Panzerballett

Panzerballett is a quintet from Munich led by guitarist, composer and arranger Jan Zehrfeld. Their musical 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 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 of the German progressive rock scene. The band went on to play a series of concerts in the Munich region, but also performed at the 15th National 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 the 26th place 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 done. In August 2009, Panzerballett released their third album, Hart Genossen - Von ABBA bis 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).