The seals have hit the beach once again and a new Riot V opus is upon us. New York’s longest-running metal act are back with their third album under the modified Riot V moniker after the death of founding guitarist Mark Reale in 2012. Following 2018s Armor of Light, Mean Streets keeps the same lineup intact and continues more or less in the same classic Riot direction with a sound walking the line between hard rock, heavy and power metal with a decidedly retro charm and sensibility undergirding much of what they do. As an act that’s been around in one form or another since 1977, they know their history and place in the metal universe, even though no founding member remains on board. That means you get another album full of guitar-driven rockers with an ear for hooks and old-timey attitudes. Will the seal club you or will you club the seal? Let’s find out.
As with Armor of Light, Mean Streets finds Riot V in a less amped-up space than they were for 2014s Unleash the Fire. Few songs here will remind you of their Thundersteel, The Privilege of Power, Immortal Soul salad days, but that doesn’t mean the Riot has been dispersed entirely. Opener “Hail to the Warriors” has some of that Thundersteel fire in its belly and delivers a rousing, fast-paced and bombastic piece of New York power that’s easy to love. It’s a classic Riot song with Todd Michael Hall bringing his A-game vocally with flair and dynamism on full display. He sounds like Manowar’s Eric Adams doing power metal, and that’s a can’t miss article. Mike Flyntz and Nick Lee bring the six-string thunder with Judas Priest-esque dueling harmonies and solos and the machine feels well-tuned and dangerous. “Love Beyond the Grave” is crunchy and uber-catchy with a simple chorus that drills into your skull and Hall sounds extra passionate here. The title track is a loving nod to their finest hour, repurposing the riff from Thundersteel’s “Johnny’s Back” to set the stage for a callback to its central themes of youth and remembering the streets of your wilder, happier days. It’s a nostalgia bomb for moldy old fans like myself and I love it.
There are some lesser moments too, unfortunately. “Feel the Fire” was the album’s lead single and upon hearing it I grew very concerned with the direction the band was heading in. It’s a bit of an oddity for Riot V, sounding like hair metal/cock rock, though the band instills enough class and muscle to make it somewhat tolerable. “Lean Into It” is another miss with a radio-friendly rock style that feels flat and uninteresting, and “Open Road” is a decent song but its main riff is close enough to that from “I Did It My Way” by Revolution Renaissance as to be troubling. At a zaftig 51 minutes, Mean Streets would have benefitted from trimming these lesser moments, but the album manages to avoid feeling way too long thanks to overall energy, hooks, and tight song lengths.
Once again Todd Michael Hall impresses with his vocal range and versatility. While I’ll always miss Tony Moore’s massive voice, Hall’s been a great replacement and keeps the Riot V sound close enough to the glory days to keep me happy. He doesn’t overdo it or get too screechy, using a controlled and powerful delivery that goes down as smoothly as cold beer on a hot day. Mike Flyntz and Nick Lee have become a potent tandem and dazzle with slick pyrotechnics without ever getting too showboaty. They know when to drop a sharp flourish or wild solo and when to back off and let the riffs do the talking. It’s ultimately the songwriting slips here and there that hold Mean Streets back from reaching that next level.
I hate that there’s always such a long wait between albums from these guys, and I hate that they rarely ever play shows in New York, usually opting to spend their time touring Japan. That said, I’ll probably be a Riot / Riot V fan til they encase me in an iron grave tomb. This is worth checking out despite some blemishes, and if you’ve somehow missed out on Thundersteel, correct that deficiency in your metal life ASAP. Riot 4 eva.
Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Atomic Fire
Websites: areyoureadytoriot.com | facebook.com/riotrockcity
Releases Worldwide: May 10th, 2024
