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The Hallowed is the twelfth full-length album from traditional metal stalwarts Jag Panzer. Having existed since 1981 and featuring three original members (guitarist Mark Briody, human air raid siren Harry Conklin, bassist John Tetley) you'd be correct in assuming these guys know their way around a metal tune by now. The Hallowed features the sharp songwriting and skilled performances of the well-oiled machine this band has become. Cuts like "Bound as One" will blow your doors off with its speedy riff work, the Maiden-esque harmony guitars get a workout on "Ties that Bind," and there's intricate yet intimate lead work to soak up on "Onward We Toil." Conklin's voice is in fine form but, if there's a nit I must pick with The Hallowed, it is that he sounds like he's in the same key and following a similar vocal progression quite often on the album. There were many times when I thought to myself, "here's that rising scale to the scream again..." It isn't bad by any measure; it just gets a little repetitive. Small point, but a point nevertheless. Overall, The Hallowed is what you want and expect from a band like Jag Panzer, and that is 53 minutes of kick-ass traditional metal that calls for air guitars and fists in the air.