Eric Victorino, lead singer, leaves Strata for other artistic endeavors. Read more in his own words:

following a very long period of careful consideration it is with a heavy heart but a newfound lightness in my soul, i’ve come to the conclusion that it’s time for me to leave strata and move on with other artistic endeavors.

as part of the band i got the opportunity to travel to multiple countries, play shows all over the place, meet great people and get to know the streets of so many cities from coast to coast… i am so grateful for everyone’s support and love and am indebted to you all for so much i could never repay, my only hope is that we’ll all look fondly back and smile. i am thankful to everyone who came to shows throughout the years, everyone who supported the band emotionally, personally and professionally. thank you for all of the magical moments and memories i will forever cherish.

i will continue to love and support my friends hrag, adrian and ryan in whatever it is they choose to do next, be it as a group or as individuals, musically or otherwise – we each look to the future with optimism and are in the highest of spirits.

i have watched friends of mine leave their respective bands and have seen these things take such ugly turns with rumors and rampant speculation, i’ve seen people stir up drama in what really should be looked at as a positive thing… so, i’m asking nicely of everyone involved, from fans and friends to business and family please let this be a time of growth and evolution, a celebration of the past eight years and anticipation of what’s to come.

thank you for listening.

Sit back and acquaint yourself to new music by the following artists:

Lorene Drive – Show Bones, a new song of their upcoming album

Strata – Stay Young, off their new album Strata Presents The End Of The World

Alkaline Trio – Fire Down Below, off of the Warped Tour Compilation

Tokyo Rose – A Pound Of Silver and We Can Be Friends Tonight, 2 songs off their new album Promise In Compromise

Silverstein – If You Could See Into My Soul, off their new album Arrivals and Departures

The Number Twelve Looks Like You – Jay Walking Backwards, off their new album Mongrel

Bedlight For Blue Eyes – Whole Again, a new song off their new album Life On Life’s Terms

Ruiner – Kiss That M’fer Goodnight, off their upcoming album Prepare To Be Let Down

I couldn’t help but notice over the past year a few songs that have made a impression on me. A few songs that really share the artists feel towards us as Americans and the “war” that’s been going on over the past few years. It’s amazing how so many of us are almost oblivious to what is going on with America and our future. From the debacle of Nine Inch Nails vs. the RIAA to the HD-DVD issue that nearly drowned Digg.com. Sometimes I wonder what people are fighting for. Then I look overseas and what our country is doing. I sometimes don’t even know how to feel. I wanted to share these songs and lyrics with you because they’re very REAL.

Strata – The New National Anthem [lyrics source]

O’ Say, can you see? By the dawn’s early light
we get ’em young, give ’em guns and ship ’em off to fight.

While the rocket’s red glare is keeping everyone scared they say, “just relax
put your trust in me and you can sit back and watch the war on your screen.”

The country’s run by lunatics, they’re picking up their pens, writing themselves into Revelation, “this is how it’s gonna end!”
Well, I tried hard to bite my tongue, like a good American but they recruited my little brother and they’re shipping off my friends.

Broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
you know those who stand to gain are not the ones who sacrifice
watching bombs burst in air from a comfortable chair, they just say,
“in God we trust, and God trusts in greed, yeah as long as they never show real blood on TV.”

I’m not sorry if this makes you mad, in fact I hope this wakes you up
‘Cause you’ll never see what’s going on with your eyes so tightly shut!

There are too many unanswered questions,
from the towers in New York to the lies leading up to another corporate sponsored war

Well I’ll support the troops by asking what they’re really fighting for
and I think that’s more patriotic than flying a flag from my front porch.

Come on, let’s go out and start a fight! ‘Cause you know two wrongs always make a right.
Come on, let’s go out and start a fight! ‘Cause you know two wrongs never make a right.

Linkin Park – Hands Held High [lyrics source]

Turn my mike up louder I got to say something
Light weights step to the side when we come in

Feel it in your chest the syllables get pumping
People on the street they panic and start running

Words on loose leaf sheet complete coming
I jump on my mind, I summon the rhyme, I’m dumping

Feeling the blind I promised to let the sun in
Sick of the dark ways we marched to the drumming

Jump when they tell us that they wanna see jumping
Fuck that I wanna see some fists pumping

Miss something, take back what’s yours
Say something that you know they might attack you for

Cause I’m sick of being treated like I had before
Like the stupid standing for what I’m standing for

Like this war’s really just a different brand of war
Like it doesn’t cater the rich and the fan and poor

Like they understand you in the back of the jet
When you can’t put gas in your tank

These fuckers are laughing the way to the bank and cashing the check
Asking you to have the passion and have some respect

For a leader so nervous in an obvious way
Stuttering and mumbling for nightly news to replay

And the rest of the world watching at the end of the day
In their living room laughing like “what did he say?”

Amen
Amen
Amen
Amen
Amen

In my living room watching but I am not laughing
Cause when it gets tense I know what might happen

World is cold the bold men take action
Have to react to get blown into fractions

Ten years old is something to see
Another kid my age drug under the jeep

Taken and bound and found later under the tree
I wonder if he thought the next one could be me

Do you see the soldiers they’re out today
They brush the guts with bullet proof vests away

It’s ironic at times like this you pray
But a bomb blew up the mosque yesterday

There’s bombs in the buses, bikes, roads
Inside your market, your shops, your clothes

My dad he’s got a lot of fear I know
But enough pride inside not to let that show

My brother had a book he would hold with pride
A little red cover with a broken spine

On the back, he handwrote a quote inside
When the rich wage war it’s the poor who die

Meanwhile, the leader just talks away
Stuttering and mumbling for nightly news to replay

And the rest of the world watching at the end of the day
In their living room laughing like “what did he say?”

His hands held high into a sky so blue
As the ocean opens up to swallow you

System Of A Down – B.Y.O.B [lyrics source]

WHY DO THEY ALWAYS SEND THE POOR!
Barbarisms by Barbaras
With pointed heels.
Victorious, victories kneel.
For brand new spankin’ deals.
Marching forward hypocritic
And hypnotic computers.
You depend on our protection,

Yet you feed us lies from the table cloth.
La la la la la la la la la,
Everybody?s going to the party have a real good time.
Dancing in the desert blowing up the sunshine.

Kneeling roses disappearing,
Into Moses? dry mouth,
Breaking into Fort Knox,
Stealing our intentions,
Hangars sitting dripped in oil,
Crying FREEDOM!

Handed to obsoletion,
Still you feed us lies from the table cloth.
La la la la la la la la la,
Everybody?s going to the party have a real good time.
Dancing in the desert blowing up the sunshine.
Everybody?s going to the party have a real good time.
Dancing in the desert blowing up the sunshine.

Blast off, it’s party time,
And we don’t live in a fascist nation,
Blast off, it’s party time,
And where the fuck are you?
Where the fuck are you?
Where the fuck are you?

Why don?t presidents fight the war?
Why do they always send the poor?
Why don?t presidents fight the war?
Why do they always send the poor?

Kneeling roses disappearing,
Into Moses? dry mouth,
Breaking into Fort Knox,
Stealing our intentions,
Hangars sitting dripped in oil,
Crying FREEDOM!

Handed to obsoletion,
Still you feed us lies from the tablecloth.
La la la la la la la la la,
Everybody?s going to the party have a real good time.
Dancing in the desert blowing up the sunshine.
Everybody?s going to the party have a real good time.
Dancing in the desert blowing up the…

Where the fuck are you!
Where the fuck are you!

Why don?t presidents fight the war?
Why do they always send the poor?
Why don?t presidents fight the war?
Why do they always send the poor?
Why, do, they always send the poor
They only send the poor

Smile Empty Soul – Proud To Be [lyrics source]

Here I am man with my big cock
So bend over boy and take my best shot
All I wanna be is the boss of you
This cowboy hat makes me king I thought that you knew

That’s why, I’m proud to be
I’m so very, proud to be
I’m so god dam, proud to be
I’m so fucking, proud to be
An American right now

I’m so glad man that we rule the world
That would suck if they told us what to do
Our country here is a shining pearl
In a world that’s so unjust and cruel

That’s why I’m, proud to be
I’m so very, proud to be
I’m so god dam, proud to be
I’m so fucking, proud to be
An American right now

All my life I’ve dreamed of
Giving the finger to the
Rest of the world, ya the rest of the world (world)
When I sleep I dream of
Our bombs leveling the
Rest of the world, ya the rest of the world (rest of the world)

That’s why I’m, proud to be
I’m so very, proud to be
I’m so god dam, proud to be
I’m so fucking, proud to be
An American right now

Last November – Infantry [lyrics source]

In this city of cynical liars,
Walking the tight rope, holding the balancing beam.
We?ll burn the rope at both ends,
hoping to catch a glimpse of truth in their eyes,
As they fall, as they fall? (As they crash and they burn)

Pay the toll, there?s a tax on your senses,
If you smell, taste, see, feel, or hear the children laughing
because they don?t know,
but being ignorant is better than malignant.

Ch: Label me, make me infantry,
I?m an infant with artillery,
Harness me, use a muzzle to muffle my everything,
Please forbid me of all creativity.
Please make me infantry.

Obesity, can it be a nationality?
A reality, enforced by a strict security?
The buildings made of trees, made of money, made of disease.
A society based on freedom, run by hate and want and greed.
A generation of overmedicated kids given pills to level their thoughts,
They?re unusual so they?ll be abused,
They?ll be purchased and sold, and bought and sold
and buy and sell them again.

CH: Repeat

The daily routine,
A well-oiled machine,
Interrupted by the fire,
That came from the sky? save the queen bee!

All that?s left are the torched remains of a world worth knowing,
They smile as they?re frozen in space forever,
A shadow on the wall, a silhouette, is all that survived the blast,
The children in the yard on the swing are all gone, but the swings still swinging. The swings still swinging.

Please, please, please push me faster,
I want to fly,
Please, please, please push me higher,
I’ve got to fly.
I think I can see your house from up here,
Yeah, it?s the one,
With the fire, and the smoke, and the flames,
And it burns like gasoline.

These are just a few songs that I’ve came across. I’m sure there are many more from other artists that have shared the thoughts as well. If you know of any other songs, please let me know because I would love to hear them.

God Bless America.

Strata recently release a music video to their new song Cocaine (We’re All Going To Hell), feature of off their upcoming album The End Of The World. Here is the music video:

Look out for their new album scheduled to release on June 12th.

Below is the tracklist for The End Of The World:

1. Night Falls – The Weight Of It
2. Hot/Cold (Darling, Don’t)
3. The Dotted Line…
4. Cocaine (We’re All Going To Hell)
5. Coma Therapy
6. Poughkeepsie, NY
7. Stay Young
8. The Brothers
9. Love Is Life
10. The New National Anthem
11. Natoma Alley
12. Daylight In The City

The lyrics of the song can be found here.