Famous Strangers – Famous Strangers
Release Date: 21st August 2026
Label: Self Released
Bandcamp
Genre: Hard Rock, Heavy Metal.
FFO: Halestorm, Dio, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, W.A.S.P. Unleash the Archers.
Review By: Mark Waight
Hailing from Sherwood Park in Alberta, Canada’s Famous Strangers are the fresh face of traditional heavy metal and hard rock emerging from the Edmonton area. Their superb self-titled and self-released debut album not only echoes the glory days of the past by bringing those memories flooding back for the listener, but it also adds an exciting new cutting-edge sound that will impress both the younger and older fans in equal measures.
Famous Strangers is Amanda Kiernan (lead vocals), Jeff Kittlitz (guitar and backing vocals), Braden Sustrik (bass and backing vocals), and Brian “Beej” Beejerson (drums and backing vocals).
Famous Strangers don’t follow any specific formula, their music follows a feeling making every song uniquely honest and living in its own world be it moody, heavy or haunting. The album centres around the theme of knowing your own worth and reflects the bands own personal experiences with their belief that no matter what happens in life you will always emerge stronger on the other side.
I always get a “Fire Inside” when I listen to mighty fine hard rock and metal and this opening track is no exception to the rule. Amanda Kiernan’s rock vocals are unfalteringly sublime, and at points you can literally hear the sparks flying from Jeff Kittlitz axe – glorious start!
“Ghosts of Men” was apparently written right on the very eve of going into the studio to record the album and finished during recording. Songs written “off the cuff” or “on the spur of the moment” often turn out to be classics and this one is for sure a nailed-on certainty to become one too – hell yeah! The changes of pace, the super cool riffs and screaming vocals will tax your neck muscles to their very limits as you try to shake your head off its shoulders mounting.
A little slower and heavier on the bass “Please Her” is raw unfiltered and beautifully made pure hard rock. This tune is as hot and steamy as a summer night, with the heart pounding vocals delivering the exact right amount of grit and sassiness. There is also a banging to-die-for guitar solo that ticks every single box and then some! We’re ON!!
The very intense “As Your Leader” cranks up the tempo and the pressure once more with a hard-hitting pedal to the metal tune that has more bite than a pack of wolves. It’s fast, it’s furious and it’s smoking hot! ROCK!!
Keeping the foot firmly on the gas “Desires” flies out of the blocks and is irresistibly relentless right through to the end! If you love a bit of speed metal, then break out that trusty old air guitar because you’re in for workout of epic proportions. 😊
Penultimate track “Far Away from Home” has an antagonistic, anarchistic and angry punk edge to it, I absolutely love it! This song has a wicked and stubborn mind of its own, so watch out Famous Strangers mean business and they’re here to stay!
At a little over nine minutes long “Rain” offers a deep insight into Famous Strangers wide and varied skill set along with a taste of maybe what’s to come in future releases. It is an intoxicating blues infused elixir that is blended discreetly with a subtle Parisienne café/bar sound that is just so hard to resist that you will slowly be completely overwhelmed and unable to prevent yourself from surrendering to the waves of beautiful precipitation.
Famous Stanger’s have certainly got it all and so has their excellent self-titled debut album which reaches your heart, mind and soul. I haven’t given out maximum marks to any album yet this year until this point, but THIS IS IT and my top release of the year so far.
“Famous Strangers” is an absolute belter of a debut album so don’t be a stranger, check it out! Very Highly Recommended.
(5 / 5)
