My All Time Fave Albums Pt. 5

I'm starting to realize that I have quite a few albums I would consider as "Desert Island" platters, so this blog is gonna go on for a while :)  I'm going to mix things up a bit today and go with not one, but two albums, and maybe just a bit more obscure.  KISS, Priest, Maiden, Motorhead are all obvious choices for myself (and most hard rockers), so I'm going to go with a couple under the radar picks today.

First up, New York's own: The legendary Riot.  First thing people say to me, unless they are actually familiar with Riot, is "You mean Quiet Riot". No, I mean R, I, O, T. All of the early stuff is pure gold, even the couple they did with Rhett Forrester are pretty awesome, but every self deserving metalhead needs a copy of their 1981 classic, Fire Down Under.

Words cannot describe how I feel about this record.  It is one of the greatest American hard rock records of all time.  I didn't discover it until much later after it's release (I remember thinking Riot's album covers looked dumb), anyway never judge a book but it's cover.  The power and ferocity of this album is what hits me most.  Sort of a punk energy with NWOBHM sensibilities.  Great songs, great guitar work, and excellent vocals by the late Guy Speranza.  The first two albums, Rock City and Narita are brilliant in their own right, but it all comes together on Fire Down Under.

The record opens with the stomper, Swords and Tequila, grabs on and doesn't let go.  The title track and Outlaw are two of my faves. Altar Of The King and No Lies from the 2nd side show some variation, and the talent that lies within. Truly, there is not a bad tune on the album.

For an album I discovered probably 7 years after it's release, it has been on my fave list since, and I have become a big fan of the stuff up to Born In America.

The name Riot has carried on with guitarist Mark Reale being the only original member.  They continue to play shows and keep the faith.  In 1981, they stood on top of the mountain. Thank you Riot for producing some of the most legendary music ever to come out of the US.

Next up, I'm I'm gonna cross the pond ,and yap about Japan's greatest metal export, Loudness, and their 1985 classic Thunder In The East.  TITE was really Loudness' introduction to North America.  They had already released 4 albums in their homeland, all sung in Japanese and available only as imports to the rest of the world.  I've since discovered these albums and have all become an important part of my collection, as well as KICKING MY ASS!  1985 brought the monster that is Thunder In The East.  First off, If you're a guitarist, you are probably (or should be!) familiar with the stylings of Akira Takasaki.  One of the greatest players of all time, and really doesn't get the credit he deserves on this side of the pond.

There was a group of us in high school who got into Loudness big time because of this album.  I have tons of memories of blasting tunes like Heavy Chains, Like Hell, and the fantastic single, Crazy Nights.  I still listen to this record on a regular basis (I am doing so right now).

The album was produced by Max Norman, who at the time was THE producer for metal.  He did a ton of stuff in the 80's including Ozzy, Coney Hatch, Grim Reaper, Lizzy Borden and Megadeth.  His stamp is all over this record with the killer guitar tones, and attention to a crisp and clean recording.  Outside of Takasaki's playing, Minoru Niihara's vocals are definitely a highlight.  One of the most underrated metal vocalists ever.  So yeah, you could say I like Loudness alot.  If you have never checked out any of their earlier stuff, hunt down a copy of the live album, Live - Loud - Alive from '83.  In the meantime check out some live stuff from my fave album.  Hebi-metaru!!