All I can say is "OH MAN"! This is a rebirthing of thrash - heavy on the Death Angel / Anthrax sound. So with that being said, this is Striker's third release, "City of Gold" and I must say they have struck gold with this record. We blast off with a bang on the songs "Underground" and title track, "City of Gold" - each with blistering vocals and shredding guitars. "Start Again" fooled me for a few seconds into thinking it was gonna’ be a mellow song, but boy was I wrong!
So moving right along with "Bad Decisions" - a very good rock song that breaks the tension of the thrash bashing. Then there's "Crossroads" (put on a helmet!) and
"All For One" continues to pound beautifully brutal melodies into your ear holes, leaving you to circle your living room in mosh fashion. Then we get a total mean-hearted groove in the song "Mind Control". The breakdown is fierce! Then "Second Attack" will have you finding someone to grapple with!
I say fool me once shame on me. Fool me twice and I don't mind. "All I Want" starts off mellow, and then strikes you over the head with a ball peen hammer! Yeah, heaviness abounds. I've been waiting for a song like this to "Rise Up" on this record! No holds barred here. Killer bass fill to kick off the guitar solo and an aggressive marching beat near the end to drive home the lyrical content.
Lastly we have "Taken by Time". If this song doesn’t get you off your feet, then nothing will. All out snare attack, guitar soloing over the verses and the rhythm section mashing your brain to mush! From start to finish, Striker kicks you in the face, shoves a 2x4 into your bread basket and drives nails into your skull and if you're still breathing, they repeat the process.
Needless to say there is no downside here. Striker strikes viciously with an onslaught of power and aggression. The big upside for me is "Rise Up" and "Taken by Time" - not too extreme and not at all mellow. I give ‘em a 10.
Tim Duran, HMS
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