al Debate Able to watch closely >>> insclife

We are fans first and foremost and we want to bring the local music to everyone we can and let everyone see the best local bands around LOCAL is where it starts....

Local Overload 3 - 24 - 22

We are fans first and foremost and all we wanna do is bring the local music to everyone we can so everyone can hear what we see at shows.... LOCAL is where it starts....

Local Overload 3 - 31 - 22 Problem With Polly Show

We are fans first and foremost our job is to get the music into as many ears as we can because everyone starts small and we all need help LOCAL is where it starts....

Local Overload 4 - 7-22 Hoosier Drum Channel Show

We are fans first and foremost and we are just trying to get the music we hear into the ears of everyone we can because nothing is better than a live show LOCAL is where it starts....

Local Overload 4 - 14 - 22

We are fans first and foremost and are just trying to get the music we see live to everyone we can because LOCAL is where it starts.....

Local Overload 4 - 21 - 22

We are fans first and foremost and we are just wanting to get the music we see and hear into the ears of everyone because LOCAL is where it starts......

Local Overload 4 - 28 - 22 Jackson Snelling Show

We are fans first and foremost and we are just trying to get the music to everyone we can thats what we do LOCAL is where it starts....

Local Overload 5 -4-22

We are fans first and foremost and we are just trying to get the music into the ears as mant people who love music as we can so go to a show hit a like button and follow a band or two LOCAL is where it starts....

Local Overload 5 - 12 - 22

We are fans first and foremost and we just wanna get as many people as possible listening to the music we see and hear nothing better than a live show and LOCAL is where it starts....

Local Overload 5 - 18 - 22

We are fans first and foremost and we are just trying to get the music into the ears as many people as we can.  Nothing Better than live music and nothing beats a local show LOCAL  is where it starts....

Local Overload 5 - 26 - 22 Tyler Wayne Morris Show

Welcome back to The Great Metal Debate podcast. Today we’re reviewing the new album Ultrapower from Canadian trad metal crew Striker.

Packed into the 41 minute runtime comes an album that very much reminisces the 80s, albeit with a completely modern musicianship and production. The riffs are plentiful, the vocals high-pitched wailing, the drumming fast and clear, the bass guitar strong and snakelike, and the production puts everything right in the front where it should be. There are no ballads and no filler.  Striker doesn’t deviate from the retro sensibility with any modern silliness like operatic vocals, massive orchestrations, or prog stylings. This comes straight from the era of metal's old days when Maiden and Priest were extreme metal. Ultrapower is loud, proud and completely fucking hair metal through-and-through, and the band exploit that nostalgia in every possible way.

So, how good are the actual songs here? Well, to be honest, and as we would say back in the 80s - they all rule! To give a more detailed breakdown, let me have you close your eyes and picture yourself circa 1985 the standing in the hair metal arena as the house lights dim. As the pyro goes off Striker hits the stage with the blazing, straightforward "Circle Of Evil," which rips forth with killer Motley Crue-esque leads and riffs, and outstanding melody. Striker channels Y&T on "Best Of The Best,” an uptempo, hooky as hell track which capitalizes on a strong driving riff and furious drumming to create a sense of urgency. “Give It All” features guest instrumentalist Kenny G… okay, not really, but… really Striker? I love wind instruments in my folk metal, but this is a bit much and I have a playlist reputation to uphold. 

The next track "Blood Magic" is a high-octane blazer with so many different things going on at once that your head will spin. “Sucks To Suck” is a party-rocker with some killer vocal melodies and heavy guitars that sear and chill with a furious intimacy. "Ready For Anything" has great, trilling guitar-work and a catchy chorus that rivals anything Ratt or Dokken put out back in the day. "City Calling" is a jaunty power-disco anthem with a cool, commercial atmosphere that I’m uncomfortable with how much I enjoyed. Maybe my pick for best song on this thing. “Turn The Lights Out” and "Thunderdome" are more full-speed-ahead AOR, with the former giving hints of Riot V, and then as if straight off the Top Gun soundtrack we get "Live To Fight Another Day." The show and album closes on a high note with the aggressive and hilarious "Brawl At The Pub," leaving the listener at this point exhausted yet still wanting more.

The band moves at a forceful rate throughout Ultrapower, pulsating with energy as a unit and just ripping forth walls of sound and having a damn good time while doing so. Dan Cleary’s soaring hard rock vocals are brilliant in every track, and he often dips into his bag of tricks to do something unexpected. The twin axe attack of Tim Brown and John Simon Fallon make no pretenses about showing off their skills, preferring to make the songs the thing and any display of their technique secondary.  Striker exudes innocence here in the way that they seem to want nothing more than to create this music, have fun and make old school metal fans happy.

I enjoyed Ultrapower, but for those like me who can be lactose intolerant of 80s metal cheese, this album can be a difficult one to digest. I mean, we’ve come a long way since the 80s with so many new metal subgenres and bands doing things that put that bygone era to shame. But I get there are many who will find Ultrapower to be written exactly to their musical tastes, whether they be grey hairs who recall the actual 80s or younger metal fans who just love the aesthetic. My own suggestion: sample this album in moderation to see whether it works for you, but proceed carefully if you feel any bloating.

Ultrapower is released on February 2nd from Record Breaking Records.

The Great Metal Debate

Album Review - Ultrapower (Striker)

Podcast where Brian and Gomthog engage in a lively debate of heavy metal music as well as interviewing artists and talking to fans.  Occasional explicit language.

Album Review - Ultrapower (Striker)

The Great Metal Debate

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