November 25th, 2018 - Stone Cold Chain Of Command

Hello and happy Sunday hellions and hop-heads!  The Meista here today pairing another amazing, underrated Jag Panzer album: "Chain Of Command" (which I purchased from guitarist Mark Briody's son at a Jag Panzer show a few months ago in Colorado Springs!) and a Stone IPA from Stone Brewing Company!  Hell yes!!

Album Info:

• Artist: Jag Panzer
• Title: "Chain Of Command"
• Recorded: 1987 at Avalanche Studios in Denver, Colorado
• Release date: Original version released June 21st, 2004 (although it was recorded in 1987 and would have been their 2nd studio album, it wasn't officially released until 2004, making it the 7th studio album by Jag Panzer)  Interestingly, several bootlegs of the album hit the streets in 1988.  Overzealous sound engineer looking for some extra bucks?  Maybe?
• Record company: Century Media Records
• Production: Jag Panzer 
• Album cover art: Mark Briody (original design and CGI painting)
• Personnel: Mark Briody (guitars and keyboards), Christian Lasegue (guitars), Bob Parduba (lead vocals), Rikard Stjernquist (drums), and John Tetley (bass)
• Musical style: Heavy metal, power metal with elements of speed metal and some good NWOBHM influence
• Sound: With the departure of vocalist Harry "The Tyrant" Conklin, drummer Rick Hilyard, and guitarist Joey Tafolla after their first full-length studio album, Jag Panzer recruited Christian Lasegue, Bob Parduba, and Rikard Stjernquist, which brought a bit of a different sound to the band.  (Thankfully Briody was able to keep this amazing band going after 3 members left!)  A little more polished than their first album, "Chain Of Command" is a heavy-hitting metal monster!  There's almost a Tygers of Pan Tang vibe going... especially with Parduba's vocals, but that definitive Jag Panzer sound is very much there!  Tetley's bass lines are massive!  Stjernquist's drums sound like the cross between a thunderstorm and stampede!  And Briody's and Lasegue's dual guitar work is soaring, majestic, and fiery in the tradition of Thin Lizzy, Iron Maiden, and Judas Priest!
• Major themes: War, death, destruction, valor, power, relationships, darkness, good vs. evil, pain, etc.
• Tracks:   

1. "Prelude"
2. "Chain Of Command"
3. "Shadow Thief"
4. "She Waits"
5. "Ride Through the Storm"
6. "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" (Iron Butterfly cover)
7. "Never Surrender"
8. "Burning Hell"
9. "Sworn To Silence"
10. "Dream Theme"
11. "Gavotte In D"
12. "When The Walls Come Down" (bonus track)

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Stone Brewing Company (Escondido, California)
• Website: http://www.stonebrewing.com/
• Brew: Stone IPA
• Style: American India Pale Ale (IPA)
• Serving: 12 ounce bottle
• ABV: 6.9%
• IBUs: 71
• Ingredients: Magnum, Chinook, Centennial, Azacca, Calypso, Motueka, Ella, and Vic Secret hops
• Pour: It pours a slightly hazy, bright orange-honey gold with a frothy, 2-finger white head displaying great retention and sticky, intricate spider web lacing.
• Nose: The nose of the Stone IPA is citrusy, earthy, hoppy, and malty.  There are aromas of lemon zest, grapefruit rind, tangerine, pine resin, grassy hops, fresh bread, and sweet caramel.
• Taste: The taste is very citrusy, piney, and slightly sweet.  There are notes of lemon, lime, grapefruit, tangerine, pine, light cereal grain, and light caramel/toffee.
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied and well-carbonated, the mouthfeel is very crisp, smooth, and refreshing with a dry, bitter finish.

Overall pairing: Stone IPA is not only one of the best selling IPAs out there, it is also a go-to staple for me!  And as such, it is a great brew to throw back whilst rockin' out to the power, aggression, bombast, and brilliance of the mighty Jag Panzer!  Those bright, citrusy notes really pop with the intensity of JP's style of power metal... their great hooks, harmonies, melodies, and heavy-duty lyrical themes!

Cheers and hails!!

Oh, here's Briody's original design for the album: