When things are hurtling forwards, it never hurts to take a look back at where you’ve come from. That’s the philosophy Saskatoon’s favourite rockers, Junior Pantherz, have adopted with their very first vinyl release (on 12-inch white vinyl), Discover Vinyl. Having come back in 2006 after a year-long hiatus, the three original members — guitarist / vocalist Terry Mattson, bassist/vocalist S.J. Kardash and drummer Arnold Van Lambalgen II — sifted through the material from five albums worth of recordings since 1999 to find the songs that encapsulate the journey so far. They picked out eight songs from three of those albums: The Last Two Million Years (2001), Ballistics (2003) and Death by Life (2005). And for good measure, they added in the previously-unreleased “Forward, Back and Center”.

Junior Pantherz and their new label friends at Saved By Radio / Saved By Vinyl know Discover Vinylis just the beginning for the rejuvenated band. Now a power quartet, with the addition keyboardist / organist / vocalist Maygen Kardash, JPZ will be releasing a much-anticipated new full-length album early in 2008, Rejoice, Remain.