Album Notes

Label: Retroactive Records
Product ID: RAR7871
Release Date: June 2009
Style: Melodic Metal
Band: Stryken
Album Title: First Strike (Collectors Edition)
Bonus Tracks: 9 (eight from the Blitzkieg demos and one from the 12" single)
Format / Packaging: CD - 4 panel & full color Digipak


In 1986 Stryken released their first EP containing the songs "Rock On" and "Surprise" to be followed up in 1987 with their 8 song debut album titled First Strike (originally released only on cassette and transparet red vinyl!) both on their own Chrystal Records. In 2006 Girder Records reissued 1000 copies of the the album on CD (including the special bonus track "Surprise" from the 1986 12" single) for the first time ever. While those copies sold out in the first 6 months of release, Retroactive Records has re-released the album with all 9 tracks from the Girder reissue. For the Retroactive Records release, we have included 8 additional tracks from the Blitzkrieg demos (the band's pre-Stryken days) when the band was known as STRYKER (the name changed to avoid confusion with a similar sounding band named Stryper!). Not only does this release contain special artwork, liner notes and commentary from Doug Van Pelt (HM & Heaven's Metal Magazine) and 17 stunning tracks, but it has also been digitally remastered and is packaged in a COLLECTOR'S EDITION Digipak!

Angelicwarlord . com describes the music from the original release as "a combination of eighties influenced metal and straightforward hard rock certain to appeal to fans of Stryper, Bloodgood, Saint, Messiah Prophet, Whitecross, Motley Crue and Kiss. First Strike, upon repeated listen, actually proves itself quite the consistent effort in that its tracks, for the most part, are well constructed and hold up under repeated play. The album, for example, delivers its share of anthemic hard rockers (“Crush The Head Of Satan” & “Rock On”), a couple of tracks moving in an upbeat melodic metal direction (“One Way” & “State Of Emergency’), a slower, more driving number (“The Young Men have A Vision”) and a pair of ballads (“The Answer” & “Surprise”). And the band pulls it off without a hitch- which is a credit to the strength of the songwriting here."