PANZER - Send Them All To Hell
December 30, 2014, 9 years ago
(Nuclear Blast)
AKA “The German Panzer” (as if there were any other kind?) to differentiate themselves from a Chilean outfit from the '80s, Destruction bassist/singer Schmier sticks with the trio format that he knows best, aligned himself with German compatriots: current Accept/Victory guitarist Herman Frank and drummer Stefan Schwarzmann (Accept). There's a lively urgency to the music, a healthy dose of guitar breaks/solos cutting through each, veering closer to Accept output than Destruction (nor is it similar to Schmier's solo foray, Headhunter), they offer ten originals, plus a closing bonus, the heavied up version of Gary Moore's “Murder In The Skies”. There's a punky quality to “Freakshow”, until Frank lets loose on guitar, a definitive metal moment. The pounding, F-bomb dropping opener (not a rarity herein) “Death Knell” and “Mr. Nobrain”, apart from the chorus, easily reference Schmier's day job. “Bleed For Your Sins” jumps from the speakers with shredding, from the get-go. On the other hand, “Why?” is a slow, turgid crawl. The like-minded , slower paced “Roll The Dice” is built on a simple, repetitive staccato riff. Fun, meat & potatoes effort, but somehow I doubt if this were a no-name project the music wouldn't gain much interest by itself.
