vocals in the chorus add a nice twist to the delivery of the song in an interesting way. “Temple of Doom” brings back the thrash like feel with some big riffs and serious speed. Laced with fast paced riffs and fills and with vocals delivered just as quickly, this is a no-nonsense Teutonic thrash attack which demands windmill headbanging. The highlight of this track is the twisting solo round the 2:35 mark which just dances its way across the riffs at blistering speed and the big dramatic ending is fantastic too.
“Panzer” ditches the thrash feel, for a more traditional heavy metal feel. With pounding bass, steady drums and a chunky riff, this is one to raise your fists in the air too. Hard hitting and full of groove, it’s like an 80’s heavy metal track with a modern day heaviness and feel to it. This is one of those tracks which live would be the highlight of any set and it’s got everything – gang vocal response sections, a terrific solo and that chugging riff. “Freakshow” brings back the Destruction like sound – no nonsense thrash. From the off its fast riffs and frantic lead guitar work with the furious drums just get you by the throat and don’t let go of you at all. If you’re familiar with Destruction, then you know how this will play out, if you aren’t, give this track a listen and then listen to some Destruction and be enlightened. “Mr. Nobrain” keeps up the aggressive thrash sound with more machine gun like chugged riffs, laced with some big chords and harmonics to liven it up. Simplistic in its approach, the no-nonsense approach to this song works a treat and the subtle changes in pace from the verses to the chorus make for some great headbanging moments. Near the middle of the song, it gets a little more complicated with a twisting riff and a technical shred filled solo which spices the track up at just the right time, before the harmony lead section mirrors the chorus’ vocal melody leading it back into the final stretch of the song.
“Why?” starts off with some dramatic sounding synths in the background over a slow feel guitar line. Thick on the groove, this track is significantly slower than the rest of the album and it’s got an almost stoner rock feel to it in parts. The change in pace is a surprise, given most German thrash albums stay at the same intensity but this works well. Giving a powerful edge to the song, the crushing feel makes for some interesting riffs and it only speeds up during the lead section near the 4 minute mark. The song shows a different side to the band, one which on their next release I would like to see some more of. “Virtual Collision” brings us back to normal service with some more thrash. The classic pedal tone styled riff with whammy bar theatrics adding intensity over it transitions into a fast paced heavy chug rhythm with some solid work from the bass and outstanding drum work. It’s a good wakeup call from the last track and reminds us what this band is all about. The Accept influences in the lead section over the NWOBHM styled rhythm are fantastic and this is a real gem of a track.
“Roll the Dice” starts off with some dramatic harmonies over a steadily increasing in volume pounding drum beat which explodes into a solid heavy groove. Almost right away it gets you nodding along and its steady pace gives it a real classic metal feel as opposed to the predominantly thrash feel of the album. It thunders along, taking no prisoners with its intensity and the ‘break’ near the 4 minute mark which leads into the solo is great. Last up is “Bleed For Your Sins” which like the majority of this album, is classic thrash through and through. Ending the album as it started off, the Teutonic thrash formula of precise playing, angrily delivered vocals and no nonsense delivers once again. The solo in the middle section of the track is technically sound and really works well with the feel of the song and the rhythm section is impeccable, as expected. The song keeps the intensity right till the end, with some teasing lead lines over the outro which slips into another winding solo before finally coming to a halt.
The German PANZER are a finely tuned Teutonic metal machine who know what they are doing and do it well. The mix of traditional metal meets thrash works brilliantly and its delivered efficiently, just like you would expect from a German Thrash band. Get on this war machine and ride into 2015 in style.
(7/10 Fraggle)
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