Singer/bassist Schmier will always be known for founding Destruction back in 1984, and the impact they had on the German scene. He formed Pänzer in 2014, and here they are back with their second album and a new line-up. Although drummer Stefan Schwarzmann has been there since the beginning, guitarist Herman Frank (Victory) has left, to be replaced by V.O. Pulver (Gurd, Poltergeist) and Pontus Norgren, (Hammerfall), who apparently nailed down most of his solos while touring with Hammerfall through the United States!
The band’s mantra is really clear, to play music that has been heavily influenced by NWOBHM and Accept, and they certainly achieve that. But, instead of just going back in time and re-creating what was happening back then they have instead taken this as a starting point and have used those references as influences, as opposed to the be all and end all. There is far more bottom end than one might expect, as well as loads of melody, and then they have rammed it all into modern heavy metal. No sub genres here, this is heavy metal pure and simple, played with enthusiasm and passion, so that listeners can shake their noggins and get rid of the dandruff, knowing that everyone else around then will be doing exactly the same. The snare drum must have the skin replaced after each song, as it is being hit incredibly hard in 4/4 time – this music may seem simple in many respects, but only because those playing it know exactly what they are doing.
Heavy metal, played by metalheads for metalheads. Sometimes that is all anyone could ask for. \
