I just gotta say it... I LOVE CD release parties! Especially when one of the most rockin' bands in the city releases a new record and, puts on a killer show to present it to the masses. People from all over Alberta flocked to the Starlite Room to catch the gentlemen of Striker in action, as they unleashed the madness of their newest album "Stand In The Fire" on Friday night to a packed house.

With the support of three other stellar local bands, the night was kicked off in style with Solborn, a new band to the local scene, playing symphonic power metal in the finest way possible. The beautiful harmonies accompanied by striking female vocals involved in Solborn's music grabbed the audiences attention with a firm grip, holding on tight from the moment the band hit the stage 'til the end of their crushing set. Next up on the bill, and pleasantly received by those gathered on the floor of the Starlite Room, Wolfrik kicked the show into high gear with speed and force. Moshers began to thrash about as Wolfrik rolled through their set, delivering devastating songs one after another to keep the adrenaline pumping. As more people began to fill the venue, veterans of Edmonton crossover, L.A.M.S, warmed up the necks of headbangers gathered at the front of the stage, as they unleashed their brand of thrashy-punky goodness on everyone in the room, preparing the bodies and voices for what was yet to come.

With anticipation sitting thick in the air, Striker took to the dimly lit stage as their audience began to roar. Starting off their hefty 15 song set with "Crossroads", Edmonton began to sing along and thrash about. One of my favorite things about Striker's music, is that it's fun to sing along with and wreck your neck to, and I know that there are many people out there who can agree with me on that one! Moving on through the set, Striker played a handful of tracks off of the new record, their single entitled "Too Late", being one of them. As the band serenaded the Starlite Room, the harmonies and killer guitar solos of fan favorite tracks such as: "Lethal Force", "City of Gold", and "Full Speed" could be heard echoing throughout the halls and in the streets outside. While the band boomed into "Fight For Your Life" , vocalist Dan Cleary, began to encourage the crowd to sing along to the catchy chorus. Splitting the room down the middle, and encouraging call-and-answer vocal melodies from audience left and audience right, adding a even more fun spin on the performance of this epic track. I found it only fitting that the guys chose the song "Second Attack" as their encore, as the songs in-your-face guitar-aggressiveness was complimentary to the energy of the set prior to this point in the show. Plus, the irony behind that is pretty sweet, if you ask me! Lastly, closing off the night with "Terrorizer", Striker closed off the show to a smiling audience, chanting and cheering for more as they offered cheers to anyone they could reach with their drink held in the air. This was simply a perfect way to introduce a brand new, independently released record on their home town, while celebrating with some of their closest friends. I love it! Talented musicians makin' memories on the way to the top!