Seems over the last two years the Striker guys have become a bit more enamored with thrash. While “Armed To The Teeth” seethed with speed and aggression, it was essentially a NWOBHM Lp, played at 45rpm. The eleven cuts on “City Of Gold” rarely take the foot off the accelerator and the high pitched vocals are still there, but only the title cut, a simple, White Wolf staccato strut of ‘Bad Decisions’ and ‘All I Want’ manage to keep the former's musical heritage.

It might be splitting hairs for the casual fan, but rather than a nitro fueled Riot, “City Of Gold” is more akin to one of the crunchy guitar mid-90s Annihilator discs. Nothing wrong with either side of the coin, just different and people have preferences, one over the other. Case in point, this Fall they're touring Europe with Bullet and Stallion, while here in North America Onslaught and Artillery. However, the blatant influences/reference points of old are now better disguised. ‘Underground’, an ode from which all bands arise, gets things off to a riffarama start, while ‘Start Again’ goes for vocal highs. Personal favorite ‘Crossroads’ (prophetic?) gets the stylistic mix in the proper proportions. Wild guitar runs on ‘Rise Up’ and ‘Taken By Time’ closes things out with twin leads, whammy bar and gang vocals.