Named after the German World War II-era tank Jagdpanzer, Jag Panzer is a heavy metal band formed in 1981 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The founding lineup featured vocalist Harry Conklin, guitarist Mark Briody, bassist John Tetley, and drummer Rick Hilyard, all of whom were teenagers when the group came together. Originally named "Tyrant," the group released the self-titled Tyrant EP in 1983, followed by the single "Death Row" later that year. The full-length debut album Ample Destruction appeared in 1984 and featured an expanded roster that now included guitarist Joey Tafolla. An underground hit amongst metal fans, Ample Destruction was followed by a number of lineup changes and solo projects, with Jag Panzer eventually calling it quits in 1988. The band reunited in 1994 with a new vocalist, Daniel J. Conca, and released Dissident Alliance that same year. By 1997, Conca had been replaced by the band's original vocalist, Harry Conklin, who returned to the fold for The Fourth Judgment. The album also featured the return of Joey Tafolla, although Tafolla left the lineup within a year and did not appear on 1998's Age of Mastery. Albums like 2001's Mechanized Warfare, 2004's Casting the Stones, and 2011's The Scourge of Light followed, all with Conklin at the helm. The band released albums at a slower rate throughout the 2010s before reconvening for 2023's The Hallowed, which charted at number 23 in Germany.
