Canada’s Striker, bless them, have been doing this for years. As far back as 2017 I saw them open for Sonata Arctica and said “Fast fun – they’re bang on target”.
Fast forward almost seven years and they’ve changed tune – but not a lot.
“Circle Of Evil” kicks off and never mind the grandiose start, it takes about 15 seconds to settle into its proper Maiden gallop. But, once you’ve got into the pit with it, you aren’t leaving.
And neither is it, to be fair. It knows what it likes and it likes what it does.
In fairness to the Canadians, they’ve always been more savvy than that. Working with producer Josh Schroeder
(Lorna Shore, King 810) this is no rehash. “Best Of The Best” has tongues in cheeks, instead, it adds a simple thought: “fuck the rest”.
They’ve never taken things too seriously, either. The saxophone of “Give It All” probably borrowed shoulder pads from Joan Collins. Rather more sensibly, it doesn’t half sound like Night Flight Orchestra.
“Blood Magic” helpfully adds in a nice “whoah whoah” chant, taking things down some kind of Power Metal route – and the solo shreds appropriately.
Just occasionally, though, the beauty of this is in its simplicity. “Sucks To Suck” is as unapologetic as it is defiant, but for all the knockabout stuff, “Ready For Anything” has a modern crunch – plus it sounds like it would live up to its title given half a chance.
As ever with Striker, it feels like they’re simply playing the music they love. There’s no regard for trends and whatever. Rather “City Calling” and the likes stack the harmonies up high and the horns up higher, and even when it gets tougher as on “Turn The Lights Out” which has some real thrash drumming from Jono Webster, or the ….urmmm thunderous “Thunderdome” then there’s an eye on the tunes. Indeed, if you aren’t screaming “Two men enter, one man leaves” before the latter, then I’m not sure we’d get along.
The flavour of the last millennium wafts off this at all times. “Live To Fight Another Day” might as well be doing a Rubik’s cube while thumbing a Filofax, but if you needed another reason to love this (and you really don’t) then here’s “Brawl At The Pub” the closing thing. No ballads, and how fitting it concludes with a pissed-up fight. As long as we get out before the cops come, it’s all good.
Some albums want to change the world, and there’s a place for that to be fair, others simply just want to make it better for 40-odd minutes. “Ultrapower” is one of the latter, and it’s all the better for it.
Rating 8/10
REVIEW: STRIKER – ULTRAPOWER (2024)
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