STRANGERLAND – Echoes from the Past (2023)
STRANGERLAND is a melodic rock project created by Alex Patman from Athens, Greece. It all tarted several years ago as a home studio project, ‘stacking’ demo songs with English lyrics. The original name of the project was ‘Stranger’, but after finding that many bands had the same, ‘land’ was added, inspired by the old Greek band, Wasteland. In any case, names are not important. It is just a label.
During the last years, singer David Cagle (LastWorld, Northrup / Cagle, Silent Tiger) joined, by adding his voice and harmonies to complete the final result and then the idea of an album was born. Mike Wikman and Chris Zoukas also added their skillful playing on drums and bass respectivily.
The result is “Echoes from the Past“, STRANGERLAND’s debut album, out June 30 via Lions Pride Music. And the guys makes justice to its title, as this is lovely ’80s inspired melodic rock plenty of sweet guitars, AOR waves / atmospheres, bright keys, smooth vocals and a warm production.
The music here is a time capsule taking us back in the mid-Eighties moving into the classic paths of pure AOR and Melodic Rock. Beautiful melodies, clever arrangements and some delicious harmonies are all over the album.
Highlights are the great and upbeat opener of “Whenever It Rains”, the classic AOR tunes of “Until My Heart” and “Summer Nights”, the beautiful and very emotional ballads of “Scent Of A Rose” and “Time”, and the edgier, pumping pulse of “Follow Your Dreams”.
STRANGERLAND pays homage to the classic mid-80s AOR sound, and the nice thing is they do it with a nice, quite own style. It should be Cagle’s smooth voice, or Alex Patman’s vision with the arrangements, or perhaps the whole combo: “Echoes from the Past” is a very special album, a delight for fans of the genre.
HIGHLY Recommended
01 – Whenever It Rains
02 – Until My Heart
03 – Scent of a Rose
04 – Tears in My Eyes
05 – Summer Nights
06 – Calling You
07 – Time
08 – Only Love
09 – Never
10 – Heroes of Everyday
11 – Follow Your Dreams
David Cagle (lead and backing vocals)
Alex Patman (guitars, keys)
Chris Zoukas (bass)
Mike Wikman (drums)
Pre order:
amazon.co.uk/Echoes-Past-Strangerland/dp/B0C7JLXS8Y
