STRIKER
STRIKER – “Ultrapower”
By Colonel Angus
Canadian traditional metalers STRIKER are back with their first new studio release in almost six years. Their last album “Play to Win” was good and I remember liking it but I can’t tell you the last time I listened to it. I get presented a lot of music and while it hits me at that moment, they don’t always have the same staying power as some other releases. Well, that may change with “Ultrapower” because I have played this album over a dozen times now and it seems to get better with each spin. Tracks like “Give it All” and “Live to Fight Another Day” have some traditional metal and hair metal with the results being an amalgam of catchy, melodic choruses and fist pumping riffs. My weakness for well written melodic metal makes these two cuts my favorite off “Ultrapower”.
While I may have picked some favorites off this disk, there is so much ore to enjoy off “Ultrapower”. Things start off in fine fashion with the YNGWIE MALMSTEEN inspired “Circle of Evil”. It has just enough of the YNGWIE influence to make this interesting but it still retains the STRIKER traditional metal sound. The guitars provided by Tim Brown and John Simon Fallon do their best YNGWIE impressions but without going overboard on the neo-classical thing. Many of the tunes here bring other elements that the band tack onto their own sound to make “Ultrapower” sound varied. “Blood Magic” has a great power metal beginning with some slower atmospheric parts and “Sucks to Suck” has this punky metal vibe about it that same attitude as “Get the Fuck Out” by SKID ROW.
STRIKER may add those different elements here and there but the base off their tunes if firmly composed of hard hitting, anthemic traditional metal. The last half of “Ultrapower” is full of fist pumping, headbanging songs that don’t let up one bit. “Turn the Lights Out” not only has some great riffing and shredding, but drummer Jono Webster pounds away giving this track a frantic almost “out of control” feel. The same can be said about album closer “Brawl at the Pub” which is the perfect track to end the record. After a little over forty minutes, you’ll want to take a quick breather and start the disk over again. I like that bands are focusing on shorter records without any filler and “Ultrapower” is a great example of this newer trend. All of the tunes stick to the three and four minute mark saying what needs to be said and moving on to the next one.
The sole original member Dan Cleary puts in a very good vocal performance with a range that is perfect for this type of traditional metal. Tim Brown is the only other member who has some seniority in STRIKER with a tenure that spans a decade. The other members are newer with “Ultrapower” being their first release. At the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter who is in the band as long as the material and performances are good. With “Ultrapower”, I feel that this blend of musicians have crafted a damn good album that not only made me headband but also put a smile on face. STRIKER know how to make metal enjoyable and “Ultrapower” has eleven tracks of pure metal fun.