Jaguar

Emerging alongside many contemporaries in the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, Jaguar thrived amid the movement’s first wave through an unpolished, self-reliant ethos. Once that early drive faded, however, and only resilient outfits such as Iron Maiden and Def Leppard remained active, the band slipped quickly into neglect.

Established in Bristol, England, during 1979, the original roster comprised vocalist Rob Reiss, guitarist Garry Pepperd, bassist Jeff Cox, and drummer Chris Lovell. Following several 1980 demo recordings, the quartet joined Heavy Metal Records; the label placed “Stormchild” on its Heavy Metal Heroes compilation in September 1981 and released the debut single “Back Street Woman” the following November. The single embodied the group’s “everything loud, fast, and raw” approach, gained traction within underground metal circles, and cultivated a modest yet devoted audience in Holland.

The early-1982 arrival of vocalist Paul Merrell, paired with a contract from NWOBHM standard-bearer Neat Records, raised hopes for continued progress. After another single—the Maiden-inflected Kerrang! favorite “Axe Crazy”—the band issued its first full-length album, Power Games, in May 1983. Although the densely thrash-oriented effort received little notice on the U.K. charts, extensive European touring rapidly expanded the group’s following abroad.

A subsequent arrangement with the newly formed Roadrunner Records yielded the 1984 album This Time, which unexpectedly shifted toward a polished AOR style. The change alienated longtime supporters, prompting the members to disband soon afterward. For years Jaguar languished among overlooked NWOBHM acts, remembered chiefly by dedicated collectors.

Renewed interest in the movement during the late 1990s prompted the band to pursue a second chance at wider recognition. A revised lineup consisting of founding members Pepperd and Cox, together with vocalist Jamie Manton and drummer Nathan Cox, secured a fresh agreement with the revived Neat Records and delivered the 2000 album Wake Me, a contemporary heavy-metal release infused with classic NWOBHM traits. Buoyed by favorable response in select markets, Jaguar undertook occasional live dates and, with bassist Darren Furze now aboard, recorded the 2003 follow-up Run Ragged.