After several years of searching, classically trained guitarist Jan Zehrfeld joined several musicians together with the idea of forming a jazz metal band. Zehrfeld felt that he was always angry at something, and that this music was a way to channel his aggression. In 2005, Panzerballett released their self-titled debut album and became part the German progressive rock scene. The band went on to play a series of concerts in the Munich region, but also performed at the 15thNational Youth Jazz Festival in Leipzig and the renowned Burg Herzberg Festival. A DVD was compiled from those shows and titled 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.
Music
Panzerballett plays both original compositions by guitarist Zehrfeld and his creative arrangements of popular songs from rock, to pop, to jazz to soundtrack. 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" 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.
Concerts
Panzerballett is also known for exceptional concerts. The humor of the band, which is only implied in the band's albums, 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 headbanging. His improvised nonsense recalls announcements here and there on Helge Schneider.
