Strike Anywhere

Formed in Richmond, Virginia, in 1999, the punk rock group Strike Anywhere brought a fiercely political, activism-driven sensibility to traditional hardcore and punk forms, echoing both the sonic style and ideological drive of longstanding acts such as Avail and 7 Seconds. Exposure through several editions of the Tony Hawk skateboarding video-game series boosted their profile, which in turn fueled robust sales for the studio albums Exit English (2003) and Dead FM (2006). Although new recordings remained scarce throughout the 2010s, the band sustained a relentless touring schedule across domestic and international venues. Their first set of fresh material in eleven years arrived in 2020 with the EP Nightmares of the West.

Vocalist Thomas Barnett, previously of Inquisition, assembled the lineup alongside guitarists Matt Smith and Matt Sherwood, bassist Garth Petrie (formerly of Count Me Out), and drummer Eric Kane. Following the early EP Chorus of One, the band—whose name derived from an older Inquisition track—signed with Jade Tree and delivered Change Is a Sound in August 2001. Exit English appeared two years later, succeeded by the compilation To Live in Discontent in January 2005. The group then moved to Fat Wreck Chords for the well-received Dead FM, issued in June 2006. Extensive touring at home and overseas occupied the subsequent year, during which Sherwood departed on amicable terms in March 2007; road work persisted into the following decade. Pure Noise Records released the 2020 EP Nightmares of the West.