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[ More Music Reviews ]

Striker: Striker

Traditional Heavy/Power Metal

4.5/5.0

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Record Breaking Records
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 22.02.2017

Ten years on, five albums later, and a mass of constant touring, Striker's heavy metal spirit can only be described as indomitable. They fly the flag of "keep it true" heavy metal with invincible pride. The four piece from Edmonton Canada returns with another new album, the simply self-titled Striker.

Striker

There's many things to like about Striker, mentioning their faithfulness to classic and traditional heavy, speed, and power metal is only one. The band likes to twist in a large current of melodic hard rock groove, circa the Sunset Strip Eighties. But these roots go deeper with every song drawing upon guitar and vocal harmony, rock rhythm and groove, and simply darn catchy arrangements and refrains. Their sound is the perfect storm of heavy metal rock, with a large dashes of heaviness and speed. Frankly, it's all rather bombastic and roaring, perhaps best defined by the song Over The Top, a smashing riff monster at break neck speed.

But there's more. That catchy hard rock groove can be found within Rock The Night or Born To Lose. For raging power metal turn up Curse Of The Dead. Or, for a combination of moderation and briskness, combined with deliberate heaviness, dig Pass Me Bay. And don't expect any pussy ballads; they're not here. But there is an instrumental segue, Cheating Death, before the hammering Shadows In The Light which leads with a tasty bass line. Metal fans, it's all good, and pure Striker doing what they do best: roaring, guitar forward, and blistering melodic heavy metal. Up the irons!

Striker - Born To Lose

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

Metal fans, it's all good, and pure Striker doing what they do best: roaring, guitar forward, and blistering melodic heavy metal. Up the irons!

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By far, Sweden's Eclipse is one of my favorite bands. Always consistent and always entertaining, Eclipse has been delivering their 21st century version of melodic metal rock since songwriter, producer ... [ Read More ]