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May 2024

• Marty Friedman: Drama
• Demon: Invincible
• The Treatment: Wake Up The Neighbourhood
• The Tangent: To Follow Polaris
• Riot V: Mean Streets
• Anette Olzon: Rapture
• FM: Old Habits Die Hard

April 2024

• War Grave: War Grave EP
• Six By Six: Beyond Shadowland
• Vanden Plas: The Empyrean Equation Of The Long Lost Things
• Praying Mantis: Defiance
• King Zebra: Between The Shadows
• About Us: Take A Piece
• Blue Oyster Cult: Ghost Stories

March 2024

• Cruzh: The Jungle Revolution
• Whom Gods Destroy: Insanium
• The Prog Collective: Dark Encounters
• Lords Of Black: Mechanics Of Predacity
• Lipz: Changing The Melody
• The End Machine: The Quantum Phase
• Stargate: Escaping The Illusion
• Turbulence: Binary Dream
• Sonata Arctica: Clear Cold Beyond
• D'Luna: Monster
• Big Big Train: The Likes Of Us
• Benjamin Croft: We Are Here To Help

February 2024

• Traveler: Prequel To Madness
• Lionheart: The Grace Of A Dragonfly
• Honeymoon Suite: Alive
• Durbin: Screaming Steel
• Smoking Snakes: Danger Zone
• Revolution Saints: Against The Winds
• Striker: Ultrapower
• Show N Tell: The Ritual Has Begun
• Robert Hart: Circus Life

[ More Music Reviews ]

Riot V: Mean Streets

Heavy/Power Metal

4.5/5.0

Website Facebook X YouTube
Atomic Fire Records
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 07.05.2024 | Released: 10.05.2024

Next year, American metal band Riot V, founded by the late guitarist Mark Reale (d. 2012), will celebrate their 50th anniversary in the metal business. Though we haven't had a new studio album from the band since 2018's Armor Of Light, the band has been busy releasing, over the last six years, archival material of early demos, rare and unreleased tunes, and 12 official live albums. Can't get enough? Now, Riot drops their fifteenth long player, Mean Streets.

Riot V

As fans will expect, Riot delivers their signature American power metal driven by twin-guitar power, gallop and groove from the rhythm section, clean soaring vocals, hooks in refrains, and an abundance of epic and blistering guitar solos. If your a huge fan of guitar solos, this album is uncompromising. From the start Riot kicks out the jams and the tunes remain fast and heavy to the end.

Sampling some songs, power metal speed demons arrive with Higher, High Noon, Mortal Eyes, and the very catchy Hail To The Warriors. Some songs settle down (a bit) to a tempo more heavy and steady like Love Beyond The Grave or Open Road. The strength of Todd Michael Hall's voice and the vocal arrangements are heard within Feel The Fire and the more anthemic Before This Time. Lost Dreams has a screaming guitar intro before the rhythm section erupts and the race to the guitar solos is on. And there's more. Consistency reigns across this album, so pick it up and crank it up to eleven.

All said, Mean Streets finds Riot V in excellent form, delivering their signature bombastic, twin-guitar driven, fast and heavy, power metal. Easily recommended.

Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.

All said, Mean Streets finds Riot V in excellent form, delivering their signature bombastic, twin-guitar driven, fast and heavy, power metal. Easily recommended.

Support the artist, click the link below to buy the album in your favorite format.

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Next year, American metal band Riot V, founded by the late guitarist Mark Reale (d. 2012), will celebrate their 50th anniversary in the metal business. Though we haven't had a new studio album from the band ... [ Read More ]

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