A method for making a cathode outer wrap battery, which does not experience premature voltage drop-off upon intermittent discharge of the battery, the method comprising: continuously coating a cathode mixture comprising iron disulfide onto both sides of a solid foil current collector to form a coated cathode and subsequently creating a plurality of zones of reduced electrochemical activity on at least one side of the current collector; cutting the coated cathode into a plurality of individual cathode strips to create a plurality of individual cathodes so that a zone of reduced electrochemical activity of the plurality of zones of reduced electrochemical activity is positioned at a terminal end of each of the plurality of individual cathode strips; providing a separator and an anode consisting essentially of lithium or a lithium alloy wherein the anode does not include a current collector; spirally winding the anode, an individual cathode strip of the plurality of individual cathode strips and the separator into an electrode assembly so that at least 50% of an outermost surface of the electrode assembly, excluding the separator and optional non-active components, is covered by the individual cathode strip and a zone of reduced electrochemical activity of zones of reduced electrochemical activity is situated along the outermost surface of the electrode assembly; and disposing the electrode assembly in a conductive container, introducing a nonaqueous electrolyte to the conductive container and closing the conductive container to form an electrochemical cell wherein each of the plurality of zones of reduced electrochemical activity is created by creating a mass free zone prior to disposing the electrode assembly in the conductive container, and wherein the mass free zone is created by: (i) providing a sacrificial substrate to the current collector prior to providing the continuous coating of the cathode mixture and then removing the sacrificial substrate subsequent to providing the continuous coating of the cathode mixture, or (ii) physically removing a portion of the cathode mixture of the continuous coating as the coated cathode is cut into individual cathode strips. continuously coating a cathode mixture comprising iron disulfide onto both sides of a solid foil current collector to form a coated cathode and subsequently creating a plurality of zones of reduced electrochemical activity on at least one side of the current collector; cutting the coated cathode into a plurality of individual cathode strips to create a plurality of individual cathodes so that a zone of reduced electrochemical activity of the plurality of zones of reduced electrochemical activity is positioned at a terminal end of each of the plurality of individual cathode strips; providing a separator and an anode consisting essentially of lithium or a lithium alloy wherein the anode does not include a current collector; spirally winding the anode, an individual cathode strip of the plurality of individual cathode strips and the separator into an electrode assembly so that at least 50% of an outermost surface of the electrode assembly, excluding the separator and optional non-active components, is covered by the individual cathode strip and a zone of reduced electrochemical activity of zones of reduced electrochemical activity is situated along the outermost surface of the electrode assembly; and disposing the electrode assembly in a conductive container, introducing a nonaqueous electrolyte to the conductive container and closing the conductive container to form an electrochemical cell wherein each of the plurality of zones of reduced electrochemical activity is created by creating a mass free zone prior to disposing the electrode assembly in the conductive container, and wherein the mass free zone is created by: (i) providing a sacrificial substrate to the current collector prior to providing the continuous coating of the cathode mixture and then removing the sacrificial substrate subsequent to providing the continuous coating of the cathode mixture, or (ii) physically removing a portion of the cathode mixture of the continuous coating as the coated cathode is cut into individual cathode strips. wherein each of the plurality of zones of reduced electrochemical activity is created by creating a mass free zone prior to disposing the electrode assembly in the conductive container, and wherein the mass free zone is created by: (i) providing a sacrificial substrate to the current collector prior to providing the continuous coating of the cathode mixture and then removing the sacrificial substrate subsequent to providing the continuous coating of the cathode mixture, or (ii) physically removing a portion of the cathode mixture of the continuous coating as the coated cathode is cut into individual cathode strips. (i) providing a sacrificial substrate to the current collector prior to providing the continuous coating of the cathode mixture and then removing the sacrificial substrate subsequent to providing the continuous coating of the cathode mixture, or (ii) physically removing a portion of the cathode mixture of the continuous coating as the coated cathode is cut into individual cathode strips.