Latest Riot news thread

[SickBoy]

Due to the scarce news on their official "website", I need to dig thru Google to find anything about them. The line "Reale is completing a new album" sticks on their site supposedly ever since they released Through The Storm...
From what I've gathered, Pete Perez and Mike DiMeo left the band.
Bob Rondinelli did too, but he was probably more of a guest musician.
While Reale got himself very decent (to say the least...) replacements on drums and bass in Frank Gilchriest (Virgin Steele) and Randy Coven (ex-Malmsteen, ex-Ark) respectively, I don't know if he would be as successful in finding DiMeo's adequate replacement, since I feel he's in a league of his own...
The site mentions some dude from Messiah's Kiss, what's he like? Do you think he'd fit in Riot?
DiMeo has a new band now, hard rock outfit The Lizards. I'm currently downloading their latest album, very curious how it sounds...

 

[Wyvern]

Not very good news for me. I heard about DiMeo before and didn't pleases me. I like his voice a lot and Perez is worst news. Until Jarzombek left for good the lineup that started with "Nightbreaker" was the lasting and most technical one.
I agree a lot with Randy Coven he's a great bass player, I don't know about Gilchriest but he has big shoes to fill.

I know that coming to the end the band is Reale, but still not the best news for me.

 

[Walter_Langkowski]

I love Mike DiMeo's voice and I especially love Inishmore. But I had read internet interview with DiMeo a year and a half ago and there was this underlying resentment towards Mark Reale for bailing the band out on that opening slot for Dio about two years ago (Reale didn't want to commit for fear of not playing in front of enough people every night and the rest of the band wanted to go for it).

The main focus that DiMeo kept saying was that he had a wife and kids and at his age (32-33) he couldn't afford to be playing in a band that only paid him $50 a night (at best.)

It is a shame because as I mentioned I think that he has a great voice and there are some great melodic Hard Rock albums that they released.

Just another story of a great band being dismantled because of one dumbshit in the group.

 

[Wyvern]

The main focus that DiMeo kept saying was that he had a wife and kids and at his age (32-33) he couldn't afford to be playing in a band that only paid him $50 a night (at best.)

To me this is the quid of the question. Being a professional musician in metal is damn hard. Today with so many acts, drop of the acquisition power, higher prices for transportation, expensive tickets and a change in the audience attitude and taste makes being a live act a difficult, very difficult task.

$50 a night is $300 a week providing you rest on Sunday. That's $1200 a month. Shit I made the same as a TA in my university a year ago! I went home every night, no travel, no lag, no crazy fans, no bouncers, no uncomfortable bus. And if I would have been married the possibility of seing the family daily.
For crying out loud, DiMeo has a really strong point. And it pisses me off big time seeing the big bucks going to shit like pop and rap.

 

[SickBoy]

http://www.live4metal.com/thelizards2005.htm

This is a link to a very recent and in-depth interview with DiMeo, of course Riot is touched on many subjects. I got the impression he was really sad to leave the band, but had no other option. He wanted to gig so badly, while Riot was not touring for their last album... Well, I'll cross my fingers for Riot, that's for sure.

 

[Walter_Langkowski]

$50 a night is $300 a week providing you rest on Sunday. That's $1200 a month... For crying out loud, DiMeo has a really strong point. And it pisses me off big time seeing the big bucks going to shit like pop and rap.

And just imagine Wyv, that's only $1200 even if the tour goes a month. Sometimes it could be less depending on their nightly contracts that they get for playing some of these places that probably aren't too desirable to be at in the first place.

Not to mention that he'd probably have to get time off from his regular job to go on these tours where he barely makes any money to begin with.

The big bucks go to shit like Pop and Rap (especially in America) because the Major labels are too stupid to realize that they are missing an untapped fanbase of a genre of music. They are simply playing it safe and going back to the easy money year after year, Pop, Rap, and let's not forget about the biggest junk trade, Country music (IMO).

We need an intelligent, business-savy Metalhead to win the Powerball Lottery and establish our own Major label that specializes in GOOD music. That's MY dream!

 

[Jean-Pierre]

Inishmore was their final good album...

Well hey, Reale was always able to come back with a bang after drastic lineup changes (uhhhh...THUNDERSTEEL??), so maybe the new work will be good.

 

[Wyvern]

And just imagine Wyv, that's only $1200 even if the tour goes a month. Sometimes it could be less depending on their nightly contracts that they get for playing some of these places that probably aren't too desirable to be at in the first place.

Of course Walt, that was my point. That even a whole month of work pay as "good" as a university TA. And you're a professional musician! Not very good as an stimulus for a career approach

This is moreover a message to metalfans everywhere. Please buy the albums, go to the gigs, support the bands. If we are not there for them, we are not get anything in return.

 

[SickBoy]

Inishmore was their final good album...

Hmm... In my eyes this statement only tells me that you haven't listened or
even given a real chance to Sons Of Society and Through The Storm...
SOS is really on par with Inishmore, the same style and equally strong songwriting... Don't tell me that Dragonfire, On The Wings Of Life, Promises or The Law aren't strong songs and you DO like Inishmore?! Give it another chance, man, it really deserves it...
As for TTS, I could understand you didn't like it, since it's more of a laid back style than its predecessors... Nevertheless, it's a great CD, the first three songs and the ingenious ballad Let It Show are worth the high mark alone...

Well hey, Reale was always able to come back with a bang after drastic lineup changes (uhhhh...THUNDERSTEEL??), so maybe the new work will be good.

DiMeo says it's more aggressive than TTS (maybe on Inishmore track) and a great album... Judging by past Reale's offerings I have no reason but to believe him.

 

[Jean-Pierre]

Hmm... In my eyes this statement only tells me that you haven't listened or
even given a real chance to Sons Of Society and Through The Storm...
SOS is really on par with Inishmore, the same style and equally strong songwriting... Don't tell me that Dragonfire, On The Wings Of Life, Promises or The Law aren't strong songs and you DO like Inishmore?! Give it another chance, man, it really deserves it...
As for TTS, I could understand you didn't like it, since it's more of a laid back style than its predecessors... Nevertheless, it's a great CD, the first three songs and the ingenious ballad Let It Show are worth the high mark alone...



DiMeo says it's more aggressive than TTS (maybe on Inishmore track) and a great album... Judging by past Reale's offerings I have no reason but to believe him.

Awww dude, "Sons of Society" starts out AMAZINGLY, then it kind of goes downhill. It's not bad, just a bit average. "Through the Storm" is....blaaaaaaah.

 

[Walter_Langkowski]

Hmm... In my eyes this statement only tells me that you haven't listened or
even given a real chance to Sons Of Society and Through The Storm...
SOS is really on par with Inishmore, the same style and equally strong songwriting... Don't tell me that Dragonfire, On The Wings Of Life, Promises or The Law aren't strong songs and you DO like Inishmore?! Give it another chance, man, it really deserves it...
As for TTS, I could understand you didn't like it, since it's more of a laid back style than its predecessors... Nevertheless, it's a great CD, the first three songs and the ingenious ballad Let It Show are worth the high mark alone...



DiMeo says it's more aggressive than TTS (maybe on Inishmore track) and a great album... Judging by past Reale's offerings I have no reason but to believe him.

I agree on the quality of SOS being very similar to Inishmore. I think that "Twist Of Fate" is just an unbelievable piece of songwriting!

I mean, I'd agree that Inishmore is a better album, but not by much.

And the title track on Through The Storm is worth the price of the CD alone (domestic, not import, lets not get silly for a second :Spin: ). That IS a mellower album, but there is a lot of quality on that one as well. Try to listen to it when you're on a cooling-down mode.

And, I really wish I could have seen Riot live (w/Dimeo). To me, they are a perfect blend of Power Metal, Trad Metal and Classic Rock all melded into one great band. Plus, Mike's vocals were just so friggin' awesome as well. I guess I identify with him as I've been told that I have a bit of a Bluesy-Rock tilt to my voice.

Anyways, Riot was great and I'll look forward to those releases.

 

[Wyvern]

I agree on the quality of SOS being very similar to Inishmore. I think that "Twist Of Fate" is just an unbelievable piece of songwriting!

I mean, I'd agree that Inishmore is a better album, but not by much.

I got SOS before most of my Riot catalogue so I'm pretty biased towards it. I consider 'Dragonfire' and the title track as material that coul dhave perfectly been even in "Thundersteel"