3rd Strike

"Lost Angel"
(Hollywood Records)  

-  Disproving the "three strikes and yer out" adage, Los Angeles' 3rd Strike is in fact just stepping up to the plate. With punishing riffs and palpable lyrics, the street-wise quintet raps, roars, and redeems long and loud on the fiery opening track "Flow Heat," melodically reflective "Redemption," and bruising "All Lies." Where most Rap/Metal crews conceptualize a one-way street vibe that loses its luster quickly and crudely, 3rd Strike adds a technically rich dynamic in their playing with upscale vocal harmonizing to step up their musical quality without the loss of their angry edge to make for a cut above new release in a slow to develop and overcrowded field.

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