Search - Riot :: Army of One

30 years later... still powerful and heavy

Murat Batmaz | Istanbul, Turkey | 09/22/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"US heavy metal legends Riot are celebrating their 30th year in the heavy metal world since their inception in 1976. Though they have gone through numerous member changes over the years, the band has maintained a fairly consistent lineup since the early 90's. With the exception of drummers, from the amazing Bobby Jarzombek to the super awesome John Macaluso and back to Jarzombek (only to be replaced by Virgin Steele drummer Frank Gilchrist on this album), the guitar tandem of Mark Reale and Mike Flyntz, the underrated bassist Pete Perez, and the amazing vocalist Mike DiMeo have defined the sound and character of Riot for the last ten-plus years.



Despite their unquestioned musical strength, Riot has never been too big Stateside since the very early 80's. They have had a loyal following in Europe in the 90's and Japan for the past couple of years. From traditional heavy metal discs to more melody-driven power-inspired releases, Riot have morphed from album to album, opting for a decidedly more European sound. Army of One certainly retains this direction, but also harkens back to a noticeable American rock sound during certain moments. The band has without doubt undergone a less heavy yet more hard rock-inspired phase recently, with strong reference points being Rainbow and Deep Purple. The first song, also one of the fastest and most energetic on the album, pounds you into submission with a Dio era Rainbow vibe going on, utilising killer dual lead work, and ferocious bass playing.



And while there are plenty of heavy numbers on the album, DiMeo's vocals veer off into David Coverdale meets Joe Lynn Turner territory in many places. The hard-hitting, groove-filled riffs of "One More Alibi" would be a good example. The instrumentation is loud and heavy, but DiMeo tries an unmistakable 80's style recalling the voice of Jorn Lande quite a bit. "It All Falls Down", another highlight of the disc, is also comprised of ruthless riffage with a stomping drive and clean-toned harmonies. Surrounded by big crescendos, DiMeo lets out impressive screams through and through, but he still chooses to stick to the 80's more so than he has in years. On the more hard rock pieces, such as "Knocking at My Door", evoking Sammy Hagar's solo material thanks to its backing vocals and rising keyboards; or the bluesy "Helpin' Hand" are stamped with repeating choruses and big guitar hooks. "Alive in the City", in particular, has a very heavy southern flair to it, in an almost American folk kind of vein. It does deviate from that after the main riff, however, and lets Pete Perez drive it with thick, pumping bass riffery.



Those interested in the band's heavier work displayed on albums like Inishmore should have a listen to "The Mystic", featuring awesome guitar work, some really agressive singing, and long instrumental breaks. Even the material recalls the days with Jarzombek behind the skins. Sadly, while the best on the album, this song does not fit the overall flow of Army of One. It feels far too isolated among all the multiple-chorus 80's pieces. There is also a neat instrumental cut, "Stained Mirror", with effective guitar work by band leader Mark Reale. The song also receives some keyboard support in its climax towards the finale.



The band's fans in Japan and Europe will love this album, while in the USA, they will continue to be constantly unrecognised, with the exception of their loyal cult fans following them wherever they go.



(Please note I do not have the Japanese release of this album. My copy contains twelve songs. The live track listed here is a bonus song for the Japanese import.)"

Faster, Stronger, Meaner

Nikiforos V. Skoumas | Athens Greece, Cambridge UK | 11/06/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is the latest studio album from "Riot". This band has traveled through most styles spanning the rock- metal genre in the pursuit of identity. Yet in retrospect Mark Reale managed to set a façade of an unpredictable and unreliable band.

Never the less, this album rocks from the start to the very finish. This is fantastic up beat hard rock that almost touches the barriers of speed metal. The compositions are so solid, the riffs so inspired and complex and the choruses so huge that it seems almost unreal in comparison to previous "Riot" albums. So this is shaped up to be a very good album. However it goes beyond that.

There is incredible passion and aggression in the performances which together with the raw production make this release sound like an explosive debut from a promising "old school" hard rock band.

"Riot" decided to get their hands dirty and surpass themselves and they were rewarded; when this album was originally released (fall 2006) it reached number 7 on the Japanese charts.

"

30 years later, Riot continues to shine...

Brian E. Burgess | NY, USA | 12/17/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Riot has gone through many different musical styles and line-up changes throughout their 30 year career. They have combined at one time or another elements of power rock, speed rock, hard rock and on their last few efforts more of a melodic hard rock sound. The current Riot line-up has been stable the past four cds(other than former Virgin Steele drummer Frank Gilchrist coming aboard) and it shows on "Army Of One". The band gels effortlessly and powerfully with a melodic yet hard rocking intensity not seen before on a Riot cd. This is their best effort in years and the disc hasn't left my cd player in quite some time. Unfortunately true Riot fans know that "One" will not catch on here in the states but die hard fans will appreciate this amazing disc. Founding member Mark Reale continues to impress on guitar and dedicates "One" to original singer Guy Speranza who died in 2004 from cancer. Guitarist Mike Flynz shines as well creating a tour-de-force guitar sound with Reale. Bassist Pete Perez and the aforementioned Frank Gilchrist offer the listener a heavy and astounding rhythm section. The highlight of the cd though is the continued growth and power of vocalist Mike Dimeo who has come into his own on the past two Riot cd's. I'm sad to say though that Dimeo is leaving Riot for Masterplan so this might be it for the current line-up. I'm sure Reale and the boys will reinvent their sound once again for their next effort but enjoy the beauty of this cd now. It will impress even the casual listener of melodic, hard rock."