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I've been following Canada's Striker for a while now, reviewing every album since their second, Armed to the Teeth back in 2012. 2017 finds album #5 taking the "self-titled" route and the band once again tweaking their sound a bit, but this time they've settled on something that really works. There's a mix of Thrash and traditional, melodic Metal on Striker and each is executed well. Tracks like "Former Glory" remind me of a time when "US Power Metal" meant bands like Arizona's Icon. This song moves along without racing and has a sweet melody and catchy chorus that's hard not to sing along with. Then you've got "Pass Me By" with high, clear, shouted vocals and a grittier guitar sound that you can find on those early Anthrax albums like Spreading the Disease. Standout tracks include the two mentioned and the closer, "Curse of the Dead". Striker has evolved but never wavered from the path of Heavy Metal and have again come up with a solid release. Nothing that tops the manic energy of Armed to the Teeth but better than a lot of other releases you could waste your time with.