• New Music Reviews
• |
• Archives
• |
• News
• |
• Submissions
• |
• About
• |
• 
• |
• 

November 2024

• Voodoo Circle: Hail To The King
• Lionville: Supernatural
• Starchaser: Into The Great Unkown
• Empires Of Eden: Guardians Of Time
• Lonerider: Down In The Dust
• Seventh Crystal: Entity
• Neal Morse & The Resonance: No Hill For A Climber
• Beardfish: Songs For Beating Hearts
• Impellitteri: War Machine
• Brothers Of Metal: Fimbulvinter

October 2024

• Casandra's Crossing: Garden Of Earthly Delights
• DGM: Endless
• Daytona: Garder la Flamme
• Fate: Reconnect 'N Ignite
• Frost*: Life In The Wires
• Aries Descendant: From The Ashes Of Deceit
• Fans Of The Dark: Video
• Radioactive: Reset
• House Of Lords: Full Tilt Overdrive
• Cleanbreak: We Are The Fire

September 2024

• Sinner's Blood: Dark Horizons
• Serious Black: Rise Of Akhenaton
• Eclipse: Megalomanium II
• SteelCity: Reverence
• Hydra: ReHydrated
• Heartwind: III
• Gabrielle De Val and the Dragonlords: Tiger
• Find Me: Nightbound
• The Nail: The Nail
• Timeless Fairytale: A Story To Tell
• Stryper: When We Were Kings
• Phil Mogg: Moggs Motel
• Pure Reason Revolution: Coming Up To Consciousness
• Jordan Rudess: Permission To Fly

August 2024

• Siege Perilous: Creation's Call EP
• Paralydium: Universe Calls
• Mike Tramp: Songs Of White Lion Vol. II
• Bite The Bullet: Looking For Paradise
• All For Metal: Gods Of Metal (Year Of The Dragon)
• Hammerfall: Avenge The Fallen
• Jim Peterik & World Stage: Roots & Shoots Vol. 2

[ More Music Reviews ]

Striker: City of Gold

Heavy/Speed Metal

4.0/5.0

Website Facebook Twitter
Napalm Records
Words: Craig Hartranft    Added: 20.08.2014

With their pedal to the metal, mostly going at warp speed, Canada's Striker returns with City of Gold, their third romp in to traditional heavy speed metal. If anything, the band is consistent and unapologetic with their sound. Thirty years removed from it's origins, Striker parties like it's 1984.

Striker: party on dudes.

This is essential speed metal, at break neck velocity. Yeah, the may have their moments where they back off a bit, but mostly this a rush of heavy metal energy from first song to last. Along the way, melody and harmony, whether by guitar riffs or vocal arrangement, are appropriately self-evident. As is the large riffs, and even larger drums which are expertly mixed for maximum clarity. Along the way, for icing on the cake, to make heavy metal classic, there are buckets of twin guitar leads. It's all a growing, or aging, metal head needs.

While most every song is a raging unfettered freight train of momentum, some songs twist the mold a bit. On is Bad Decisions, which has occasional lighter moments (by comparison), but also the best vocal harmony and groove. Combined with the chorus, it has a more popular or accessible heavy metal feeling. Another song of note is Mind Control which appears to move more by the strength of the rhythm section, notably at the start. You can put Start Again and All I Want into the category of 'beware of songs that start slow' or lightly, even if for short time. Both quickly roar into Striker's speed metal. However, the latter song develops more along the lines of the hard rock groove found in the aforementioned Bad Decisions. All in all, Striker remains a commanding classic speed metal presence, often predictable, yet always bang-your-head entertaining. Easily recommended.

Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.

With City of Gold, Striker remains a commanding classic speed metal presence, often predictable, yet always bang-your-head entertaining. Easily recommended.

Alphabetical Index

eviewing my archives, I was pleased to find that I have had the privilege to review every Lionville since their self-titled debut in 2011. Formed by Stefano Lionetti, a songwriter, singer and guitarist based in ... [ Read More ]