"The bodies of the fallen will be your epitaph" - Slave to Freedom




Wild Cat

*WHAM* That's exactly what you feel and hear when the opening drum beats of lead-off track "Euthanasia" hit you in the face like a cinder block. The Tygers of Pan Tang formed in 1978 in the midst of the nascent NWOBHM when bassist Rocky Laws, guitarist Robb Weir, drummer Brian Dick, and vocalist Jess Cox were chatting about putting together a new band in a pub in Whitley Bay, England.

Taking their moniker from a group of elite warriors bent on chaos and destruction in Michael Moorcock's Elric saga, they released their debut album in 1980. The songs contained in Wild Cat evoke an amalgam of human emotion: greed ("Money"), angst ("Slave to Freedom," "Killers"), lust ("Don't Touch Me There," "Suzie Smiled"), and some are even mildly political ("Euthanasia").

"Insanity" is a song about dementia and life in an asylum, and is without a doubt one of the best tracks on the album, while "Fireclown" opens up with Rocky's roaring, fluid bassline. This song actually went under a different title with a completely different set of lyrics in its infancy.

I think this song might have been inspired by Michael Moorcock's eponymous novel (Blue Oyster Cult's beautiful "The Great Sun Jester" was also based on this book) which he wrote as an homage to a poet friend who overdosed on drugs.

The production is pretty raw, but primal and mellifluous to metal ears. Each instrument sticks out in its own distinctive way, but they manage to remain on the same plane of existence.

One might argue that the vocals of Jess Cox may have been the one drawback (he pretty much sings the same tune on every song), but he delivers each lyric with enough snarl and rock 'n' roll swagger to save them all. He actually reminds me of one of his NWOBHM contemporaries, Paul Di'Anno.

Robb Weir, although nowhere near the sheer brilliance of John Sykes who would soon be picked up in a very short time and become a Tyger himself, manages to play some adequate leads and some very memorable riffs. I must say that I really dig the hell out of his tone here. Rocky Laws and Brian Dick must have literally worked the grooves into the original vinyl release, because I think they are one of the most underrated rhythm sections of all time.

All in all, Wild Cat is a very consistent first outing with a few hints at what would come very soon. I've also got to say that I love that cover. Nothing screams "metal" more than cats, an animal that symbolizes independence, self-confidence, rebellion, and power in many cultures throughout the world.

I am looking forward this thread even if I cannot add a thing to the comments since I have never owned this or any of their albums

I only know a coupla of songs that I've heard on comps. Never owned any albums. I had their early albums on my want-list for a long time, but eventually took them off because I figured I'd never find them at a reasonable price and had plenty of other albums I wanted instead.

A band I have lps by and havn't listened to in years. They have things about them that set them apart from others in that time, but the weak points seem to outweigh them and kept them in that place of either "should of been" or "could of been".

my 02.

Still gonna scope out the thread.

Good enough album but after what came later this seems sub par. Good review.

"Don't think about the future, I don't know what it holds. Just live the life you want, and never lose your soul..." - The Story So Far




Spellbound

Exit Jess Cox, and enter Jon Deverill (formerly of Persian Risk) and John Sykes (formerly of Street Fighter, soon to be of Thin Lizzy, Whitesnake and Blue Murder). These two new additions brought in so much more depth and energy that the Tygers almost completely morphed into a much different machine than what you hear on this album's predecessor. Many fans consider Spellbound to be the pinnacle of the band's entire career, and it's easy to see (hear) why.

The album contains so many classic tracks including "The Story So Far," "Silver and Gold" (which is my all time favorite Tygers song), "Tyger Bay,"
and "Don't Stop By," a song with an almost ballad-like feel to its chorus. Deverill's evocative, soulful vocals over-top Sykes's aggressive, yet melodic leads really help to bring the compositions to life.

And of course, Weir, Laws, and Mr. Dick do their jobs just as well as before.

The album may have been released back in '81, but it still sounds just as fresh as the day (and year) that it was released. I imagine it also sounds just as great as when others back in that time were just getting it out of the plastic and cover and sticking the needle down on the freshly pressed notches of the vinyl.

The Tygers would soon go on to release two more brilliant albums before original members Robb Weir and Rocky Laws would step down from their positions as Tygers and the band overall would suffer from this. But as it stands, Spellbound is one the finest metal records ever released and one of the finest albums in general ever released.

Again, I absolutely adore that cover art!

This thread is going to make go back and evaluate a band I barely considered when I was growing up

This is it, the best album they did. They were hungy, Sykes sound here is amazing and the songs are excellent. If you only own one Tygers album this is the one. Check out Silver and Gold if you haven't heard it and you will be wowed.

I agree. And Manny, you should definitely check this band out: anyone of the first four are actually good places to start, but Spellbound is the main one to a lot of people.

By the way, thanks to all who have posted so far. Crazy Nights should be up by the end of the week.

Never heard of this band.

SPELLBOUND is the only album I have heard by these guys, and it is really good. I decided to check them out when I heard Heathen's cover of "Hellbound" on VICTIMS OF DECEPTION.

WILD CAT is a great record, and SPELLBOUND is one of my favorite records. That one's a must have for any fans of NWOBHM

"She's never satisfied, never satisfied, I know 'cause I've tried." - Never Satisfied




Crazy Nights

From what I gather, it was sometime in 1981 right after the recording of Spellbound, and there was already trouble a-brewin' within the Pan Tangian camp. There were purportedly a bunch of suits trying to manipulate the Tygers into doing certain things that are expected of any promising band. This, in turn, led to a slightly more commercial effort in Crazy Nights.

Despite its slightly more pop leanings, Nights continues the Tygers' traditional ZZ Top meets Black Sabbath meets Thin Lizzy (it's so easy to hear why Phil got Sykes to play for him) and Budgie signature sound in tunes such as "Running Out of Time," "Make a Stand," and "Do It Good." The infectious title track is one that hints at the pop sound the band would soon fully explore on the next album, but it works well in both cases, I think.

The bass line in the mid-section to "Running Out of Time" is incredible. "Do It Good" serves its purpose quite well as the lead off track, and I believe it was on of the singles off the record. "Down and Out" is another of the pop-tinged songs, and is one of the best on the record.

The production is stepped up a bit from the previous two, but it's not vomit inducing sterile 80s sheen; it manages to retain that primal, natural feel of the two prior releases, while simultaneously bringing a cleaner ambiance to the overall sound. Love the King Kong inspired cover!


I suppose one could site this as the last of what could be called the "classic Tygers era," as the band would lose John Sykes right after the tour (actually, it could have been right after the album was recorded), but Crazy Nights is definitely one that'll make you a Tygers
fan.

By the way, for those of you who've been making a pilgrimage to this thread, I am really sorry I've taken so much time to get these things posted, and I'll try to be a little more punctual from now on.

I own their first 3 albums but havent gotten to them yet.Need to shortly.

Crazy nights is still classic though you hear the pop sheen in it. Like Saxon and DL the influence of a poppier hard rock sound crept in but it's not a killer on this album, actually adds some texture. A worthy album.

Love their album covers and need to add this band to my collection

Great reviews of those increible 3 albums by the band. So nice to read. Keep reviews like that coming. I got out my vinyl of WILD CAT and i am playing and reading the review the same time. Will do the same with the other 2.

I hope this thread gets started up again. I've always wanted to take time to listen to some of their old stuff. I was familiar with a couple of old songs like "Don't Touch Me There" and "Euthanasia", but nothing else off the first album. I think Jess Cox's vocals are an acquired taste. I just started listening to "Spellbound" and "Crazy Nights" a couple of weeks ago, and what can I say, the albums were pretty infectious. It's obvious that when Jon Deverill and Sykes came into the band this band started firing on all cylinders.

The first 4 Tygers albums are definitely worth it. Seek them out.

Excellent band. Their early material was hugely influential. Spellbound is one of my top 10 favorite albums of all time.