Tygers of Pan Tang

Emerging in 1978 as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, English rockers Tygers of Pan Tang employ a muscular blend of melody and might that falls somewhere between Def Leppard and Saxon. After debuting in 1980 with the raw, chart-topping Wildcat, the band issued a string of successful LPs with more commercial aspirations. Label disputes ate up the next few years, putting a damper on their ascension, but they returned with a retooled lineup in 1985. The group ceased operations two years later, but officially re-formed in 1999 around guitarist and co-founder Robb Weir, who guided the band through the ensuing decades on studio albums like Animal Instinct (2008), Tygers of Pan Tang (2016), and Bloodlines (2023).