TThis American band that has been around longer than 90% of existing bands (since 1976), peaked in late 70s - early 80s, with albums "Narita" (1979) and "Fire Down Under" (1981). Riot played quality hard rock / melodic metal, with a generous amount of speed, somewhat similar to Priest, Dokken, and Motorhead, with a distinctive American flavor. At the moment of FDU, the line-up consisted of Mark Reale (guitars, the only permanent band member), Guy Speranza (vocals), Kip Leming (bass), Sandy Slavin (drums), and Rick Ventura (guitars). After "Born In America" (1983), the band broke up, but Mark Reale reformed it in 1988 with a completely new line-up and a well-received album "Thundersteel" (1988). Riot has been hanging around ever since, but their last few albums, although very good, went totally unnoticed in the US. They still enjoy a fair amount of success in Japan. Just one little fact: over 20 years, Riot has had five vocalists singing for them: Speranza, Rhett Forrester, Tony Moore, Mike Dimeo, and even Harry Conkin of Jag Panzer (strangely enough, both Speranza and Forrester have prematurely passed away). From the late 90s the line-up featured Mike DiMeo (vox/keys), Reale, Mike Flyntz (guitar), Peter Perez (bass), and Bobby Jarzombek (drums), as the band released several albums of high quality. Band members are also involved in other projects, such as Bobby Jarzombek's work with Rob Halford (he later went on to join Iced Earth, replaced by Bobby Rondinelli, formerly of Black Sabbath), and Reale forming Westworld with members of TNT and Danger Danger). Band's latest album, "Army Of One" (2006) was just released, and it is the band's final work with Mike Dimeo, who left for Masterplan, only to be replaced by Mike Tirelli of Holy Mother.
FIRE DOWN UNDER (1981)
RATING: ****
BEST SONGS: "Swords And Tequila," title track, "Altar Of The King"
Overall, good stuff, but not as ingenious as some nostalgic people claim it is. Mostly heavy, mostly fast, mostly rocking music, with bands like Motorhead, Rainbow, and Dokken coming to mind. Production is a bit thin at times, but still -- good stuff. The album starts off fast with "Swords And Tequila" (huh?) and "Fire Down Under" both being speedy metal tracks with great sing-along choruses. Other good songs are "Outlaw" (good and catchy chorus, and the band still treats its fans to it live), Motorhead-ish "Don't Hold Back," epic "Altar Of The King," and "Run For Your Life." Speranza's voice I don't like, but can tolerate. "Flashback" can't even be called a song: it's, basically 4 minutes of screaming audience. Both bonus tracks I don't like either. To sum up: many people refer to FDU as "classic." Well, it isn't quite on the "classic" level, but, I guess, if we simply look at the fact that this album is almost 20 years old and still is quite listenable, we must indeed treat it as such. Though not great, it is still very, very good.
BORN IN AMERICA (1983)
RATING: ****1/2
BEST SONGS: "You Burn In Me," "Wings Of Fire," "Running From The Law"
This is as good of a mid-80s meat-and-potatoes metal as you are ever going to find. Vocalist Rhett Forrester is a mix of Kevin Dubrow and every other high pitched Riot vocalist that has done time alongside Mark Reale. Rhett is really good and fits the crunchy (this is probably the crunchiest Riot album I've heard) riffs and slick background guitar harmonies very well. But, of course, it all boils down to the songwriting. It is excellent. A triple blow of "You Burn In Me," "Wings Of Fire," and "Running From The Law" can knock any metal fan square on his butt. In fact, "Running From The Law," because of its plodding crunch and beyond tasty vocal melodies, successfully competes with the best songs from Shout At The Devil or Holy Diver: the premier hitters of 1983. Other tracks are not far behind: solid opening title track, ripping "Vigilante Killer," energetic "Gunfighter," and absolutely Deep Purple-worshipping "Devil Woman." Strictly speaking, there is not one truly *bad* song on the album, and production is just about as good as it has ever been for Riot (which isn't saying much, I know, but hey -- at least it's better than almost anything Steve Loeb ever gave us henceforth). No reason not to own it: one of the best discs from this year, it has clearly stood the test of time.
THUNDERSTEEL (1988)
RATING: *****
BEST SONGS: take your pick. Mine are: "Sign Of The Crimson Storm," "Flight Of The Warrior," "Bloodstreets." All of them rule.
1988 was definitely one of the best years in metal, with Operation Mindcrime, Seventh Son Of The Seventh Son, Keeper Of The 7 Keys II, Port Royal, Hypertrance, Transcendence, and South Of Heaven all being released that year. Thundersteel proudly belongs with the best of them, as the 9 tracks of this album are non-stop fast and heavy assault. Tony Moore's voice is very high, almost as high as that of Crimson Glory's Midnight, perhaps even too high at times (he sounds a little strained on the title track), and he sings with great passion. Astonishing drumming from Jarzombek; he could (and still can) really pound the skins. The songs are either fast (title track, "Flight Of The Warrior," "On Wings Of Eagles") or upper mid-tempo ("Sign Of The Crimson Storm," "Johnny's Back"), with NO BALLADS IN SIGHT! That's late 80s we're talking! The closest to a "slow song" track would be "Bloodstreets," as it starts with a very pretty acoustic intro, but then Tony Moore shouts out "oh yeah!" and a rocking mid-paced piece beings. Solid production, heavy sound (heavier than on their 90s albums that I've heard). "Flight Of The Warrior" is a terrific blast-rocker, with lyrics like "they left you for dead, alone on the battlefield" destined to drive every metal fan nuts. "Buried Alive (Tell Tale Heart)" is a rocking mid-tempo epic about a man who was, well, you guessed it, buried alive. A splendid album, and, possibly, one of the most underrated in history.
THE PRIVILEDGE OF POWER (1990)
RATING: ****
BEST SONGS: "Dance Of Death," "Storming The Gates Of Hell," "Black Leather And Glittering Steel"
This album has one serious problem: all these goddamn sounds and intermezzos absolutely kill the flow! Between each song there is a minute-or-two-long insertion of TV and radio quotes, often looped, which have very little to do with the songs. It is also a bit uneven, with some songs being masterpieces, and others just being. In short, it's not quite on par with Thundersteel, but still good enough to enjoy. Another minor problem is that Tony Moore very rarely comes down from the highest octaves imaginable and it may irritate you. Now, the thing that everybody loves to bitch about, the horn section, does not annoy me in the least. In fact, I think it adds a touch of freshness and distinctiveness to the sound. Plus, it's not like the horns are everywhere: they are noticeable in but two songs: "On Your Knees" and "Killer." Aside from these points, it picks up right where Thundersteel left off. "On Your Knees," "Dance Of Death," "Storming The Gates Of Hell," and "Black Leather & Glittering Steel" are excellent speedsters, and "Metal Soldiers" is a great mid-tempo rocker, all in the best 80s traditions. Unfortunately, other traditional 80s moments include fairly cheesy "Runaway," "Maryanne," (either would make Bon Jovi proud) and "Little Miss Death." "Killer" is a great song and the horns fit it perfectly (I only wish I knew who was the guest vocalist here). The sound is quite thin: this haunted Riot for the entire career. It seems like no matter who produced them or if they produced themselves, they were never able to obtain that thickness that makes metal "metal." The music is undeniably metal, and metal of highest quality it is, but the production always lagged behind. Now the good thing that sets Riot apart from most of its contemporaries is the lyrics: they are very decent. In several places the lyrics take a critical look at the decadent scene of the 80s rock music ("On Your Knees," "Killer," "Maryanne"), in others it's politics ("Dance Of Death"), or typical "metal power" ("Metal Soldiers," "Black Leather & Glittering Steel") or all of the above ("Storming The Gates Of Hell") . The main advantage of PoP is that allows you to experience some more of the Moore/Reale high-octane tandem before they broke it off, so if you see this album, pick it up.
NIGHTBREAKER (1993, the cover says “1989” – don’t you believe it!)
RATING: ****
BEST SONGS: “Soldier,” “Magic Maker,” “Babylon”
You can just say that if you have heard one DiMeo-era Riot album, you have heard them all. Indeed, this is very similar to Riot’s other 90s albums. Or, should I say, other 90s albums are very similar to this one (since it was, after all, DiMeo’s first appearance with the band, but, ironically, the latest I have heard). That said, it is quite enjoyable. “Soldier” is a strong opener, “Nightbreaker” and “Magic Maker” (although I keep reading the title as the “Magic Marker”) are solid rockers, and “Babylon” is killer. It also has a couple of really disturbing tracks. “Medicine Man” is a groovy rhythmic blues, but I wonder if Reale really had a drug problem or is it just a made-up story. “Silent Screams," on the other hand, is a rabid anti-abortion anthem, certain to please the conservatives, but infuriate me. Plus, the line “why can’t they try and understand?” can also be applied to Riot themselves. Musically, the chorus is probably the worst I’ve ever heard from Riot, it is atrocious, and I’m certain to hit the “skip” button every time. Re-recorded “Outlaw” (easily my favorite track off of Fire Down Under) is quite adequate as well. One thing I don't care about is the covers here, even "Burn" isn't anything outstanding. Overall, a fine album for the band entering the new decade of its existence: a decade which included surviving through trends and being popular in Japan.
THE BRETHREN OF THE LONG HOUSE (1995)
RATING: ***1/2
BEST SONGS: "Glory Calling," "Wounded Heart," "Out In The Fields"
Yet another solid album from these veterans, this time based on Indian themes, it is a tad weaker than usual. Not possessing the insane vocal range of Tony Moore, DiMeo displays far more in the range of emotions. The rest of the components are all there: solid musicianship, excellent melodies, and fair amount of energy (again, not as much as in the Moore era, but still quite enough). Reale's trademark harmony licks are truly awesome and add taste to almost every song. Charging "Glory Calling" is the only true speed metal track, while the rest seems to be more in the mid-tempo, melody-oriented area. "Rolling Thunder" is also uptempo with a good first guitar theme. "Rain" is a beautiful emotional ballad, which would pave the way for such emotional pieces of the DiMeo era as "Forsaken Heart" and "Cover Me." "Wounded Heart" is a melodic mid-tempo rocker, talking (I presume) about the so-called "King Philip's War," which took place in 1675-1676 in New England and was the bloodiest of the Indian wars in terms of casualties. Several tribes were virtually eliminated and six hundred English colonists were killed. More Indian themes are found in the title track, but another highlight is not seen until the blazing cover of Gary Moore's "Out In The Fields," which is a masterpiece of an uptempo melodic rock. "Santa Maria" would be nothing special -- a cute acoustic ballad -- if not for those wonderful flamenco runs throughout. "Blood Of The English" has the word "groove" written all over it, and "Holy Land" is quite driving: good stuff. The album is concluded with the same melody it began: known to all figure skaters and fans of the movie "Last Of The Mohicans." Overall -- a nice disc, with very good Riot music full of melody and a decent amount of rocking, but a bit more attitude would not hurt. Ah, it will come later. Another comment: this time the drummer is none other than John Macaluso, who later starred on albums from Yngwie Malmsteen and Ark.
INISHMORE (1997)
BEST SONGS: "Angel Eyes," "Kings Are Falling," "The Man"
The first Riot album I've heard. Early Dokken fans should love this one. Fast and melodic hard rock, this album definitely rocks. The music is riff-oriented, just your basic power stuff. The lyrics are slightly above average, but the overall feeling is great! The sound is very 80s (down and dirty), but I love it! All of Inishmore material would definitely fit better in 1985 than in 1997, but who cares! All songs are fast, melodic, and intended for ass-kicking. "Angel Eyes," "Liberty" (stupid as it is), "Kings Are Falling" (one great song), "The Man" (one great and cheesy song, with great sing-along pre-chorus and chorus as well as awesome solos from Reale; one of my favorite Riot songs), "Should I Run," "Turning The Hands Of Time" are all fast, furious, and very melodic. "Watching The Signs" is too cheesy 80s for my tastes and so is "Cry For The Dying," but overall, this album really "burns like a flame." Mike Dimeo's voice is very typical for American metal (somewhat resembling the one of Whitesnake's Coverdale). If you see it priced lower than a regular Japanese import, don't miss it. I also must mention "the Irish trilogy" instrumental at the end: it's very pretty.
SHINE ON (1998)
RATING: ****1/2
BEST SONGS: just about all of them are good, my personal favorites being "The Man," "Soldier," and "Thundersteel"
A bloody awesome live album from these veterans of American metal. "Shine On" covers their 25 year career, but too much emphasis is put on "Inishmore," which they were promoting in time of this tour. Still, Riot's classics are not forgotten, with "Soldier," "Bloodstreets," "Swords And Tequila," "Last Of The Mohicans," and "Thundersteel" being among the most noteable hitters in the set. With 17 tracks, there is plenty of metal to band your head and play air guitar to. Mike Dimeo passes the test of performing these classics in flying colors (although, in "Outlaw" Mike goes off key a few times :), and Jarzombek kicks serious ass on every track. The new songs also sound excellent live, with "Angel Eyes," "The Man," "Kings Are Falling," "Cry For The Dying," and "Forsaken Heart" are all great. Apparently, on Inishmore the band got all their thunder back. Shine on!
SONS OF SOCIETY (1999)
BEST SONGS: "Dragonfire," "Time To Bleed," "Promises"
After a first listen, I said "not bad." After two weeks of listening, I said: "pretty darn good." Two months later, I said: "One of year's best!" Four months later I annointed it the Album of the Year and among the greatest ever. This is the pinnacle of the DiMeo-era creativity. What makes it so good? The fact that every song rocks! That's right, you can listen to just about EVERY song with equal joy. The album starts out kinda slow, though, with "On The Wings Of Life" not being my favorite. The title track, on the other hand, is very good, especially the doomy chorus: "Sons of society! They keep me satisfied, they keep me satisfied." "Twist Of Fate" I started to like too. The sound is far from heavy, and there's no actual "kerrang" distortion as such, this is why I actually label it as "hard rock," but damn is it good! Needless to say, the lyrics are again rather simplistic, but once the album picks up speed with "Bad Machine," it never stops. "Dragonfire," "The Law" (recalling, perhaps, "Running From The Law" from Born In America), "Time To Bleed," "Somewhere," and "Promises" are all blazing rockers (fast and midtempo), again, in vein of Dokken with some Deep Purple mixed in. It's unusual to see album's best material close to the end, but "Bad Machine," "Time To Bleed," and "Promises" with their terrific choruses (especially "Time To Bleed" and "Promises," a heartfelt piece about a soldier, sick of war) are nothing short of awesome. "Time To Bleed" with time became one of my favorite songs from that year, and it's probably the best break-up song in history. One thing that sets Riot apart from other bands is the fact that absolute vocal hysteria that almost never works for other bands (and often significantly irritates me) completely works for Mike Dimeo. I still listen to it a lot. A fine album at this day and age. There is just one problem: the production is kinda muddy, and it plagues almost entire Riot catalog, except for their last one, "Through The Storm."
THROUGH THE STORM (2002)
RATING: ****
BEST SONGS: "Turn The Tables," "Burn The Sun," "To My Head"
A very good album. Although the previous two releases are near impossible to top, Mark & Co keep coming up with exceptionally catchy melodies and witty arrangements that sustain my interest in this band. The production improved quite a bit: the sound is crisp and clean. It opens with a terrific "Turn The Tables," an instant Riot classic. "Lost Inside This World" is more hard-rockish, but still decent. Epic title track I didn't like at first, but got into it more after a few listens. "Burn The Sun" and "To My Head" are an awesome one-two punch, each in its own way: "BTS" -- fast and desperate, and "TMH" -- midtempo and wicked. Dimeo's voice is a definite love/hate. I love it, although I usually don't like this sort of hysterical hard rock singing, but he sings with such passion and conviction that what would sound simply cheap and pretentious for many other bands, adds extra desperation and urgency to Riot. "It. goes. right. back. to. my. head." is gonna go right into YOUR head and stay there. "Essential Enemies" features some strange vocal sampling that I normally find cool, but it doesn't exactly fit Riot's music and sound. I also wonder who's idea was it to put two instrumentals at the end, one after another. They're not bad by any means, but not the best way to end an album. But the rest is very good: another solid addition to the band's impressive catalog.
ARMY OF ONE (2006)
RATING: ****
BEST SONGS: "The Mystic," "Still Alive," "Alive In The City"
This album sounds forced. It’s been four years since their last one, but I get an impression these veterans were scrambling hard for ideas. What they managed to come up with is fine, and it has evolved into solid songs: this album has virtually no weak tracks (and no rubbish like “Essential Enemies”). But it has no superb tracks either (a-la "Burn The Sun" or "Time To Bleed"). In fact, this is probably the first Riot album without a clear-cut hit. This is also an album where I cannot tell which song is playing without looking at the track list for much of the album. Songs like “Knockin’ At My Door” (awful pre-chorus... and no gay jokes, please!), “Blinded,” “One More Alibi,” and “It All Falls Down” fall one into another, and it’s hard to distinguish between them. But, as it is sometimes the case with Riot, the best songs are found in the second half of the album. True, “The Mystic” sounds almost identical to “Dragonfire” from SOS, but it rocks nonetheless. “Still Alive,” which sounds almost like a Cry Of Love song, and especially “Alive In The City” provide some truly magnificent moments of groove; too bad the verses in the latter are somewhat weak. “Shine” is pretty cool too, and the last track, “Dark Side Of Light” features the heaviest riff Riot had since Thundersteel. Too bad, it is quickly stifled by the vocals and does not reappear until the end. Ultimately, we’re left with a dozen songs of quality melodic hard rock, vintage 90s Riot. The band’s refusal to change is commendable, considering the continuing release of solid material. Yet the lineup, unchanged in 14 years, clearly hit the plateau, before changes ensued. New blood, in the figure of former Holy Mother vocalist, Mike Tirelli, should provide the prescribed “kick in the ass.”
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