Exhibit #6:
Tygers of Pan Tang—Wild Cat (1980)
Yes, this thing was supposed to be written almost six months ago, at the end of October. Sue me. Better late than never, right?
I wasn't sure what to think going into this honestly. I had basically zero familiarity with this band. Never heard them before. Never even heard
of them before. I did think they had a really ridiculous name and some pretty cheesy artwork and that didn't bode well. But you know what? I was wrong. These guys turned out to be damn good. Their singer, Jess Cox, aside from having an awesome gay pornstar name, is easily my favorite of any of the NWOBHM bands I've reviewed for this. His voice is more punk and raw and also more vintage rock n roll that any other NWOBHM singer I've heard—he sounds a bit like John Ries from Rocket from the Crypt mixed with a dash of Billy Idol—and that really gives this album a fantastic high-energy charge. Also, unlike every other band I've reviewed, their drummer, Brian Dick (giggle), is worth mentioning as well. His style is streamlined and direct but never boring. He's got a much better groove than those other guys and he's quick to change things up with an unexpected move at the drop of a hat. He's a bit bluesy, a bit jazzy, a bit surf rocky and all of it is very good. Richard Laws' bass playing is damn fine as well, rumbling along like the engine driving those drums, and he really rises to the occasion when he takes a more dominant role as on "Fireclown". Robb Weir's guitar playing is probably the least remarkable thing going on here, but it's still quite good and I love the fact that he's not afraid to get a little dissonant sometimes, most notably on "Slave to Freedom".
Along with
Filth Hounds of Hades this is one of the punkiest NWOBHM albums I've heard, which is probably a big part of why I like it so much. These guys are skilled musicians and are pretty tight together, but it's never flashy. They don't feel the need to show off and they always make things feel very off the cuff, something that's key to making
Wild Cat as fun and full of life as it is.