Players of the Game

Tzar were a melodic hard rock and metal band from Orléans, Ontario, active between 1983 and 1986. Formed directly from the earlier group The Teasers, the lineup featured brothers Pete “Le Grand” Tahan (bass, vocals), Frankie D. Tahan (guitar, vocals), and John Tahan (lead guitar), with drummer Ludwig “Von Guy” Morin.

After several years performing as The Teasers — whose single “Love Me Like You Did Last Night” gained regional airplay and television exposure — the band redefined their sound, shifting from New Wave toward melodic heavy metal. Rebranding as Tzar, they began writing new material and performing across Eastern Ontario and Québec.

In 1985, the group released their lone album Players of the Game on Racer Records, recorded at Studio Propulsion in Sherbrooke, Québec, and written and produced by the band. The album featured nine original tracks, including “One Ticket to Paradise,” which also appeared that year on the national compilation Maple Metal (Viper / Attic). Mixing twin-guitar harmonies, anthemic choruses, and polished production, the record reflected the band’s transition from bar rock to fully developed melodic metal.

Tzar disbanded by the late 1980s as members pursued other careers, but Players of the Game became a sought-after collector’s album and was reissued in 2009 by Lost Realm Records with bonus material and liner notes by Pete Tahan. The Tahan brothers have remained active in music and have occasionally discussed the possibility of a reunion.
-Robert Williston

Pete Tahan: vocals, bass
John Tahan: guitar
Frank Tahan: guitar
Ludwig van Guy (Guy Morin): drums