Panzer- Heavy Metal by Metal Gods |

Panzer is the grenade created by Schmier of Destruction, and heavy metal is the sound they convey. Their new album “Fatal Command” is out now via Nuclear Blast Records and it is a dose of pure mayhem. If you check this album out, you will hear the best metal there is till the day. With brutal tracks and amazing guitar solos the band demonstrates years of experience, and engraves their name in the heavy metal wall of fame. We had the chance to talk to Schmier, and this is his message:

Rockbrary- “The name panzer means tank, like a war machine, did you chose that name to intrigue fans into listening to this heavy metal band?”

Schmier- “Well let’s see, the word panzer is a German word which means tank. A metal machine, big rig, that is what this German band is. The word Panzer expresses what our music will sound like, a German metal machine.”

Rockbrary- “Did you create this band to expose younger fans to the sound of classic heavy metal?”

Schmier- “This is our way of going back to the roots of metal, we are paying rendition to heavy metal. We all grew up with 80’s metal, this was stablished in the 80’s and it is the root to all we do. It is great fun to play this music.”

Rockbrary- “With recording being more remote, in terms of rehearsing for touring, how long does it take to get the tracks down?”

Schmier- “We all met up in the studio, while Pontus was busy with Hammerfall, He set up a studio in the back lounge of his tour bus and he learned all the solos, harmonics and set while on tour. One thing about Pontus is that he knows what to do, and he learned all his parts very quickly. The rehearsal did not take much time, he knows his parts, we all know what makes the band strong.”

Rockbrary- “In your own words, why did you decide to recruit Pontus Nergre from Hammerfall?”

Schmier- “A lot of my Destruction albums I worked with other guitarist for 30 years plus, and we know it would worked right away. With all the experience he has, and it works out because we are all friends. He was busy with Hammerfall, he is able to do sound technician work with them as well, it was an interesting idea. It is better to play with friends at a professional level. A band like this is for fun, we are all accomplished musicians; we have no expectations of being successful. If the album sells great, if it does not we will not die because of it. We played together for the love of the music we enjoy creating this type of sounds.”

Rockbrary- “Bands that are being signed by big labels are pop rock and simply pop, how can metal impact the mainstream?”

Schmier- “Keep pop away, we want to show heavy metal can be melodic without being poppy. We started this band because pop was terrible, pop music comes into meal, it is an insult. Do not bring backing tracks to live shows, fuck off with that. I do not like when people do not play live. The progression of metal is not backtracks or robots playing your part, that is the downfall of metal. We can play instruments, they can not, pop is kindergarten melodies for adults. Some of the greatest hits from the 70’s and 80’s were not cheesy, they were never poppy.”

Rockbrary- “Will fans ever be happy the bands “sell out”?”

Schmier- “Music of professionals does not have to sell out, we play because we love this. We are huge in the underground metal community we have our fan base. We do not need to be accepted by mainstream, we are lucky because we can play this kind of music all over the world, from Japan to South America and in the forests and jungles. Metal fans are everywhere and we do not have to sell commercial music.”

The interview was about heavy metal, their new album “Fatal Command”, and the ideas of selling out are were accepted. As a fan of heavy metal, I agree with the fact that metal does not and will not sell out. This is a world that only the depraved and crazy loving metal heads will understand. The outside world is for pansies and Panzer has delivered a hammering sound. Get your copy of their new album “Fatal Command”

Reported by: Hostile Jo