After several years of searching, classically trained guitarist Jan Zehrfeld joined several musicians together with the idea of forming a jazz metal band.

[4] Panzerballett plays both original compositions by guitarist Zehrfeld and his creative arrangements of popular songs from rock ("Smoke on the Water" by Deep Purple), to pop ("Ein Bisschen Frieden" by Nicole), to jazz ("Birdland" by Weather Report) to soundtrack (as the title theme The Simpsons).

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" (roughly "Their own compositions are intermingled with a number of jazz, rock and entertainment standards which the musicians thoroughly deconstruct, using impeccable skills gained at german music conservatories.

")[5] 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"[6] or like "hacking with a white-hot flail into grandma's freshly-baked ruebli-cake".

Particularly guitarist Zehrfeld delivers exaggerated facial expressions and gestures dances and jumps around excessively, while sporting a cable Rasta wig and sunglasses.