Striker Concert Review-Last Exit Live, Phoenix, Arizona 11-16-24

November 26, 2024 LA Metal Media Leave a comment

Concert Review and Photos By Roc Boyum

Canadian hard rock band Striker are currently shredding stages throughout North America on their 2024 North American tour. Since this is a club tour, it could be one of the rare opportunities to see them perform in an intimate standing room only (SRO) venue, surrounded by a few hundred closest friends.

The club was Last Exit Live, and this was the first time I had visited this venue. This well-known club is located in a somewhat industrial area of downtown Phoenix and hosts national touring acts throughout the year. The sound quality at the venue was excellent, and the lighting was adequate for a small club setting; however, parking can be challenging. I highly suggest arriving early to avoid having to park several blocks away, as I experienced.

The lineup was exceptional, featuring Striker, fellow Canadian metallers Lutharo, and the power/thrash giants Seven Kingdoms.

Check out the Lutharo and Seven Kingdoms Photo Galleries Below;

Get into Lutharo and Seven Kingdoms:

Each band delivered a shredding performance, providing the Phoenix audience with an unforgettable night of incredible shred metal that resonated with everyone present. I hadn’t encountered Lutharo prior to this event, and I must say, they were a smashing surprise. Led by the charismatic Kristina Shipperbottom, their music showcases a killer blend of traditional metal, thrash, and melodic death that kept the audience headbanging throughout their set.

Seven Kingdoms rocked the venue with their special brand of power/thrash and as mentioned Lutharo had the fans head- banging throughout their set but it was Striker who stole the show on this night.

The transition from Lutharo to Stricker was swift, as both bands utilized the same drum kit and drummer. This meant there was little time to grab a drink if you wanted to maintain your spot at the front.

Striker:

With little or no warning Striker burst onto the stage, delivering an assaulting double punch to the audience with tracks from their latest release,ULTRAPOWER, featuring “Circle of Evil” and “Best of the Best of the Best” respectively.

The opening track, “Circle of Evil,” from their latest album, Ultrapower, is an unstoppable force, featuring relentless driving rhythms, fiery guitars solos, fierce vocals complemented by harmonies, and a powerful rhythm section that spares no one. True to its name, Ultrapower LP showcases a collection of hard rock anthems infused with the essence of the ’80s, all drenched in Ultrapower.

The entire band radiated energy on this night, with singer Dan Cleary delivering an electrifying performance as he burst onto the stage with a whirlwind of enthusiasm. He spun around, headbanging vigorously, igniting the crowd of fans who were on their own thrashing headbanding mission along with plenty of air guitar and air drumming at the front of the stage. Both guitarists, Tim Brown and John Simon Fallon, captivated the audience with their shredding solos and harmonious duets throughout the set. Fallon showcased his support for Phoenix by sporting a cool Suns tank top. Meanwhile, bassist Pete Klassen entertained the crowd with his usual antics, running and jumping on stage in a “Sucks 2 Suck” tee with cut-off sleeves, a nod to one of their tracks from the latest LP. Drummer Cory Hofing was a powerhouse beast, attacking his kit with such ferocity that it amplified the band’s intensity. Klassen and Hofing both gave their respective solos that showcased their musical prowess all the while keeping the audience entertained with their brand of shred.

Their set was a brilliant eleven songs that had the Phoenix audience engaged throughout their entire show and was definitely a show that will not soon be forgotten. Their set featured six songs off their latest Ultrapower LP, two songs off their self-titled LP, one song off the Juno Award winning LP Play to Win and one song from their Stand in the Fire LP.

Striker are gaining fans exponentially and the chances of catching these guys on a small club tour may soon be a thing of the past. Get out and catch Striker on tour if you can, get a copy of Ultrapower, keep fist pumping and help keep all forms of metal music alive by supporting metal music acts worldwide.

Get into Striker Here!

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