Great heavy metal knows no bounds in the world, but I can
honestly say this is the first time I’ve come across a modern traditional heavy
metal band from Mexico. Formed earlier this year, Jet Jaguar is a 4-piece that plays
heavy/speed metal that worships at the altar of Skull Fist and their ilk. When
the guitars aren’t delivering dual-harmonies, they laying out some incredibly
energetic, charging riffs. Most of the riffs tend to chug along, but much they
do so with such power that you can’t help but bang your head. Complimenting the
buzzing guitars is a bass player that you will hear during every second of this
demo. His bass lines are by no means complex, but they fill out the sound
nicely. The drums are not particularly noteworthy, but they definitely drive
the speed of a track like “Call of the Fight”, with their pounding double bass.
The vocals are where Jet Jaguar deviates a bit from the crowd. They’re not out
of place given the sound, but they aren’t quite as polished as most of the
other bands playing this style of music. There are a couple of wicked falsettos in “Hunter”,
but some of the more melodic singing isn’t quite as clear as you might want to hear.
It’s worth mentioning at this point that I only have
access to two of the three tracks on this demo, but if “Rockshot” is anything
like the other two songs, you won’t be disappointed. The opener, “Hunter”, is
the stronger of the two tracks, as it has the catchier chorus. In fact, the way
that “Hunter” is shouted in the chorus draws memories of “Stallion” by Axxion. The
rest of the chorus, however, goes in a bit of a different direction from that
song, so it doesn’t feel like Jet Jaguar is unoriginal. There is quite a bit of
enjoyable guitar work in the first track, but the second song, “Call of the
Fight”, is even more based in shredding. It kicks off with a wicked solo, and
features plenty of other flashy guitarwork throughout the song. In addition, it
also has a nice “whoa-oh” section, which always enhances this style of metal.
For a first effort, “Call of the Fight” is extremely
impressive. Considering the band has only been together for less than half a
year, it’s scary to think how good they’ll be with more time and experience
under their belt. If you are digging the revivalist traditional heavy metal
scene, particularly those wicked Canadian bands, Jet Jaguar will definitely be
up your alley.
Highlights
"Hunter"
"Call of the Fight"
Final Rating
4.4/5 or 88%.
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