Last Updated on 02:00 AM by Giorgos Tsekas
The third part of the series of Riot compilations will come out in the middle of June but the hardcore fans, already have started the pre-orders. Let’s not hurry to name it the best of them all. The period is cover is the most mainstream of the band, but the fanatic fans disagree and insist that the second period, from 1981 to 1985, is the classic for the band. In Archives Volume 3: 1987 – 1988 we have a rich in quality and quantity list of rare recordings and rough mixes of classic tracks and hard to find songs that are not featured in a full length album of the New Yorkers. “Thundersteel”, “Fight Or Fall”, “Sign Of The Crimson Storm” are standing out, and the introduction of “Buried Alive”, as well as “Flight Of The Warrior” , “Johnny’s Back” (for their favorite mascot Johnny the seal) and the rare instrumental (in a rough mix version) of “Run for Your Life”. The collection presents the American style of then modern metal as it was formed in power metal forms and speeds at both sides of the Atlantic ocean. Even though the compilation refers to the two years 1987 – 1988, it’s positive that present are tracks that ended up in Privilege of Power (the loved studio album from 1990) in demo format: “On Your Knees”, “Metal Soldiers” και το “Killer” (rough versions and with Joe Lynn Turner on vocals), “Exciter”, “When Lights Go Down”, “A Place Called Tomorrow” and “Liar”! The compilation would touch perfection if it included some diamonds from 1983 – 1988 that was before that. Maybe everything looked great with the contract of 1988 by a big label, and Tony Moore giving power to every lyric with his epic voice, but the previous five year period was a dark time for the band, which should have been represented somehow in this compilation as well, so that the listener / fan has a full picture. The best would be to have some recordings with Harry Conklin of Jag Panzer and Titan Force during the tour in the South parts of the US, when he was behind the mic of Riot for a while and gave some great moments, near some other rather embarrassing moments for the band, which are part of their history nonetheless. The lack of professionalism by Conklin and the egoism of Rhett Forrester gave them a great voice and two great albums during the golden era of the band and the genre. Archives Volume 3: 1987 – 1988 ends with a seventy minute DVD recorded live from the 21st of August, 1988 at Hallettsville Rockfest, in Texas.