Stranger - Demo (2014)

Stranger is a band that I stumbled across when I was at a show in Boston a little over a year ago, and they totally blew me away. I had met their drummer Gabe before from his other bands in the area like Symptom and Human Bodies. But unlike the hardcore influences I usually associate with other Boston bands, this band's sound surprised me. I've heard a lot of people describe this demo as "dark punk" or "goth," and while I kind of hear that, I get much more of an anarcho-punk vibe from Stranger. The rhythm of the singer's rambling, snarling vocals in particular are a dead ringer for Nick Blinko of Rudimentary Peni. The atmospheric, chorus-drenched guitars are reminiscent of some deathrock stuff, but Stranger's delivery is more aggressive than it is brooding. I'm not sure if this band still active, but I hope they don't get overlooked. Great demo. 0:00 Biodegradation 1:49 Martyr 4:46 Down Into It 7:32 Not Laughing 10:12 False As far as I know, this physical version of this demo is sold out. If I find a link somewhere later on then I'll post it here. Photo by Al Quint.