I like smoke and lightnin’ / Heavy metal thunder
Racin’ with the wind / And the feelin’ that I’m under
This verse of ‘Born To Be Wild‘, legendary 1969 song by Steppenwolf, contains the essence of primitive Heavy Metal: power and great speed to run in the wind, move away from conformism and be yourself. And what is the best means to do this? Get on a motorcycle or better yet on the MOTORCYCLE: the Harley Davidson (the one from the Hells Angels of ‘Easy Rider‘film in which, precisely, ‘Born To Be Wild‘ is part of the soundtrack ) symbol of freedom, which i Judas Priestanother essence of Heavy Metal, still proudly show themselves on stage today.
Historians Riotbecome Riot V following the sad passing of their leader and founder Mark Reale (RIP) in 2012, with ‘Mean Streets‘, new album available from 10 May 2024 via Atomic Fire Recordsthey want to start from there, from just before the soul of Heavy Metal, definitively detaching itself from Hard Rock, absorbed human darkness and then poured it out with raw violence.
It is no coincidence that the album cover shows Johnny (or Tior, as their mascot is also called) and his ilk as bikers who “they break the law” shattering the obstacles they encounter, like modern knights charging forward (one of them brandishes a sword).
They are among the bands entitled to do so: they have existed since 1975, six years after the birth of Heavy Metal, if we take the oft-cited ‘as a reference’Born To Be Wild‘ (which, coincidentally, they covered in ‘Narita‘), or five years later if we look back to the debut of Black Sabbath (even if theirs, at the beginning, was defined more as Dark Sound) or, even, only three years, if we rely on the expression used by Sandy Pearlman to indicate the music of Blue Öyster Cult.
There are also other theories about the birth of our genre: the criticisms of Lester Bangs, the birth of Led Zeppelin and, in more recent times, also Pete Townshend of Who he wanted to take some credit. Theories all linked to the same period: late ’60s – early ’70s, so, however you turn it, the Riot they can be said to be among its progenitors.
‘Mean Streets‘ is not a melancholy celebration of beginnings; more than anything it is a retrace of part of the history of Riot through unreleased songs. “Part” because, for example, the experimental and introspective phases heard in ‘The Brethren of the Long House‘ of 1995, in ‘Inishmore‘ of 1997 or in ‘Through The Storm‘ of 2002 and the first three albums (‘Rock City‘ from 1977, ‘Narita‘ of 1979, and the immense ‘Fire Down Under‘ of 1981 which made him evident in the midst of the NWOBHM) one can perceive his grit and strength, but not that hint of wildness that only that devil Guy Speranza (RIP 2003) could instill (after all, in the band of “those” Riot today there is no one left, the most “dated” musician is Don van Stavern, who joined in 1989).
This primitive energy is channeled into ‘Mean Streets‘ along with the Speed/Power part of the Riotthe one of ‘Thundersteel‘ and of ‘ Privilege of Power‘ (net of its more elaborate sequences), so to speak.
The result is a work that, we can say, respects the last wishes of Mark Reale, who, before being defeated by Crohn’s disease, had recomposed the formation of ‘Thundersteel‘ and then released the album ‘Immortal Soul‘ of 2011.
‘Mean Streets‘ is an epic, catchy and at the same time solid and essential album, full of the harmonies that have always distinguished the Riot and full of that metallic dynamic capable of unleashing thunder and lightning. It is, in fact, a wild motorbike race towards the horizon.
Fast and powerful songs stand out, direct daughters of ‘Thudersteel‘, like the epic ‘Hail To The Warriors‘, the classic ‘High Noon‘, where Mike Flintz and Nick Lee’s Twin Guitars overflow from the grooves, ‘Higher‘ And ‘Mortal Eyes‘. These are interspersed with pieces that are not exaggerated but powerful and at the same time catchy, such as ‘Feel The Fire‘, the rhythmic and epic ‘Love Beyond The Grave‘, the anthem ‘Before the Time‘, the Title Track, which combines assaulting riffs with darker ones and the street song ‘Lean Into It‘.
An album that on the one hand can be said to be obvious, the “Mark V” version of the Riot (the most stable in their history) has been doing this since it got together, on the other it is simply and in one word “beautiful”, with songs that are perhaps not significant but enthralling and engaging, full of pathos and the desire to roar, with a very high compositional and technical level.
In conclusion, ‘Mean Streets‘ is an album that never tires, with emotional songs that demand to be sung … the revolt, almost fifty years later, is still underway … number “V” at the bottom or not Riot they are still among us.
‘Mean Streets‘ was recorded at the band’s various home studios in Michigan, Texas and New Jersey, and was mixed by Bruno Ravel with mastering by Bart Gabriel.
