Famous Strangers – Famous Strangers

Famous Strangers
Famous Strangers
Label: Self-released / DistroKid
Out: 21^st August 2026
Playing time: 35:03

Emotional, authentic and unpredictable – a combination that not only sets Famous Strangers apart from the crowd, but also highlights their uncompromising self-confidence in everything they do… The four Canadians are ready to take the music world by storm and cause a stir wherever they perform.

That’s what the press release says. Famous Strangers were formed in 2023 by guitarist Jeff Kittlitz and drummer Brian “Beej” Beejerson. The two knew each other from the band project This Is War, which had already split up in 2013. They didn’t sit idle during that time, but worked together on new song material. Over the years, bassist Braden Sustrik joined the line-up. The trio initially worked on instrumental tracks until singer Amanda Kiernan turned up at a rehearsal and jammed with them. I’d already seen Amanda perform live back in 2015, when she opened for Battle Beast with her band The Order of Chaos. And she immediately impressed me back then with her powerful and versatile voice. After a brief stay with Into Eternity, she now aims to enrich the sound of Famous Strangers as well.

On “Fire Inside”, the riffs immediately hit you right between the ears. These accompany Amanda Kiernan’s powerful and varied vocals. She screams as if there were no tomorrow. But she’s equally at home with clean vocals. All the while, the drums rumble. A brilliant guitar solo rounds the whole thing off. “Ghost Of Men” is also characterised by unbridled power, whether it’s the guitar, drums, bass or vocals. There’s only one direction: relentlessly forward. A guitar solo? Absolutely! There’s a brief respite in between, during which Amanda shows her vulnerable side. But only to scream her heart out once more shortly afterwards. In contrast, “Please Her” comes across as more rhythmic but still very powerful. And the musical rollercoaster of emotions continues. “As Your Leader”, dominated by heavy riffs, may not break any speed records, but it’s still a real neck-breaker. Once again, it’s hard work for the singer, who regularly lets out vicious screams, driven on by the band’s instrumentalists. Driving drums, fast riffs and the high-speed guitar solo then ensure a harsh tempo increase on “Desires”. Amanda keeps up with ease here. After a brief, quiet introduction, “Far Away From Home” also delivers plenty of heavy sounds. The drums in particular, but also the vocals, contribute to this. The track ‘Rain’, which runs to almost nine and a half minutes, contains a big surprise. Here, Famous Strangers venture into ballad-style Blues Rock territory. Amanda Kiernan once again shows her contemplative side. What a golden voice this woman has! And at the beginning and end, you can clearly hear the stormy rain. A crowning finale.

Apart from the closing track already mentioned, Famous Strangers celebrate no-frills, uncompromising Hard Rock and Heavy Metal on their debut album. Amanda Kiernan’s voice is the perfect match for this sound. And with the Blues ballad “Rain”, she shows that she has much more to offer than just powerful screams. It’s great that Jeff Kittlitz, Brian Beejerson and Braden Sustrik have found her as their singer. Or was it the other way round?

Famous Strangers – As Your Leader: https://youtu.be/pH1WCv__EyY?si=JNkXu8K9b3NBZWPl

Lineup:

Jeff Kittlitz – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Brian “Beej” Beejerson – Drums, Backing Vocals
Braden Sustrik – Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals
Amanda Kiernan – Lead Vocals

Track list:

• Fire Inside
• Ghost Of Men
• Please Her
• As Your Leader
• Desires
• Far Away From
• Rain