Year : 1986 / 1990 (MelodicRock Classics Edition 2023)
Style : Melodic Hard Rock , AOR
Country : Canada
Audio : 320 kbps + all scans
Size : 153 mb
Bio:
AOR from Canada is always of our interest, the band Total Stranger is certainly no exception. To find out some more about them I called founder and leadvocalist Al Langlade.Since the album they have out now is called only Total Stranger I thought that it was their very first, but I was wrong."We've done some other independent releases over here in Canada, but they have never been distributed. We did them our-selves and sold them off stage when we played."When we talk I get the feeling that he doesn't want to talk too much about the previous albums."There are some good tracks on the previous albums but as a whole I would be, not embarrassed, but we hadn't quite developed our sound back then. We were a little more progressive back then, we're kind of influenced by bands like Rush and Yes."Anyway the band Total Stranger goes back to around 1985. But since then there's been all different members except for the leadsinger Al Langlade."I guess basically about 5 years ago when the guitar player Andre Pelletier came on board that's when we started getting fairly serious about the writing and that stuff because we've always been a cover band before."They also found a keyboard player in Jim Flynn. Before they found him Al used to handle all the keyboard playing, even on stage."For the liveshow it wasn't looking good having the singer stuck behind the keyboard so we were very fortunate to get Jim. And on the next album, which we're recording right now, he's got a couple of songs."One of the new tunes on their next album is called "To The City"."I think when you hear that song you're gonna say who the heck is this band. I'm using some different recording techniques, vocally for sure."For a moment I think it's gonna be something really strange but Al explains to me that it is a really melodic, hooky and catchy kind of thing but with a little different sound.As you've noticed we have no picture of them and the album doesn't contain one either."We're not bad looking guys, it's just that we thought that we'd hype this Total Stranger concept. We're actually thinking for the next album cover to do a picture of us but with missing pieces and as we do the next album we fill in a few more pieces.
Album:
As part of the MelodicRock Classic’s 500 Series, for the first time on CD the archival turn to Canada for the release of melodic rockers TOTAL STRANGER very early recordings. Total Stranger got released a self-titled album in only Japan in 1997, reissued later as part of a double disc version of their 2002 album ‘Obsession’.But before both of those albums came the band’s initial recordings in the form of a 1990 cassette-only release titled “Mean Season“, and a self-titled 1986 EP appeared on vinyl only.Now in 2023, with remastering as per usual by JK Northrup, Total Stranger’s original output has found its way onto CD for the very first time with a pristine sound quality.‘Mean Season’ (1990) style is very melodic and typically Canadian, with Honeymoon Suite, Worral, Beau Geste kind of sound, and even some Glass Tiger.On their early recording, the 1986 EP we find a more poppy sound with syths very mid-Eighties all over. You can hear the difference in production between both releases on the track ‘On The Outside’ as example, the track appears on both the ’86 and re-recorded later for the ’90s album. Also, the lead vocalist for the entire ‘Mean Season’ is different.Really cool ’80s / early ’90s Canadian melodic rock.
Line-Up:
Al Langlade - lead vocals, keyboards, rhythm guitar
Rolly Saulnier - bass guitar, backing vocals
Andre Pelletier - lead guitar, spanish guitar, backing vocals
Steve ‘Pineapple’ McPhail - guitars, lead vocals (1986)
Jon Sampson - drums (1986)
Peter Martin - drums, percussion
Production:
Co-producer – Marcus Mason
Engineer – Chris Lambert , Chris Russell , Harry Hess
Producer – Jake Gicomelli
Remastered By – Jeff Northrup
Tracklist:
‘Mean Season’ (1990)
01. Mean Season
02. All Or Nothing
03. Soap Box
04. Easy In The Nite
05. Chance On Us
06. Take Me
07. Are You Alone
08. Experience
09. On The Outside
10. By Chance
‘Total Stranger’ EP (1986)
11. On The Outside
12. By Chance
13. Total Stranger
14. One Nite Stand
15. Things You’re Missin’
16. Reason Why
Download links for all albums only on our blog here: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/
