Riot Act - Live At Suma

Year of Release: 2000
Label: Neurosis Records
Catalog Number: n/a
Format: CD
Total Time: 40:09:00

Riot Act were an Ohio based rock trio of Rick Ray on guitar synth and vocals, Jack Ambrose on bass and vocals, and John Cek on drums and vocals. There is no mistaking the indelible stamp Ray had on their sound, as there is very little difference between this and the Ray catalogue.

This disc, originally released in 1996, is a live disc (as cleverly deduced by the title Live At Suma) - recorded "live at the Suma recording studio in Painesville, OH 12/5/95 with absolutely no overdubs" it says.

Overall, Riot Act (not to be confused with the 100 others of the same name, including a metal band out of Colorado) have a late 70s sound, but also that young rock band sound. The songs are a little raw, a little rough around the edges, even for a live release.

Ray is by no means a great lyricist, though he does have interesting thematic ideas - his formula is to use a simple rhyming scheme: a/b/c/b, a pattern you can trace through all his recorded output.

The song I find the best all round is "Time Forgotten," which features either Ambrose or Cek on vocals, I'm not sure which, but it isn't Ray. There is a different tone and mood in this piece when contrasted with the rest of the material, and, in fact, the whole Ray ouvre.

It's an okay release.

Tracklisting:
The Voices (5:34) / Time For Another Plan (3:30) / Burned (4:06) / Out of Hand (4:51) / Time Forgotten (4:04) / Here For You (3:15) / Cut Yourself Loose (4:02) / The Jokes On Me (5:21) / Reservations In Cell #3 (5:26)

Musicians:
Rick Ray - guitar synth, vocals
Jack Ambrose - bass, vocals
John Cek - drums, vocals

Discography:
Live At Suma (1996/2000)
Maniacal Disastrophe Tour (2000)
Approach With Extreme Caution (2000)

Genre: Progressive Rock

Origin US

Added: February 1st 2000
Reviewer: Stephanie Sollow
Score:
Artist website: communities.msn.com/GuitaristRickRay
Hits: 2260
Language: english