Chosen Stranger – Chosen Stranger

Chosen Stranger
Chosen Stranger
1989 (no label)
Springfield, Illinois, USA

Russ Atteberry – Lead vocals
Rusty Ellison – All guitars, vocals
Dan Grover – Bass guitar, keyboard, vocals
Jeff Ellison – Drums

Tommy Cathy – Guest vocals and keyboards

1. He Won’t Hurt You
2. I Wanna Be Like You
3. Living It Up
4. Guilty (To the Crime of Love)

This is a really good long lost TNT demo! I’m kidding, of course, as they really don’t sound like a TNT clone. But their music really reminds of the days when bands like TNT and Lillian Axe were being pushed on Headbanger’s Ball trying to find the next big thing. Big vocals, big hooks, a good dose of pop sensibility, and a shredding guitar player that didn’t dominate but still made their presence known enough to keep them out of the “poser” department. They seem to have at least a couple of other singles and another tape called Deathwalker in 1992. Not sure what happened to them after that, but it is shame they didn’t go any further with this demo.