Cast your minds back to about 1986-1988, during a period of time when heavy metal was cool. Striker from Canada will have you breaking out that well worn air guitar and denim cut off vest once you hear this blistering album. The album cover has that good versus evil factor with the corpses battling a sole warrior, classic heavy metal imagery. So far so good. The moment that “Phoenix Lights” opens with its speed metal double kick you know you’re in for a metal hell ride. Most opening songs on heavy metal albums begin with a fast one and this is no different as the riffs and vocals are crystal clear, possess depth of character and emotive supremacy. The test for albums like this is the guitar solos which show considerable promise on the starting tune, highly melodic, matching the core of the song exceptionally well. So it’s a good start which only improves on “Out for Blood” NWOBHM worship, though Striker like to bolster their songs with double kick similar to prime time Priest from “Defenders Of The Faith”. The riffs are amazing, as again the vocal delivery is exceptional, and I guarantee you will sing the chorus of this album that is wonderful and missing from far too many heavy metal songs these days. There is nothing wimpy about having a chorus which makes your hair stand on end, sends your skin into goose bumps and makes you want to clench that hand into fist; Dio made a career out of it so why the hell not. Every single tune on this album probably merits a mention. However there is so much 80's heavy metal bands running through the molten metal fluid of this album that to deny it would be criminal, to ignore it would be ridiculous and to use it to berate the album would be insane. This is a stupendous album in every single way. To quote a well worn cliché this is thunderous heavy metal that will set your heart on fire.
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Review by Paul Caravasi
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