Panzerballett
Encyclopedia
Panzerballett is a Munich
quintet
led by guitarist, composer and arranger Jan Zehrfeld whose music style is best described as jazz-metal.
In 2005, Panzerballett released a self titled debut and entered into the German progressive rock
scene with rave reviews. In the coming months the band played a series of concerts, mostly in the Munich region, but also at the 15th National Youth Jazz Festival in Leipzig
and the renowned Burg Herzberg Festival. A DVD then released, Live at Backstage Munich 2006.
After several line-up changes in 2007, the jazz label ACT contracted the band and in February 2008 released their second album, Starke Stücke. A small tour of Germany began after the release of this album, and the album reached 26 on the German Jazz charts.
In 2008, multiple concerts and cameo appearances were made, including the Zappanale
, the Leverkusen Jazz Festival opening for John McLaughlin
and Chick Corea
, the Baltic Prog Fest and the self-organized Metal Jazz Festival in Munich. Short television appearances were also made.
In August 2009, Panzerballett released their third album, Hart Genossen - from Abba to Zappa. In September 2009, the album jumped to # 25 on the jazz charts and appeared in the drum magazine Drums and Percussion as the January 2010 "Record of the Month". The band then played multiple shows and cameo appearances throughout Germany (including as a guest of the Arte Lounge and in on3 Radio).
(Smoke On The Water
by Deep Purple
), to pop
(Ein Bisschen Frieden by Nicole), to jazz (Birdland
by Weather Report
) to soundtrack (as the title theme The Simpsons
). The band has noted their influences to be classic jazz and funk artists and also heavy progressive metal
artists such as Meshuggah
. The song Iron Maiden Voyage shows these diverse influences; the song's name is a pun on the name of the band metal band Iron Maiden
and the Jazz Standard Maiden Voyage by Herbie Hancock
).
An important feature of the band's music is the virtuosity of their performance; the band's members have studied with award-winning musicians to master their instruments at a high technical level. One example of their technical skill are the highly complex polyrhythmic structures the band uses in their compositions.
Die Zeit
writes about Panzerballett: "Ihre eigenen Stücke flankieren sie mit einer Reihe von Hardrock-, Jazz- und Entertainment-Gassenhauern, die sie mit der tadellosen Technik an deutschen Hochschulen ausgebildeter Musiker so vorbehaltlos zerschreddern und neu zusammensetzen, dass Wiedererkennungseffekt und Staunen sich die Waage halten" (roughly "The music plays with a series of hard rock, jazz and entertainment "evergreens"; they use impeccable engineering at German universities and trained musicians so unreservedly and reassembled that brand's recognition and surprise is balanced.")
The band describes their own music as "delicate interlocking funk grooves with brutally hard, rhythmically complex riffs and jazz improvisation combined with ska-Death-Jazz" or like "hacking with a white-hot flail into grandma's freshly-baked ruebli-cake".
As musical influences, the band notes bands like Meshuggah
, Tribal Tech
, Planet X
and Mats Morgan as the main source of their inspiration.
. His improvised nonsense recalls announcements here and there on Helge Schneider
.
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
quintet
Quintet
A quintet is a group containing five members.It is commonly associated with musical groups, such as a string quintet, or a group of five singers, but can be applied to any situation where five similar or related objects are considered a single unit....
led by guitarist, composer and arranger Jan Zehrfeld whose music style is best described as jazz-metal.
Band History
After several years of searching, classically trained guitarist Jan Zehrfeld joined several musicians together with the idea of a jazz metal band. His idea was based around his idea that he was always angry at something, and that this music was a way to channel his aggression.In 2005, Panzerballett released a self titled debut and entered into the German progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
scene with rave reviews. In the coming months the band played a series of concerts, mostly in the Munich region, but also at the 15th National Youth Jazz Festival in Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
and the renowned Burg Herzberg Festival. A DVD then released, Live at Backstage Munich 2006.
After several line-up changes in 2007, the jazz label ACT contracted the band and in February 2008 released their second album, Starke Stücke. A small tour of Germany began after the release of this album, and the album reached 26 on the German Jazz charts.
In 2008, multiple concerts and cameo appearances were made, including the Zappanale
Zappanale
Zappanale is an annual music festival held outside Bad Doberan, a German town previously part of East Germany. The festival was first held in 1990, and the program features various bands performing the music of the late composer and guitarist Frank Zappa...
, the Leverkusen Jazz Festival opening for John McLaughlin
John McLaughlin (musician)
John McLaughlin , also known as Mahavishnu John McLaughlin, is an English guitarist, bandleader and composer...
and Chick Corea
Chick Corea
Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea is an American jazz pianist, keyboardist, and composer.Many of his compositions are considered jazz standards. As a member of Miles Davis' band in the 1960s, he participated in the birth of the electric jazz fusion movement. In the 1970s he formed Return to Forever...
, the Baltic Prog Fest and the self-organized Metal Jazz Festival in Munich. Short television appearances were also made.
In August 2009, Panzerballett released their third album, Hart Genossen - from Abba to Zappa. In September 2009, the album jumped to # 25 on the jazz charts and appeared in the drum magazine Drums and Percussion as the January 2010 "Record of the Month". The band then played multiple shows and cameo appearances throughout Germany (including as a guest of the Arte Lounge and in on3 Radio).
Music
Panzerballett plays both original compositions by guitarist Zehrfeld and his creative arrangements of popular songs from rockRock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
(Smoke On The Water
Smoke on the Water
"Smoke on the Water" is a song by the British hard rock band Deep Purple. It was first released on their 1972 album Machine Head. In 2004, the song was ranked number 426 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest songs of all time, and in March 2005, Q magazine placed "Smoke on the Water"...
by Deep Purple
Deep Purple
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...
), to pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
(Ein Bisschen Frieden by Nicole), to jazz (Birdland
Birdland
Birdland may refer to:In music:* Birdland , a club in New York City* Birdland, a jazz club in Vienna founded by Joe Zawinul* "Birdland" , an instrumental composed by Joe Zawinul, originally recorded by his band Weather Report...
by Weather Report
Weather Report
Weather Report was an American jazz-rock band of the 1970s and early 1980s. The band was co-led by the Austrian-born keyboard player Joe Zawinul and the American saxophonist Wayne Shorter...
) to soundtrack (as the title theme The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
). The band has noted their influences to be classic jazz and funk artists and also heavy progressive metal
Progressive metal
Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...
artists such as Meshuggah
Meshuggah
Meshuggah is an extreme metal band from Umeå, Sweden, formed in 1987. Meshuggah's line-up has primarily consisted of founding members vocalist Jens Kidman and lead guitarist Fredrik Thordendal, drummer Tomas Haake, who joined in 1990, and rhythm guitarist Mårten Hagström, who joined in 1992...
. The song Iron Maiden Voyage shows these diverse influences; the song's name is a pun on the name of the band metal band Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
and the Jazz Standard Maiden Voyage by Herbie Hancock
Herbie Hancock
Herbert Jeffrey "Herbie" Hancock is an American pianist, bandleader and composer. As part of Miles Davis's "second great quintet," Hancock helped to redefine the role of a jazz rhythm section and was one of the primary architects of the "post-bop" sound...
).
An important feature of the band's music is the virtuosity of their performance; the band's members have studied with award-winning musicians to master their instruments at a high technical level. One example of their technical skill are the highly complex polyrhythmic structures the band uses in their compositions.
Die Zeit
Die Zeit
Die Zeit is a German nationwide weekly newspaper that is highly respected for its quality journalism.With a circulation of 488,036 and an estimated readership of slightly above 2 million, it is the most widely read German weekly newspaper...
writes about Panzerballett: "Ihre eigenen Stücke flankieren sie mit einer Reihe von Hardrock-, Jazz- und Entertainment-Gassenhauern, die sie mit der tadellosen Technik an deutschen Hochschulen ausgebildeter Musiker so vorbehaltlos zerschreddern und neu zusammensetzen, dass Wiedererkennungseffekt und Staunen sich die Waage halten" (roughly "The music plays with a series of hard rock, jazz and entertainment "evergreens"; they use impeccable engineering at German universities and trained musicians so unreservedly and reassembled that brand's recognition and surprise is balanced.")
The band describes their own music as "delicate interlocking funk grooves with brutally hard, rhythmically complex riffs and jazz improvisation combined with ska-Death-Jazz" or like "hacking with a white-hot flail into grandma's freshly-baked ruebli-cake".
As musical influences, the band notes bands like Meshuggah
Meshuggah
Meshuggah is an extreme metal band from Umeå, Sweden, formed in 1987. Meshuggah's line-up has primarily consisted of founding members vocalist Jens Kidman and lead guitarist Fredrik Thordendal, drummer Tomas Haake, who joined in 1990, and rhythm guitarist Mårten Hagström, who joined in 1992...
, Tribal Tech
Tribal Tech
Tribal Tech is a progressive fusion band, originally formed in 1984 by guitarist Scott Henderson and bass player Gary Willis. From 1993 forward the band included Scott Kinsey on keyboard and Kirk Covington on drums, and has produced nine albums that stretch the borders between blues, jazz, and rock...
, Planet X
Planet X (band)
Planet X is an instrumental rock/progressive metal supergroup, founded by keyboardist Derek Sherinian and drummer Virgil Donati. Throughout a decade of activity, they have released three studio albums and one live album, each with a variety of guest musicians and oft-changing...
and Mats Morgan as the main source of their inspiration.
Concerts
Panzerballett is also known for exceptional concerts. The humor of the band, which is only implied in the band's albums (e.g. song titles such as Schmitz Kadtse und Mit weißglühendem Morgenstern in Omas frischgebackene Rüblitorte or the vocal pieces with Conny Kreitmeier on songs like Zickenterror), occurs during their live performances more obviously, particularly guitarist Zehrfeld supplies, cable Rasta wig and sunglasses, dressed in a stage show, with exaggerated facial expressions and gestures, dance and exuberant Hüpfeinlagen and headbangingHeadbanging
Headbanging is a type of dance which involves violently shaking the head in time with the music, most commonly in the rock and heavy metal music genres.-Origin:The term "headbanger" was coined during Led Zeppelin's first US tour in 1969...
. His improvised nonsense recalls announcements here and there on Helge Schneider
Helge Schneider
Helge Schneider is a German comedian, jazz musician and multi-instrumentalist, author, film and theatre director, and actor....
.
Discography
- 2005 - Panzerballett
- 2007 - Live at Backstage Munich 2006 (DVD)
- 2008 - Starke Stücke
- 2009 - Hart Genossen - Von ABBA bis ZAPPA
Personnel
- Jan Zehrfeld - Lead guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s - Heiko Jung - Bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Sebastian Lanser - DrumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Joe Doblhofer - Rhythm guitars
- Alexander v. Hagke - SaxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...