Strata is an American rock band from Campbell, California, formed in 2000, when guitarist Ryan Hernandez and singer Eric Victorino met and left their previous bands. Bassist Hrag Chanchanian and drummer Patrick Spain completed the lineup under the band's original name, Downside. The band released an EP entitled For Testing Purposes and an album called Sleep in 2001. Garnering major label attention early on, Downside signed a development deal with Capitol Records, during which time they replaced drummer Patrick Spain with Adrian Robison and recorded a collection of songs called, Now the Industry Is Outnumbered. Their Factories Are Burning Down, much of which would become their major label debut, under the name Strata, on Wind-Up Records in 2003.

They released two albums with Wind-up Records, before disbanding after the departure of vocalist Eric Victorino on January 19, 2008. In 2014, the band reunited, minus Adrian Robison on drums, replaced by longtime friend of the band Andrew Bailey.

In 2001, under the name Downside, the band released the nine-track EP Sleep. Issues surrounding the name being trademarked by another band caused the band to change their name to Strata. In 2003, after changing the band name to Strata, they released the seven-track EP Now the Industry is Outnumbered. Their Factories are Burning Down.

In 2004, they released their first full-length album on Wind-up Records. The album was featured on the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart, where it peaked at number forty-one. The album contained a lot of revised material from their previous Internet-only release When It's All Burning, and EP Now the Industry is Outnumbered. Their Factories are Burning Down. The album spawned two singles: "The Panic" and "Never There (She Stabs)," which were accompanied by music videos. Another song, "Piece By Piece", was featured on the soundtrack for the movie The Punisher, and the video game Madden NFL 2005. "Never There (She Stabs)" was featured on the soundtrack of the movie Elektra. During 2004, the band toured with Alien Ant Farm, dredg, Smile Empty Soul, Finger Eleven, Nonpoint, and Skindred.

Strata filmed a music video for the single "The Panic" in Romania, with the film crew who had recently filmed the movie Cold Mountain. In 2005, the band was set to begin a tour with Nonpoint when singer Eric Victorino developed polyps and nodes on his vocal cords, rendering him virtually mute and forcing Strata to drop off the tour. Victorino stayed in New York City for two weeks to undergo treatment, at which time he wrote most of the lyrics to songs that would become the band's next release. The remaining band and crew drove home to California, stopping in numerous cities to go bowling with fans who had tickets to see the canceled tour dates.

In the summer of 2006, Strata headed to Southern England to begin recording Strata Presents the End of the World with producer Sam Williams, at the Sawmills Studio in Cornwall.

On July 17, 2007, the band released their second full-length album, titled Strata Presents the End of the World. The album spawned two singles: "Cocaine (We're All Going to Hell)" and "Stay Young". Critics noted a departure from the band's previous nu-metal grunge sound, into a more "atmospheric" and "epic" sound, similar to that of My Chemical Romance or the Mars Volta.

In September 2007, Strata toured with Kaddisfly. The tour was their first co-headlining tour and covered most of the United States West Coast. Between November 29, 2007, and December 16, 2007, Strata toured the West Coast of the U.S., beginning in Orangevale, California, and finishing in San Francisco.^{[citation needed]}