British act Stray are one of those bands I've heard about for years, but Live in Japan 2013 is my first taste of their music. Formed in the late 1960's and releasing a slew of popular hard rock albums in the '70s, the band dissolved later that decade before guitarist Del Bromham decided to resurrect Stray years later, with the group still active to this day. This sizzling live set recorded at Club Fever in Tokyo, Japan (the bands first ever appearance in Japan) features a host of Stray favorites old and new, performed by Bromham, drummer Karl Randall, and bassist Robbie Stewart-Mathews.
If you favor classic British hard rock, then you've come to the right place. Hard to make any comparisons here as these guys pretty much have their own sound, with Bromham's thick, beefy tone pouring heavy rock & blues riffs out of his Gibson Les Paul over a very solid rhythm section. Tunes such as "Free At Last", "Move a Mountain", "Jericho", and "After the Storm" just crackle with energy, with strong vocals from Bromham delivering the hooks and plenty of guitar thunder to finish out the onslaught. His solos are absolutely scorching, whether dripping with fuzz or drenched in wah-wah, this guy is without a doubt an underrated guitar hero. "1600 Pennsylvania Avenue" is a dark bluesy number with plenty of emotion, and "Suicide" is a scalding heavy rock number featuring Bromham on his Fender Stratocaster churning out some Hendrix inspired licks. The show closer is the upbeat "All In Your Mind", perhaps the bands biggest hit and a real catchy hard rocker, once covered by none other than Iron Maiden.
This is a highly recommended live set for any fan of the band or British hard rock in general. Guitar fanatics will have plenty to salivate over as Del Bromham gets into some serious six string theatrics throughout, and these songs are all instantly memorable. Another winner from the fine folks at Angel Air.
Track Listing
1. Move A Mountain
2. Free At Last
3. Harry Farr
4. Jericho
5. I Believe It
6. After The Storm
7. 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
8. Suicide
9. Buying Time
10. All In Your Mind
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