If I had to guess, I would say that the guys in Strata like Tool a lot. I say this because Strata are a little more melodic than most bands. They probably like Radiohead as well. Melodic effort is a good thing these days and Strata have not made a bland CD by any means. In fact, the reason why I reference Radiohead and Tool is not to say they are a rip-off or half hearted clone, but to point out that these guys indeed know what song structure is.

Eric Victorino, the singer, seems to have a gift for writing emo like songs but not whining. His style resembles Glassjaw, but with out the screaming. Victorino has a warm rich voice that breaks well. But a band can not be carried by its front man alone. Strata also has found a solid drummer in Adrian Robinson, who understands that its not the beats but the moments of silence in the rhythm. Not to discredit the other band members there is a harmonious soundscape with not too many heavy guitar riffs and not too much light soaring guitars seem to make a pretty first-rate mix.

Overall, thankfully Strata is not another top 40 band, although they could easily slip into radio rotation. This whole album is worth checking out because there is no “this song totally sucks skip it”.