Statetrooper was the band founded by vocalist Gary Barden following his final dismissal from the Michael Schenker Group in late 1984 and, after a few fits and starts in terms of lineup, rounded out by former members of the recently disbanded Wildfire: guitarists Jeff Summers and Martin Bushell, bassist Jeff Brown, and drummer Bruce Bisland. Keyboardist Steve Glover provided the final piece of the puzzle as the band entered the studio for 1985's She Got the Look EP (on Neat Records), but a smattering of support performances with Blue Öyster Cult and a BBC Friday Rock Show session were the only notable accomplishments sustaining Statetrooper's throughout 1986.
By the time they finally received a new contract from FM Records the following year, it was only to see their management hastily compile and deliver four mediocre new songs with assorted old cuts and live tracks (including a clearly desperate re-recording of MSG's "Armed and Ready") for what became the band's understandably underwhelming eponymous debut. Guitarist Bushell had long since departed by now, and though his short-lived replacement by none other than former Thin Lizzy and Wild Horses guitarist Brian Robertson generated some much needed positive hype for Statetrooper, they would eventually collapse barely a year later. Amazingly, Barden and company would later reconvene to record arguably their first true album in 2004's The Calling -- released to rapturous public indifference.
