review by: Roberto Martinelli

Mechanized Warfare is an improvement on Jag Panzer's last album, Thane to the Throne, which was a pretty fine album too. This time around, Jag Panzer has improved on the immediate likeability of its riffs, vocal patterns and melodies. While the last album seemed to suffer a lot from the sort of uncommitted, uncatchy vocal melodies described in the Reign of Terror review in this issue, Jag Panzer has greatly improved their vocal arrangements so that it now seems like the vocals being sung fit well over the music being played.

One of the album's strengths lies in the diversity and individuality of the songs. In this sense, Jag Panzer is in stark contrast to a European power metal band like Stratovarius (which I've been listening to a lot lately) whose songs (and albums, basically) are repetitive and interchangeable. While the result may not be as fun or as catchy as bands like Stratovarius, Jag Panzer's compositions and arrangements appeal more on an analytical level. As the songs are all distinct from one another, this means that Mechanized Warfare won't rock from beginning to end. Rather, Jag Panzer put the brakes on quite a bit to present a technical section; the band only cuts loose in a power metal sense a few times on the album.

Harry Conklin continues to wail away in that distinctly theatrical American power metal fashion over odd-time riffs galore. The guitarist combination of Mark Briody and Chris Broderick present a fine mix of blazing guitar leads and catchy melody. Despite their obvious talent, the guitarists present their craft in a manner that isn't showy or self-serving, like you'll find on Yngwie Malmsteen albums, for example. Rather, noodly leads will be used tastefully along with melodic melody lines ala Iron Maiden. Jag Panzer have employed a large cast of supporting musicians on the album, the coolest being a Gregorian chant group, which makes its appearance on the song "Unworthy." Gregorian chant rules. This album isn't a ripper, but it's a well thought out piece of work who's thinking man's approach isn't very well reflected by its poor choice of album cover.