Striker: City Of Gold

Metal for mountain-topping, air-guitaring glory seekers

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Hailing from Edmonton, Canada, Striker have unleashed their third LP and it’s a blistering affair.

Like Enforcer and Skull Fist, they tread the line between the fist-pumping, foot-on-the-monitor, straight-up old-school heavy metal of Priest and Maiden and the thrashier out-for-blood adrenaline of Exciter and early Megadeth, although on the likes of Start Again and Bad Decisions they hint at Metal Church, too. Fronted by Dan Cleary, who displays the sort of vocal power that would feel at home on a Savatage record, City Of Gold is chock-full of all the elements of a great metal album: big riffs, bigger choruses and the sort of solos that will have you doing air guitar as if you’re standing on top of a mountain. This is joyously triumphant, utterly infectious and uplifting metal that, were it not for the modern sheen of the production, could be straight from a great 80s favourite. Treat yourself to a glorious slab of metallic happiness.

Via Napalm