Author: Aleš Podbrežnik
Artist: Riot
Label: SPV Records
Release: 2014
Running time: 60:17
Rating: 4.5/5
The veterans of New York’s classically razor-cut metal, packed with bombastically embellished lead lines and carefully laid-down harmonies in thirds, are picking up their journey from where »Immortal Soul« (2011) left off. In the very same year that »Immortal Soul« came out, in the third week of November 2011 to be exact, Riot’s leader and founding member Mark Reale passed away. Everyone figured that sealed the fate of Riot. And yet the two remaining members, led by guitarist Mike Flyntz and bassist Don Van Stavern, decided to open a new chapter. To draw a sensible, clear and unambiguous line between this chapter and the classic Riot era, when Reale was in command, they renamed the band Riot V and recorded an album as a tribute to their departed guitarist, packed with guitar lines Reale would have signed off on right away had he still been around.
Van Stavern and Flyntz brought in three excellent musicians: top-notch vocalist Todd Michael Hall, who is a near-spitting image of the most striking vocal of Riot’s career, Tony Moore’s, i.e. the “Thundersteel voice”; the hugely experienced drummer Frank Gilchriest, who joined from another veteran of classic American metal, New Yorkers Virgin Steele; and the young, talented guitar virtuoso Nick Lee, who is more than happy to play along with whatever’s needed.
As the main protagonists of the next installment in the Riot story, Van Stavern and Flyntz prove with this new album that they learned pretty much everything from Reale. In terms of style, »Unleash the Fire« is a near-twin of »Thundersteel« (1988), as well as »The Priviledge of Power« (1990), and it stays firmly plugged into the whole discography of a legendary band that was founded way back in 1975 and is considered pioneering in many ways.
You can feel the bond and camaraderie in the way the quintet plays, with everyone on the same wavelength, channeling their ideas and energy into the band’s musical body. Michael Todd Hall is phenomenal with his incredible vocals, and in the higher and highest registers he is an uncanny copy of Tony Moore. The way he carries the power he builds in the mid-range up through the high notes to the very top is hugely convincing. That’s also one of the most important things that makes this record so appealing, and it justifies the credibility of carrying on the Riot story even after Mark Reale’s death. Given that the songs are all cast in the mold of the typical Riot outline, it’s hard to single out standout moments or highlights. There are no creative missteps on the album. The band has squeezed the key traits of classic Riot for the new times in the best possible way. Dynamic switches between lead guitar lines, embellishments with hellishly fast picking over the riffs (harmonies in thirds), outstanding solos from the Flyntz/Lee duo. It’s all (still) here and in the right place. And so it’s no news that this album will go down a treat with fans of ultra-melodic catchiness wrapped in the aggression of classic heavy metal. It’ll also be close to the heart of anyone who likes old-school American speed metal, as well as Bay Area thrash with “clean” vocals, like Heathen and Forbidden. Thanks to the huge pomp and anthemic quality that »Unleash the Fire« also develops, Riot V keep their link with the European metal heritage, from the NWOBHM invasion to the power metal revival of today. There are detours, and when they happen, Riot V sound closer to heavy rock (hard rock) than anything else, as in the songs Return of the Outlaw or the especially nostalgic-sounding Take Me Back.
Making an album that is composed, down to the last detail, from head to toe in line with the musical philosophy of the late Mark Reale is, at first glance, no easy task. But the experience and the evidently extraordinary musical harmony that once reigned between Van Stavern, Flyntz and Reale lives on creatively, so it’s only fitting that it takes shape on a Riot V album! »Unleash the Fire« is a genuinely excellent, classically built heavy metal album that doesn’t just justify the continuation, it also fills us with serious hope for the future. It radiates incredible charisma, uniqueness, creative drive and unbelievable potency, which, within the framework of a classic approach to heavy metal, is refined by an exceptional mix of instantly catchy melodic pomp and high-octane, jagged energy voltage. With Riot V this fired up, we’ll surely get plenty more great studio albums down the road.
Lineup
Todd Michael Hall – vocals
Mike Flyntz – guitar
Nick Lee – guitar
Don Van Stavern – bass
Frank Gilchriest – drums
Production
Riot
Tracklist
1. Ride Hard Live Free
2. Metal Warrior
3. Fall From The Sky
4. Bring The Hammer Down
5. Unleash The Fire
6. Land Of The Rising Sun
7. Kill To Survive
8. Return Of The Outlaw
9. Immortal
10. Take Me Back
11. Fight Fight Fight
12. Until We Meet Again
13. Thundersteel (Live)
