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SKU:79886835
Special digitally remastered and expanded edition including four bonus tracks. Features 16 page full color booklet with 4,000 word essay, new interview, enhanced artwork, and rarely seen photos. Liverpool based three piece Strife emerged during the mid-seventies amassing a strong live following on the club circuit and releasing an impressive debut album 'Rush' on the Chrysalis label. It was a work of intriguing possibilities, embracing both progressive and harder rock. Their songs were long and convoluted yet also signaled a penchant for melody and purpose that elevated them above the run of the mill units operating at the same time. Sadly, their label failed to recognize the potential and allowed the band to slip between the cracks, and ultimately, due to a contractual production dispute, the band was left in limbo. Despite facing almost overwhelming odds, the band managed to eventually pick themselves up and negotiated a new record deal with the Gull label, the same outfit that signed Judas Priest and released their first two albums. The resulting strife album, Back To Thunder, was as impressive as their debut, but less flamboyant and more focused. Indeed, if it wasn't for the fact that they were just ahead of the rejuvenated interest in British hard rock (the NWOBHM) they could well have been sitting comfortably as one of the key acts operating on the scene. All solid, punchy hard rock tracks that saw the band embrace a new stylistic approach whilst keeping their progressive rock influences proudly on display. Housed in one of the era's most attractive album sleeves, the record also boasts the appearance of keyboard wizard Don Airey, who was at the time a member of progressive giants Collosseum II.
maybe i should have said underground hard rock classic instead???? regardless this was the second & last album released by strife in 1978 3 years after there debut lp which i reviewed here a few days ago, anyway THE BAND REALLY GOT THERE CHOPS on this one and what a powerful disc this is!!!!, these guys where as good a power trio as budgie where and a few years on as i explained in my review of the first strife record the band where still doing a lot of gigs in the uk w/ budgie at this time!! the band has direction on this disc you can clearly hear loud and clear, very tight, and very well put together, as the liner notes suggest , if this album had only been released a year later strife would have been right there on the NWOBHM band wagon but for whatever reason that was not meant to be, strife where a killer hard rock british 70s outfit that seemed to pass by and not get the recognition they they sure deserved, we have the legendary DON AIREY make an appearance on track #4 SKY here and there are a few vintage photos inside this booklet malcom dome did the liner notes for & one is of a 1978 flyer for the uk tour in support of this record w/BUDGIE and there is a photo of the single for this lp as well as the original japan lp on gull records from 1978 of this lp wich i have had for years now, anyway along with all the other hard rock heavies of the 70s in the uk strife did not ever seem to get there day, this rock candy reloaded reissue on cd is many years overdue!!!!! the remastering is fantastic!!! the booklet is great with a great history by malcom regarding this period of the bands career which was coming to an end regrettably by this time but of the two strife records from the 70s THIS IS THE ONE WHERE THEY REALLY CRAFTED THERE KILLER POWER TRIO HARD ROCK SOUND TO THE BEST and they could have gone so much further if they had stuck it out, this disc is a must for fans of 70s british hard rock and or NWOBHM...........
