Metal Shock Finland (World Assault )

Rich’s Rapidfire Recommendations – bite-sized metal morsels to let you know about albums that have grabbed Rich Davenport by the ears, ROCK ON!

Artist: RIOT V
Album: “Unleash The Fire”
Released: October 27, 2014
Label: STEAMHAMMER / SPV

Tracklist:

Limited Digipak incl. 1 bonus track
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)- Bonus Track

I’ve been a fan of Riot since I heard the song “Road Racin’” on a compilation album called “Heavy Duty” in the 80s, and readers of a certain vintage may remember that they were on the bill of the first ever “Monsters of Rock” festival at Castle Donnington, way back in 1980. After the initial demise of the band, founder and guitarist Mark Reale returned with a retooled, reinvigorated Riot, which blazed a new trail from the “Thundersteel” album, up to “Immortal Soul” in 2011. Sadly, Mark passed away after a long fight against Crohn’s Disease the following year. “Unleash the Fire” is an object lesson in how a band can adapt after the loss of a key member, honouring that person’s legacy without cashing in on it or exploiting it.

Mark Reale’s father personally urged his son’s guitar partner and close friend of almost 25 years, Mike Flyntz, to carry on getting his son’s music out there, so that it wouldn’t be forgotten, and the result is a new incarnation known as Riot V, featuring Flyntz and “Thundersteel”-era stalwart Don Van Stavern, returning drummer Frank Gilchriest (also of Virgin Steele), and new recruits Todd Michael Hall (vocals) and Nick Lee (guitar). In a recent interview, Mike Flyntz made it clear that Nick Hall (a guitar student of Mike’s from an early age) would not be replacing Mark Reale; Mike himself would now be playing all of Mark’s guitar parts on previous material.

“Unleash the Fire” pays sincere tribute to Reale, not only in the lyrics of songs like “Immortal” and “Until We Meet Again”, but also through the fact the all twelve songs preserve and continue the Riot tradition of quality songwriting, killer performances from all band members, and some of the finest twin-lead guitar solos, riffs and melodies you’ll hear from any band this side of Thin Lizzy. Van Stavern and Flyntz have served long enough as both players and writers in previous line-ups over the years for them to ensure that the new band’s sound reflects the hallmarks loved by fans around the world, whilst letting the new members put their stamp on the proceedings. This has to be one of the best melodic Metal releases of the year for my money.