Search - Stemage :: Strati

The talent behind Metroid Metal,

Klisk | Paterson, NJ; United States | 07/02/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Stemage, AKA Grant within the depths of his own Metroid Metal fame, has built a reputation over the years of not only being an amazing guitarist, but simply an amazing musician in general -- He has proven countlessly that he can put together a genuinely moving song. Not only that, but it's real. It doesn't sound like an over-processed piece of ware. Quality and clear smooth mixes, a single SM57 seems to be all you need to create the ideal 'sound' for rock music -- Raw, honest, but still high definition.



Enter Strati. Consisting of a few songs fans of Metroid Metal already heard from the personal vault of Stemage, plus a ton of new ones, the album really does define this man's talent. He sounds like an entire band. Each song is complex and moving, yet not redundant or boring. It plays out as 90's alt rock perfection, and it's a shame that it was released in the year 2006 where most people just won't appreciate it. This guy should be famous. If the album isn't rocking it's sending chills down your spine -- The complexity is stunning, and the songwriting ability is easily comparable to similar legend 'Self'. Stemage proves music is a passion, and not a passing fad for commercial use.



You can tell this man spent more time than a normal musician would even want to dive into during the development of this album. It's just perfect. Well, perfect for a fan of idealistic rock music -- Music that actually stands for what it.. Well.. Is meant to stand for.



The problem really boils down to one thing: Most people aren't used to rock music. Even rock fans. They're used to the pristine polished perfect of hard-limited auto-tuned generation 2000 music that blasts out at you on the radio. For people of such bad tastes, unfortunately, Strati will seem amatuerish in sound.



A gem amongst a sea of dirt, this is what cult classics are made of. If you're lucky enough to actually discover an album as special as this one, cherish it -- You're not going to hear something this meaningful every day.



In a lot of ways Strati is ahead of it's time. Because if rock music ever reclaims the thrown it rightfully deserves, I bet it will sound a lot like this."