Riot

Sons of Society (Metal Blade)
by Scott Hefflon

I’ve panned these guys for years, and I’m not about to stop now. Riot‘ve been dropped by almost every major label, self-respecting or not, and have since signed directly with Sony Japan, where they’re still rock’n’rorrers in tight trousers, singing in warbly falsetto, with guitars a-screamin’ and plenty of hair-tossin’ to go around. And here in the states, we’re luckiy enough to have Metal Blade, the last bastion of (or safe hiding place for) ’80s metal this side of CMC. But here’s my gripe (well, my main gripe) – the production is flat and it makes the guitars sound even more like the kinda stuff I used to write after playing guitar for, oh, two years. Very simple, very cliché, the kinda stuff you grow out of when you get a little better and learn to write better riffs. Solo-wise, sure, Mark Reale has some OK scales, but it’s nothing to keep a band afloat for 20 years! Man, hasn’t this ship sunk yet?!?
(2828 Cochran St. #302 Simi Valley, CA 93065)