Riot: Immortal Soul – new album

Already out in Europe, the new album by the resolute New Yorkers RIOT, ‘Immortal Soul’, has just hit North American stores today, November 22nd, 2011 via SPV/Steamhammer Records. Metal Insider is hosting the full stream of the recording which features the classic lineup behind RIOT's 1988 masterpiece ‘Thundersteel’: vocalist Tony Moore, guitarist Mark Reale, bassist Don Van Stavern, drummer Bobby Jarzombek and guitarist  Mike Flyntz. Buy the album which got the music elders excited via Amazon:

“This is just incredibly good stuff. Fans of old school rock that remember RIOT will not be disappointed with ‘Immortal Soul’. And for the younger fan, discovering your roots and knowing your music history should include RIOT. RIOT deserves to be bigger and not just a cult status. Their die hard fans have kept the band's spirit alive and I predict that they will get their just reward with ‘Immortal Soul’. It should attract newer fans that thrive on old school greatness, and RIOT possesses that trait,” [was About.com's Kelley Simms opinion – more here]

“No matter how skilled the musicians are, without great songs they can’t get anywhere” [was Angry Metal Guy's Steel Druhm's iron-fisted opinion] “ ‘Immortal Soul’ is an enormous triumph because they managed to write eleven great songs (and a cool instrumental). On the very first listen, five of them stood out enough to require immediate replay and by the third listen, all were having the same effect. This is one of the best pure metal albums to come along in years and it tickles me to no end it’s RIOT that pulled it off.” [More here]

Tenacious New York group RIOT was founded in 1975 by guitarist and songwriter Mark Reale. With vocalist Guy Speranza, guitarist L.A. Kouvaris, bassist Jimmy Iommi, and drummer Peter Bitelli, he recorded RIOT's debut album 1977's ‘Rock City’. Slick and powerful hard rock album 1979's ‘Narita’ featured guitarist Rick Ventura who replaced Kouvaris, with bassist Kip Leming and drummer Sandy Slavin filling in for Iommi and Bitelli on RIOT's third album, 1981's ‘Fire Down Under’. Following the tours in support of AC/DC and MOLLY HATCHET, Speranza left and was replaced by singer Rhett Forrester on the group's following two albums; 1982's ‘Restless Breed’ and 1983's ‘Born In America’, the latter being self-financed by RIOT's producer Steve Loeb. Reale disbanded RIOT the following year, eventually re-forming the band in 1986 with vocalist Tony Moore, bassist Don Van Stavern, and drummer Bobby Jarzombek. This lineup recorded 1988's ‘Thundersteel’, which broke onto Billboard 200 at position number 150:

“The disc takes cues from everything that was metal at the time, combining classic European styles reminiscent of JUDAS PRIEST's heavier moments (a premonition for ‘Painkiller’), thrashing guitars and pounding percussion indicative of the then-burgeoning underground thrash movement (it’s got more riffs than ANTHRAX ever had), and undertones of the hair metal that was riding the charts at the time (especially in appearance) into a cohesive moment of refined ferocity. Perhaps it was this diversity that doomed the record to commercial failure at the time of its release, or even the abundance of dexterous musical histrionics that at times overwhelm ‘Thundersteel’ (it was well-received in Japan and other areas where techno-metal always had a sizable audience). Regardless, ‘Thundersteel’ has everything that makes metal great in all its overstated glory, making the disc an unappreciated classic,” [wrote AllMusic's Brian O'Neill – more here]

RIOT released their seventh full-length, ‘The Privilege Of Power’ in 1990. Following the release, second guitarist Mike Flyntz joined the RIOT ranks, as bassist Don Van Stavern would quit them together with vocalist Tony Moore. Both were replaced by Pete Perez and Mike DiMeo respectively, before ‘Nightbreaker’ was issued in 1993. 1995 saw the final collaboration with the band's long-time affiliate Steve Loeb, ‘The Brethren Of The Long House’. ‘Inishmore’ came out in 1998, followed by ‘Sons Of Society’ a year later. Jarzombek left in late 1999 to join HALFORD, and was replaced by veteran drummer Bobby Rondinelli on RIOT's twelfth album, 2002's ‘Through The Storm’. With Frank Gilchriest behind the drum kit, the group recorded 2006's ‘Army Of One’.

RIOT features: Tony Moore – vocals, Mark Reale – guitar, Mike Flyntz – guitar, Don Van Stavern - bass and Bobby Jarzombek - drums