HOUSTON — When it comes to albums released in 1984, arguably a time when metal was just beginning its crescendo into its mainstream musical peak period, that year’s title track by a certain band named Van Halen comes to mind. Other titles such as Out of the Cellar, Tooth and Nail and Defenders of the Faith find their way to the forefront as well.
Through no fault of their own, Ample Destruction by Jag Panzer tends to get lost in the shuffle. And the band might not have it any other way.
While heavily influenced by the New Wave of British Heavy Metal when formed in 1981, Jag Panzer has always relished a mix of the underground scene and the hardcore dedication of fans around the globe its music has inspired.
And just because its 2026 doesn’t mean Jag Panzer and its legion of devotees can’t still party like it’s 1984. That was on display last Thursday outside White Oak Music Hall downtown during Day 1 of the three-day Hell’s Heroes VIII festival in which Jag Panzer unleashed its 1984 full-length debut and follow-up to 1983 Tyrants EP in its entirety.
Well, almost in its entirety.
Original vocalist Harry “The Tyrant” Conklin, original rhythm guitarist Mark Briody and original bassist John Tetley took to the stage at 4:05 p.m. on an upper-80s Spring Break afternoon with lead guitarist Ken Rodarte and drummer Jacob Lee Coleman throwing all commercialism out the door.
And the fans? Message received.
The barrier and security staff earned their keep as the crowd surfers plowed their way over in conveyor belt-like fashion, forcing those in the photo pit to keep one eye on the stage and one behind them. Fans raised the ante at times by riding the wave of metal in garbage bins while Conklin flew the flag of the Ample Destruction cover and wore its T-shirt (see 38-photo gallery).
Although Jag Panzer went through a lineup change between the final recording and release of the album in the mid-’80s, Briody and Tetley have churned out 13 albums in all — most of them with Conklin on vocals — up to 2023’s The Hallowed.
But Hell’s Heroes VIII was all about Ample Destruction, and you can watch a taste of it below via ATM’s footage of “Generally Hostile” and “The Watching” with the former including a cameo by Helstar vocalist James Rivera, whose own band tore up its hometown with a 1:45 p.m. kickoff set (ATM coverage here).
The band had to cut out final tune “The Crucifix” and a planned bonus song, 1986 title track “Shadow Thief,” because it ended up being allotted 40 minutes just like preceding bands Helstar and Leather even though the original set times had given Jag Panzer an hour to fit in the entire album. But that unfortunate blip didn’t come close to dampening the enthusiasm and sheer energy of the band and fans.
The ferocity and fun of Jag Panzer’s set helped set the tone for a memorable first day of Hell’s Heroes 2026. Briody, Tetler and Coleman later joined the metal masses walking around, handing out guitar pics and posing for photos — just one example of how Hell’s Heroes, the brainchild of Necrofier singer/guitarist and Night Cobra vocalist Christian Larson, isn’t your typical metal gig.
The booze was flowin’, the metal was riffin’ and the heads were bangin’ in large part to Jag Panzer. And for that, you can’t blame anyone if they’re already counting down the days to Hell’s Heroes IX.
For more of Alamo True Metal’s Hell’s Heroes coverage, click the ‘Views page on this site (then click “View Post” under the cover photo). You can also visit Alamo True Metal on Facebook and subscribe to YouTube channel Hawkeyedude93.
