Riot
The New York heavy metal band, since 2013 called Riot V, whose 1981 album Fire Down Under opens with "Swords and Tequila".
New York, 1975
Riot was formed in New York City in 1975 by the guitarist Mark Reale and the drummer Peter Bitelli, with the bassist Phil Feit and the vocalist Guy Speranza. The producers Billy Arnell and Steve Loeb, working at Greene Street Recording, signed them to their Fire-Sign label, and the first album, Rock City, came out on November 10, 1977. They supported AC/DC and Molly Hatchet; by 1979 the band was near a break-up, while the British DJ Neal Kay championed them in the new wave of British heavy metal years. Narita (October 5, 1979) was on Capitol, which dropped the band after a UK tour with Sammy Hagar.
Fire Down Under followed in 1981 (see below). Restless Breed (May 21, 1982) introduced the singer Rhett Forrester and Born in America (October 14, 1983) was on Passport, after which the band dissolved. Reale revived it in 1986 with Don Van Stavern on bass, Mark Edwards on drums and Tony Moore on vocals; Thundersteel (March 24, 1988, CBS) moved toward power metal, with Bobby Jarzombek on drums, and the band had a strong following in Japan. Later vocalists were Mike DiMeo from 1992 and Todd Michael Hall from 2013.
Riot V
Mark Reale, born June 7, 1955 in Brooklyn, died on January 25, 2012 aged 56. The band relaunched in 2013 as Riot V, the older name having been retired at his father's request, and made Unleash the Fire (October 27, 2014), Armor of Light (April 27, 2018, Nuclear Blast) and Mean Streets (May 10, 2024, Atomic Fire). The original guitarists Lou Kouvaris and Rick Ventura started the offshoot Riot Act, launched at the Metal Hall of Fame gala on January 15, 2020 with a set from the first three albums.
Guy Speranza, born March 12, 1956, died on November 8, 2003, aged 47. Decibel calls the original Riot of 1977 to 1983 an important boost to American metal, and Martin Popoff, whose 2015 book on their first decade is titled Swords and Tequila, calls them an honorary new wave of British heavy metal band.
Albums
- Fire Down Under 1981 · Elektra
Their third album and the last with Guy Speranza, recorded for Capitol, rejected by it, and released by Elektra.
Songs
- Swords and Tequila Fire Down Under · 1981
The opening track of Fire Down Under, a staple of the Riot live set and a title Martin Popoff borrowed for his book.
Sources
- Riot V, Wikipedia
- Riot discography, Wikipedia
- R.I.P. Riot guitarist Mark Reale, Decibel (2012-01-31)
- Fire Down Under, Wikipedia