Along with the Effigies and Naked Raygun, Strike Under were one of the first groups to carve out the punk rock tradition in Chicago. With guitarists and vocalists Steve Bjorklund and Chris Bjorklund, bassist and vocalist Pierre Kezdy, and drummer Bob Furem, they created a crucial component to the fledgling punk scene, despite being short-lived and having little released material.

Formed in Chicago in 1980, Strike Under were a part of the scene centered around the club Oz, where all the crucial groups of the era played. Their first (and only) record was released on Wax Trax! records in 1980 and titled Immediate Action, a five-song EP that outlined their impressive sound. Immediate Action was the first release for the Wax Trax! label that, following this release, jettisoned the punk rock sound in favor of industrial music. Strike Under gave several live performances and contributed two tracks to the famous Busted at Oz compilation along with the Effigies and Naked Raygun. Released on Autumn Records in 1981 and recorded live at the club, Busted at Oz is viewed as an important document of the early Chicago punk scene.

Strike Under broke up after these releases, and members continued in other bands. Steve Bjorklund moved to Minneapolis and formed Breaking Circus, Bob Furem played in the Sapphires, and Pierre Kezdy, brother of Effigies member John Kezdy, continued in groups such as Trial by Fire, Arsenal, Naked Raygun, and Pegboy. Pierre Kezdy died on October 9, 2020, at the age of 58. ~ Peter Schaefer, Rovi