Striker
Self-Titled
(Record Breaking Records)
One of the foremost features of the 80s in general was to emphasize how much better it was to go big and bold; nuance and restraint were certainly not hallmarks of the decade. When I think of the 80s, I think of the possibility of nuclear war, neon colors, and cocaine, not of which are small in scale. So it’s refreshing to hear an 80s-influenced throwback group embrace all that made the decade’s best metal so damn fun, all in a nice, compact package. Edmonton-based group Striker are actually on their fifth record in seven years, and their love of Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and American and Canadian thrash (Anthrax and Annihilator, predominantly) resulted in a string of electric albums. I loved the band’s third record, City of Gold, and noted that this was the perfect record to throw back some beers and give your neck muscles a proper exercise.
Fast forward three years, and Striker’s self-titled finds them tweaking things around just a little bit. This is still hellaciously fun, fast, and full of impromptu air guitar break-outs. However, while previous albums featured a small glam metal influence, Striker sees that side coming out to play much more here. Lead-off tune “Former Glory” seriously sounds like it should be part of an 80s sports movie training montage, and the sugary sweet hook will get stuck in your head, whether you want it or not. Very quickly, Striker remind you that they’re a heavy metal band; “Pass Me By” might be the heaviest thing the band has done, and it’s executed very well. These Canadians are so in love with heavy metal’s past that their passion is infectious; even the lesser numbers are aggressively melodic and fist-pumping fun. At its worst, Striker is still very damn good.
Thankfully, Striker understand that a small dose of a very good thing is a great thing. This 33-minute ride is consistently enjoyable and too much damn fun. Plus, they end the record with two of the band’s best songs yet: “Freedom’s Call” which nicely fakes out its early power ballad intentions, and “Curse of the Dead”, which brings together all that makes the band the purest distillation of sonic joy: big vocals, bigger riffs, and song that never wears out its welcome.
Purchase the album here: iTunes | Amazon
