Riot - Through The Storm
	Released: 2002 Label: Metal Blade Cat. No.: 3984-14399-2 Total Time: 51:11
	Reviewed by: David Cisco, October 2002 Metal Blade Records are celebrating their twentieth anniversary this year and have unleashed a massive barrage of metal as part of the festivities. Included among the fearsome first volley is Through The Storm, the latest from heavy rock stalwarts Riot. Now, it would be easy for me to wax (far too) eloquent about Through The Storm, but I'll stick with the K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Stupid) Principle and make it plain: I love this album! Boasting nine original tracks and two cover tracks, Through The Storm serves up cocksure hard rock and heavy metal with dashes of progressive metal and a fine tribute to George Harrison added for good measure. Driven by Mark Reale's vision of hard rock glory, every song is well-written and superbly played. Never too long or pompous, each song gets right down to business, delivers its punch, and promptly makes way for the next one. The songs run the gamut of hard rock styles, from straight up feel-good rock (UFO's "Only You Can Rock Me") and speed metal ("Burn The Sun") to good old power balladeering ("Let It Show") and modern prog-metal ("Essential Enemies", "Isle of Shadows"). In addition, Riot pays homage to the late George Harrison with a complex, beautiful instrumental rendition of "Here Comes The Sun." Poignant and majestic, "Here Comes..." is a fitting testament to the former Beatle and an elegant, appropriate choice to close the album. A textbook example of everything great about hard rock, Riot's Through The Storm rocks out from start to finish and dares other hard rock units pounding away in the twenty-first century to "beat us if you can!" Ha! Not this year.... Oh yeah, I love this album! [See also RIPZ's and Steph's review -ed] More about Through The Storm: Track Listing: Turn The Tables (5:21) / Lost Inside This World (4:43) / Chains Revolving (4:42) / Through The Storm (6:13) / Let It Show (4:37) / Burn The Sun (4:26) / To My Head (5:58) / Essential Enemies (3:48) / Only You Can Rock Me (3:56) / Isle Of Shadows (4:07) / Here Comes The Sun (3:20) Musicians: Mike DiMeo - lead vocals Mark Reale - electric guitars, acoustic guitars, keyboards Mike Flyntz - electric guitars Pete Perez - bass guitar Bobby Rondinelli - drums Additional musicians: Tony Harnell - backing vocals Yoko Kayumi - violins, varied speed violin, keyboards, recorder Josh Pincus - keyboards (9) Contact: Website: www.metalblade.com Note: will open new browser window Email: metalblade@metalblade.com Discography Rock City (1977) Narita (1979) Fire Down Under (1981) Restless Breed (1982) Born In America (1984) Thundersteel (1988) The Priviledge Of Power (1990) Riot Live (1993) Night Breaker (1994) The Brethren Of The Long House (1996) Inishmore (1998) Shine On (1999) Live In Japan (1999) Sons Of Society (1999) Through The Storm (2002)
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