- Nov 24, 2002
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Another band I got acquainted recently and thanks to Neat Records been able to got their whole back catalogue just in time for their new 2003 album.
Jaguar is one of the lost glories of the NWOBHM, signed at Neat Records along with Tygers Of Pan Tang, Venom, White Spirit and Raven, Jaguar developed a short and interesting career in the heyday of NWOBHM. Only two albums, the first awsome powerful, energetic metal and the second more AOR (which cost fans and eventual desintegration of the band).
Two of the original members reunite in 1998 with a new drummer and vocalist, releasing a third album, only to change then to a new bass drummer (leaving only the guitar as original member) for the their latest effort.
Neat Records released a compilation of the first three album named "Power Games - The Anthology", the new album came under Angel Air Records.
"Power Games": the debut (1982) is a masterpiece of NWOBHM, unlike many others more rock oriented bands, Jaguar deliver metal highly influenced by Motorhead type of speed metal. From 'Dutch Connection' to 'Dirty Tricks' the band plays fast, heavy and energetically. The songs are usually short (except for 'Raw Deal') and the band just don't give up a second.
"This Time": (aka as this time we fucked up
) sadly their second album (1984) with the help of keyboards took a very bad AOR direction and never got into new fans and lost the all ones (another band in the list of great debut/awful seconds). The album is not bad musically, but today we will call them "sellouts" most probably, still is enjoyable if you are open minded.
"Wake Me": 2000 came and a return to basics, the way we hope for some many bands (that never make it) today. From the weird named 'Mouth And Trousers' to the even weirder 'Pigeon Access Point' the album is like an eraser of "This Time", the band went to their old sound and adapted to the new century (no mallcore here, don't get me wrong). 'Wake Up', 'Occasional Hell', 'Power Games', 'Sucker' shows a band with lots of experience playing classic metal on the dawn of a new century.
"Run Ragged": one of my top ten albums of 2003 came almost with a heart attack. The pics of the band look like rejections from Nirvana or Godsmack!, but if the look is deceiving, the music grabs you by the throat and kick your ass. The opener 'Run Ragged' is a jewel of frantic speed metal absolutely embedded in old NWOBHM spirit, 'Living Hell', 'Gulf War Syndrome', 'This Is Your Life' and the apted titled 'Eighties' gives more and more pure metal for the delight of the listener.
Maybe not the most important band in someone's list, maybe not even a band truly comparable to some jewels of yesterday and today, but surely a band that deserves a good listening and some recognition.
Jaguar is one of the lost glories of the NWOBHM, signed at Neat Records along with Tygers Of Pan Tang, Venom, White Spirit and Raven, Jaguar developed a short and interesting career in the heyday of NWOBHM. Only two albums, the first awsome powerful, energetic metal and the second more AOR (which cost fans and eventual desintegration of the band).
Two of the original members reunite in 1998 with a new drummer and vocalist, releasing a third album, only to change then to a new bass drummer (leaving only the guitar as original member) for the their latest effort.
Neat Records released a compilation of the first three album named "Power Games - The Anthology", the new album came under Angel Air Records.
"Power Games": the debut (1982) is a masterpiece of NWOBHM, unlike many others more rock oriented bands, Jaguar deliver metal highly influenced by Motorhead type of speed metal. From 'Dutch Connection' to 'Dirty Tricks' the band plays fast, heavy and energetically. The songs are usually short (except for 'Raw Deal') and the band just don't give up a second.
"This Time": (aka as this time we fucked up
) sadly their second album (1984) with the help of keyboards took a very bad AOR direction and never got into new fans and lost the all ones (another band in the list of great debut/awful seconds). The album is not bad musically, but today we will call them "sellouts" most probably, still is enjoyable if you are open minded."Wake Me": 2000 came and a return to basics, the way we hope for some many bands (that never make it) today. From the weird named 'Mouth And Trousers' to the even weirder 'Pigeon Access Point' the album is like an eraser of "This Time", the band went to their old sound and adapted to the new century (no mallcore here, don't get me wrong). 'Wake Up', 'Occasional Hell', 'Power Games', 'Sucker' shows a band with lots of experience playing classic metal on the dawn of a new century.
"Run Ragged": one of my top ten albums of 2003 came almost with a heart attack. The pics of the band look like rejections from Nirvana or Godsmack!, but if the look is deceiving, the music grabs you by the throat and kick your ass. The opener 'Run Ragged' is a jewel of frantic speed metal absolutely embedded in old NWOBHM spirit, 'Living Hell', 'Gulf War Syndrome', 'This Is Your Life' and the apted titled 'Eighties' gives more and more pure metal for the delight of the listener.
Maybe not the most important band in someone's list, maybe not even a band truly comparable to some jewels of yesterday and today, but surely a band that deserves a good listening and some recognition.
I'm not a big fan of them to be honest though.
