Jaguar
Power Games
[Neat]
Jaguar is one of many underappreciated bands from the great NWOBHM. This 1983 release should be of particular interest to LARM readers, being one of the fastest, smartest, and most METAL from that period.
The album starts with three brief, relentless, adrenaline-pumped songs in a row before loosening up with the moody and memorable "Master Game". From here the songs grow longer and increasingly varied but there's never a dull moment. The band is intent on rollicking speed and power.
One interesting feature of Jaguar is the bass playing of Jeff Cox. He's on approximately equal footing in the mix with the guitar, and is often just as important to the music. The bass is often playing interesting accents, fills, or contrasts, as it does in support of the searing solo in "Master Game", and sometimes even leads the music melodically, as in the beginning of "Rawdeal". The latter is one of the more clever, versatile songs on the record, as it changes character several times and packs a few surprises.
Garry Pepperd's guitar more than holds its own. Each song is based on a couple of solid riffs. A few are more punky or Motorhead-like, but most are in the proud, early heavy metal style exemplified by the first few Iron Maiden records. The raging, confident lead guitar is among the best from this era. "Ain't No Fantasy" is perhaps the best song on the album, packed with great bass and guitar riffing, and highlighted by two Pepperd solos, the first a brief and scorching fret burn, the second an eclectic and expressive solo that obviously owes a debt to the king of metal guitar, Glenn Tipton.
The 1998 CD reissue adds three critical bonus tracks. If one's expecting leftovers and retreads, the first seconds of "Axe Crazy" quickly demolish that thought. This would have to be as fast as any contemporary metal in '82, but again nicely varied. "War Machine" could be an Angel Witch song, and that's a huge compliment. As in "Master Game", dark, brooding verses alternate with a monstrously heavy chorus riff. The solo on this song is awesome. "Dirty Tricks", as the liner notes state, takes a more commercial approach but rocks nicely and doesn't sicken.
'Power Games' is definitely worth checking out for fans of early Iron Maiden or very early Metallica or Exodus, and for later generations of metal fans investigating the NWOBHM.
© 2001 j.s.
The album starts with three brief, relentless, adrenaline-pumped songs in a row before loosening up with the moody and memorable "Master Game". From here the songs grow longer and increasingly varied but there's never a dull moment. The band is intent on rollicking speed and power.
One interesting feature of Jaguar is the bass playing of Jeff Cox. He's on approximately equal footing in the mix with the guitar, and is often just as important to the music. The bass is often playing interesting accents, fills, or contrasts, as it does in support of the searing solo in "Master Game", and sometimes even leads the music melodically, as in the beginning of "Rawdeal". The latter is one of the more clever, versatile songs on the record, as it changes character several times and packs a few surprises.
Garry Pepperd's guitar more than holds its own. Each song is based on a couple of solid riffs. A few are more punky or Motorhead-like, but most are in the proud, early heavy metal style exemplified by the first few Iron Maiden records. The raging, confident lead guitar is among the best from this era. "Ain't No Fantasy" is perhaps the best song on the album, packed with great bass and guitar riffing, and highlighted by two Pepperd solos, the first a brief and scorching fret burn, the second an eclectic and expressive solo that obviously owes a debt to the king of metal guitar, Glenn Tipton.
The 1998 CD reissue adds three critical bonus tracks. If one's expecting leftovers and retreads, the first seconds of "Axe Crazy" quickly demolish that thought. This would have to be as fast as any contemporary metal in '82, but again nicely varied. "War Machine" could be an Angel Witch song, and that's a huge compliment. As in "Master Game", dark, brooding verses alternate with a monstrously heavy chorus riff. The solo on this song is awesome. "Dirty Tricks", as the liner notes state, takes a more commercial approach but rocks nicely and doesn't sicken.
'Power Games' is definitely worth checking out for fans of early Iron Maiden or very early Metallica or Exodus, and for later generations of metal fans investigating the NWOBHM.
© 2001 j.s.