I guess it doesn’t matter how many years shall pass; when something’s meant to be done it will occur anytime, anyway anyhow! That’s the exact case with Strike here. Their history goes all the way back to 1985 when two teenagers Pasi & Mika formed this band. They recorded a few songs, gave some tapes away and they continued more or less till 1991 when they called it a day. After that, they all followed separate ways. Pasi Rantanen made a name for himself by fronting Thunderstone.
So, we come back to 2011 when the guys got back together to give some live shows with their friends when they realized the flame was still alive. The next is history. They re-recorded some songs they had from the early days, wrote a bunch of new ones and their debut album was a reality almost 28 years later!
What is Strike all about? Musically, they blend hard rock, melodic rock & AOR music. They have a hard rockin’ edge at times but they never lose their melodic side. Their music has that sweet & warm 80s hard rock sense but it does sound fresh and it isn’t “retro” at all. The production has been done by Pasi himself and the mixing & the mastering by the great Timo Tolkki. Also, it’s really amazing how Pasi’s voice fits this kind of music! I’m sure the fans of hard rock & melodic rock/AOR sound would fancy this band as soon as they come across it.
All the tracks have strong hooklines, nice melodies, rockin’ guitars & a solid rhythm section. The homonymous “We’re Back” is a huge catchy ballad, in the way they used to be made in the late 80s. It’s hard to separate any songs since they all are well-written and with nice hooks. The album lasts about 35 minutes and it’s over before you know it. I guess that’s my only objection here. Then again, that’s a good sign cuz’ it makes you wanna play it over again. There’s an undeniable music quality all over this album.
I wonder why no major label has grabbed them yet. It’s weird. We hear about all those “new superb melodic rock/AOR” albums every now and then but in the end, they leave us cold feet. Perhaps releases like this one won’t ever get much advertising & promotion but that thing cannot reduce their overall supremacy. “We’re Back” is a classy melodic hard rock/AOR album which has its roots deep in the 80s… the fans of the genre had better sink their teeth into it…
01. Joanna
02. Only Heaven Knows
03. Day Of Reckoning
04. Hear Me Out
05. Strike
06. We're Back
07. Angel
08. Runaway
09. Nobody Lives Forever
Pasi Rantanen (ex-Thunderstone) - lead vocals & guitars
Mika Brushane - drums & backing vocals
Kalle Annala - keys & backing vocals
Petri Rantanen - bass
Tommi Lindfors - guitars & backing vocals
turbob
Strike – We’re Back 2013
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