Established in 2014, and formerly known as German Panzer until a lineup change last year, swelling their ranks from three to four, are Panzer. Hailing, as you might have guessed, from Germany they are a super-group made up of vocalist and bassist Schmier (Destruction), Stefan Schwarzmann on drums (ex-Accept), V.O Pulver on guitar (Poltergeist, GURD) and Pontus Norgren on lead guitar (Hammerfall). New record The Fatal Command is the more political follow-up to their 2014 début album Send Them All To Hell, both on Nuclear Blast, which sees them continue their heavy mixture of Thrash metal, Accept and NWOBHM.
This album is in no way ground-breaking but when done right, it produces foot to the floor Heavy Metal anthems. ‘Afflicted’ is one such number, a thrash metal, rapid-fire riff with a brutal but catchy chorus barked by the gravelly tones of frontman Schmier. ‘Fatal Command’ is a marvellously propulsive anthemic number with a healthy whiff of modern-day Accept to it, sporting a lively little solo courtesy of Norgren. There is a slight change of pace on ‘I’ll Bring you the Night’, a mid-paced and more melodious number with some very effective, moody twin guitar licks. A similar twin guitar approach is on the headbanger ‘Scorn and Hate’; a lively, NWOBHM inspired track with a strong sense of focus.
On The Fatal Command, Panzer has stuck to the same formula throughout, an approach that served Motorhead well over the years. Alas, as is sometimes the case with albums of such a homogeneous nature, things get samey and increasingly routine. ‘Skullbreaker’ is a plodding number with a nonstop chug-along delivery lacking in variety and excitement. You know what to expect from here on in, with the songs merging into one another from the overly long politic statement ‘Decline and Downfall’ to the Iron Maiden meets Megadeth delivery of ‘Mistaken’.
A decent second album of hard-hitting, Accept flavoured metal, let down by the lack of variety and the increasing sense of familiarity towards the end.
6.5/10
THOMAS THROWER