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Riot V: Mean Streets
Riot V - Mean Streets Album Art

Riot V: Mean Streets

Heavy/Power Metal
4.5/5.0

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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 - Click For Larger Image

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.



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The Take Away

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

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