Stray are back. And they’re not happy. Highly pissed with the current state of events in the USA, the band doesn’t stray from its politically motivated brand of hardcore.
Opener The Opening Move sets the scene. Frenetic and furious, frontman Drew Dijorio spits pessimistic fire. Goodnight Alt-right detonates into hard-hitting riffs, featuring lyrics reminding white supremacist Richard Spencer about that time he got knocked out. Nice.
Strange Fiction features a passionate cameo by Keith Buckley of Every Time I Die. The House Always Wins is another highlight. Attention-demanding, swirling guitars house eerie Trump and Clinton voice samples, before reaching boiling point, exploding into break-down riffage. The album concludes with title track Only Death is Real, a brooding song that somehow uniquely ends in a bluesy-soul vein – foot stomp and melodic vocals in tow.
This album has its moments. Big Tom Morello-esque riffs are coupled with more experimental fragments. Perhaps where they miss the mark is lyrical content, often too literal and reliant on overused phrases. However in times like these we’re glad someone is trying to say it like it is.
