CCMusic.com

Panzerballett of Germany has just released a new album, Tank Goodness. The band's fourth release boasts guest appearances featuring, among others, Randy Brecker, and Mattias 'IA' Eklundh. The music of Panzerballett has been designed to function as a perfect workout to highly develop, expand, and reinforce the connections between the brain and each muscle used for head banging. Some have reported head shaking as an early side-effect that mostly, after prolonged exposure, develops into smiling and sometimes even rapturous laughter. World-traveled and well-acquainted with festival audiences, Panzerballett's Jan Zehrfeld (guitar), Joe Doblhofer (guitar), Heiko Jung (bass), Sebastian Lanser (drums), and Alexander Von Hagke (sax) continue to level audiences with unexpected twists and turns in their music that leave listeners well pleased and pondering what they just experienced. Jan Zehrfeld, the band's mastermind, studied jazz guitar in Los Angeles, Graz, Helsinki, and Munich. He has performed with DOLDINGER'S PASSPORT, the HILLIARD ENSEMBLE and Peter Herbolzheimer's GERMAN NATIONAL YOUTH JAZZ ORCHESTRA. His hard 'n' heady compositions are an innovative fusion of jazz, funk, and metal. Sophisticatedly interlocked funk grooves are combined with heavy polyrhythmic riffs as well as jazz improvisation. Known for their energy, chops and humor, PANZERBALLETT has performed over 200 shows, including concerts with the CHICK COREA & JOHN MCLAUGHLIN FIVE PEACE BAND, KENNY GARRETT, BILL FRISELL, MACALPINE/SHEEHAN/DONATI and MATTIAS 'IA' EKLUNDH. German newspaper Die Welt has described them as 'faster than Metallica, more powerful than Motörhead, and funnier than Rammstein.' 'Panzerballett is the first band I've heard that really leads Music into the 21st Century!' - Randy Brecker 'Very well done. Normally, I don't like people re-arranging my father's music but this was a pleasant surprise.' - Dweezil Zappa 'What you are doing is truly innovative and refreshing, not to say ingenious.' - Mattias IA Eklundh, Freak Kitchen 'Hart Genossen von ABBA bis Zappa - My favourite record 2009.' - Bård Torstensen, Clawfinger Some more band facts: - performed over 200 shows in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, USA, Mexico, France, Armenia, Lithuania - 2012: fourth album release Tank Goodness - 2009: third album release Hart Genossen on ACT (rank #25 German jazz charts) - 2008: second album release Starke Stücke on ACT (rank #26 German jazz charts) - 2006: first album release (self-titled) - Appeareance on German television (WDR, 3sat, ARTE) - Live appearances include Baja Prog, ProgDay, The Baked Potato, NJ Proghouse, Festival Crescendo, Rock in Opposition, MAI Nancy, Yerevan Summer Music Festival, Dresdner Drumfestival, Zappanale, Burg Herzberg Festival, Leverkusener Jazztage, Leipziger Jazztage, Baltic Prog Fest, Freakshow Artrock Festival.