In 1986, Stryken released their first EP containing the songs Rock On and Surprise to be followed up in 1987 with their8-song debut album entitled, First Strike (originally released only on cassette and transparent red vinyl!) both on their ownChrystal Records. In 2006, Girder Records reissued 1000 copies of the album on CD (including the special bonus trackSurprise from the 1986 12 inch single) for the first time ever. While those copies sold out within the first 6 months of release,Retroactive Records has re-released the album with all 9 tracks from the Girder reissue, plus we have included 8 additionalpreviously unreleased tracks from the Blitzkrieg demos (the bands pre-Stryken days) when the band was known asSTRYKER (the name changed to avoid confusion with a similar sounding band named Stryper!). Not only does this releasecontain special artwork, liner notes and commentary from Doug Van Pelt (HM & Heaven"s Metal Magazine) and 17 stunningtracks, it has also been digitally remastered and is packaged in a COLLECTORS EDITION Digipak!The Angelicwarlord website 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 Crueand Kiss that, upon repeated listenings, proves itself quite consistent. The album delivers its share of anthemic hard rockers,a couple of tracks moving in an upbeat melodic metal direction, a slower, more driving number and a pair of ballads...andthe band pulls it off without a hitch - which is a credit to the strength of the songwriting here.