Having gradually built a following in the U.K. and continental Europe, Bristol's
Jaguar finally found a home at
New Wave of British Heavy Metal specialist label
Neat Records, which released the band's explosive
Power Games debut in the summer of 1983. Falling somewhere between the driving
metal pummeling of
Saxon and the over the top proto-
thrash speed of
Raven (largely due to drummer
Chris Lovell's lightning-fast footwork), the album was rife with the typical
NWOBHM cliches, often relying on sheer energy to get by. Frenetic opener
"Dutch Connection" (which made no sense to anyone not aware of the band's rabid following in that country) and ensuing amphetamine-driven
NWOBHM gems like
"No Lies" and
"Raw Deal" help make this one of the most balls-out, rapid-fire romps ever to emerge from the genre. The pace only slackens somewhat for the group's mandatory attempt at delivering a power
ballad, in this case, the still quite intense
"Master Game." Still, for all the raucous energy and good intent, experts will quickly recognize that
Jaguar's music borrows heavily from more expressive members of the
NWOBHM community, most notably
Raven and
Iron Maiden. (The 1998
Metal Blade CD reissue of
Power Games concludes with three pre-album tracks, including the hilariously excessive
"Axe Crazy.") ~ Eduardo Rivadavia
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