Road Warrior

With such tongue-in-cheek song titles as “Lord of the Sword” and “The Keg That Crushed New York,” it's easy to assume that Striker is another awesome party-thrash band. But as the opening title track to its Road Warrior EP reveals, the Edmonton, Canada–based quintet is more inspired by the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. Frontman Dan Cleary boasts a dynamic vocal range with a searing falsetto that sounds largely inspired by Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson and Judas Priest’s Rob Halford. When Cleary dips down into his high tenor, there are moments when he channels a young Klaus Meine of Scorpions. Guitarists Ian Sandercock and Chris Segger play like disciples of bygone metal who've done their homework. As the two switch from chugging riffs to distorted leads and harmonic squeals, “Lord of the Sword” could very well have been titled “Lords of the Axe.” The following “Fire” takes its leads from early-'80s Northern California, importing ample approximations of early Metallica and Megadeth as Cleary hits glass-shattering high notes.