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Striker: Play To Win
Striker - Play To Wint Music Review

Striker: Play To Win

Heavy Metal
4.5/5.0

Back in the day, the golden era of rock and metal in the Seventies and Eighties, there was an annual cycle for a band: record an album, tour your asses off, and then repeat. Alberta's Striker has been doing that same thing the DIY way, including through their own label, for the last five years or so. Now these heavy metal warriors return with their sixth long-player, Play To Win.

Striker Band Photo Click For Larger Image

Striker

Basically, the album is another Striker barn burner of melodic, guitar-centered, heavy metal rock. As usual, their stylistic formula is a familiar one, with emphasis upon twin guitar harmony and blistering solos, clean vocal harmony, and a fine mixture of power metal speed with rock rhythm and groove. The final element to the song package is simply Striker's natural ability drop in memorable melody and catchy refrains. Ergo, stick with what you know best, and rock on.

And the heavy metal rock is self-evident throughout Play To Win with songs such as Heart Of Lies, Head First, Position of Power, and Summoner. While Striker is not quite known for ballads, they can deliver a heavy metal anthem, emphasis on heavy, with Standing Alone and Heavy Is The Heart. But Hands Of Time might sway you towards a heavy metal ballad with its use of voice over synths twisted with parts of heavy melodic metal. Essentially, if you like guitar forward heavy metal rock or simply anything that Striker has done in the recent past, you will dig their latest album, Play To Win. Easily recommended.


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The Bottom Line

Essentially, if you like guitar forward heavy metal rock or simply anything that Striker has done in the recent past, you will dig their latest album, Play To Win. Easily recommended.

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