Jag Panzer, ‘Fire of Our Spirit’ – Exclusive Lyric Video Premiere + Interview

Jag Panzer, one of America's earliest power metal acts, are a bit of a hidden national treasure. The style has always been well-received in Europe with a handful of stateside acts gaining considerable attention overseas while becoming a cult sensation in their home country. Back with The Deviant Chord, their first album since reuniting in 2013, Jag Panzer are heating things up one week before the album's release, teaming up with Loudwire to bring you the lyric video for "Fire of Our Spirit" (above), along with an interview with guitarist Mark Briody (below).

Incredibly, over the course of three periods of activity, Jag Panzer have managed to mostly keep the lineup from their Ample Destruction debut in tact and the chemistry is palpable on the melody-driven, hard-charging single. It's always fun when a song opens up with a guitar solo and the U.S. power metal heroes go for the throat with some ripping guitar work before settling into the melody-driven galloper. Fret-flying leads dominate "Fire of Our Spirits," insatiably soloing and injecting searing guitar fills along the way as Harry "The Tyrant" Conklin's ageless pipes soar on steel wings through open skies.

Pre-orders for The Deviant Chord (out Sept. 29 on SPV / Steamhammer) are available now at both Amazon and iTunes, and don't forget to follow Jag Panzer on Facebook to keep up with everything the band is doing. With "Fire of Our Spirit" cranked at full volume, read through our brief interview with Jag Panzer's founding guitarist below.

Interview With Jag Panzer's Mark Briody

This is the first Jag Panzer album since the 2013 reunion and the band has enjoyed and on and off career in terms of what turned out to be temporary dissolutions. Mark, you stated that demand for the band brought about the reunion. Everyone likes to complain about the state of the industry, albums sales, etc, but do you feel like the ease of access to music today benefits bands like Jag Panzer?

That’s a great question. I do think that the state of the industry varies from band to band. Jag Panzer are a band that never really fit into current trends of heavy music. There are trends everywhere – mainstream, underground, etc. All of it has trends. Subsequently it can take awhile for our albums to get noticed. It’s common for me to get an email from someone raving about just hearing our music and the music they are talking about is from a 15-year-old album. So places like YouTube help us get our music out to people like that. Of course I can understand all the downside, as well – sales are down, budgets are down, tour support is gone, etc.

With 70-80 songs written for this new album and only 10 making the cut, what’s it like leaving that much music behind? Will you return to some of those songs later on or start with a clean slate when approaching the next record?

Honestly, 90% of what I tossed away was crap. If I put it on the album it would have been filler. I hate filler material. I have no interest in it. If I can’t get behind a song 100% I don’t release it. The songs I tossed are ones that I couldn’t get behind. I won’t re-use any of them, they are done.

Power Metal has never garnered the same following in the U.S. as it has in Europe, but bands like DragonForce and Sabaton have broken through stateside in the new millennium. Is now the best time for this style of music in the U.S.?

I look at the popularity of those two bands as a good sign. It shows that there are a large amount of people in the U.S that are open to hearing heavy metal with lots of melody in it. Whether or not those people will appreciate Jag Panzer is another story, but the potential is there.

Thanks for your time and congrats on another fantastic record!

Thank you!

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