Review Summary: The state of the world is war.
To say that the United State domestically is having a “rough year” would be a massive understatement. A pandemic that has only instilled more doubt and disdain about the country's infrastructure and leadership, a recession caused from said pandemic, riots in every major city in America after the death of George Floyd, secret police being deployed in Portland, and so much more have left lives destitute and scrambling for answers. Consider it a coincidence, but Strike Anywhere’s break in their 11 year hiatus could not have been timed better.
Over the course of their career Strike Anywhere discovered a fountain of youth and a way to evolve their sound in a genre that is not kind to age. They crafted a powerful, anthemic sound to substitute the lack of a blisteringly fast tempo and that trend continues on Nightmares of the West. Thomas Barnett delivers a passionate performance selling every single lyric that comes out of his mouth. He’s not just parading power-to-the-people, leftist ideals because it’s emblematic of the genre: his statements are genuinely thought provoking and inspiring. Mix that with vocal harmonies and gang vocals many tracks elicit a strong desire from the listener to chant the lyrics at the top of their lungs without care on not just the chorus, but the whole song. There are a plethora of memorable lines and phrases that will stick in the craw of listeners for months to come.
The instrumentals do a wonderful job at accompanying Barnett’s topical and passionate performance. They immaculately set the melodic stage for Barnett to howl over and provide exquisite melodic guitar work, a stable backbeat, some wonderful solos, and characteristic punk energy whilst staying mostly mid-tempo.
Some tracks hit the mark harder than others. The single “Frontier Glitch,” the opener “Documentary,” and the closer “We Make the Road by Walking” are the shining examples of Strike Anywhere’s writing; however, the brevity of this EP makes it still quite the accessible listen. In the self-proclaimed “daily war” that is the current state of America, Strike Anywhere is the beacon of hope and power that was sorely needed.
“Protest to survive
It's not over
It's all of us
No one can tell you
What this life means
Mile after mile
Step after blistered step
Carry all your broken dreams
Mile after mile
Step after blistered step
Step after blistered step”
