Review by Felix on February 25, 2024.

The early phase of Riot always fascinated me for two reasons. "Narita" was one of my first albums which was not released by one of the very big bands such as AC/DC, Kiss or Def Leppard and an outlaw status is always interesting. Furthermore, their contribution to the birth of speed metal ("Fire Down Under", the song), deserved applause. Therefore, I was all the more disappointed about "Restless Breed", their commercial genuflection. Then came "Born in America".

Thumbs up, it is a better work than its predecessor. But thumbs down, this is not to say that it rocks the boat. "Born in America" is a pretty staid hard rock album. The overly commercial direction of "Restless Breed" has given way to a pretty dowdy approach. Yes, the songs reveal a higher degree of combative spirit, but they do not surprise with extraordinary elements. Conservative patterns meet standardised riffs and Rhett Forrester (R.I.P.) leaves no doubt that his performance aims at American listeners. He has a certain charisma and he is anything else but a bad singer, but his entire presentation seems to lack of honesty and power, though it does so only to a certain extent. Anyway, his undistinguished voice complements the more or less antiquated compositions perfectly.

In all fairness, the songs are free from surprising twists and turns, but maybe I have no right to call them "antiquated". Perhaps this sound was socially acceptable in 1983. Yet I do not think so, because "Born in America" does not achieve a high tier of vitality. Its compositions rather seem to originate from a somewhat dusty environment. However, some tunes are pretty solid.

"Heavy Metal Machine" does not only score with its title, it lives up to its name as well and delivers a comparatively harsh number. Its dynamic riffing is as crispy as that of their classic piece "Swords & Tequila" and an effective chorus is presented as well with the effect that this piece marks the climax of "Born in America". The metallic guitar at the beginning of "Where Soldiers Rule" makes clear that the band still has a metallic heart and the same goes for its concise drum rolls. Finally, the AC/DC inspired riffing of the relatively strong closer asks for Bon Scott's voice. Nevertheless, some pieces taste as spicy as a glass of water. The title track, for example, wants to be a kind of second national anthem, but it needs more than a bloodless chorus and the sound of joyless guitars to storm the American market and hearts. This totally mediocre number is eclipsed by its direct successor, the fairly romantic, but solid "You Burn in Me". Not to mention comparable songs such as Quiet Riot's "Metal Health" which are also simply structured yet much more impressive.

To cut a long story short, Riot commute between Journey (the beginning of "Wings of Fire" is heavily influenced by "Wheel in the Sky") and Judas Priest (Halford's guitarists used the first riff of "Running from the Law" for "Jawbreaker") and add lame arena rock elements. Yet there is a certain metallic fundament as well as a sometimes shady atmosphere and these two features rescue the album from drowning. The contemporary production is another feature that could whet the appetite of historically interested hard rock / metal fans.

Rating: 5.8 out of 10

Review by Felix on February 25, 2024.

I did not know a lot about Riot when I bought this album. I was already familiar with "Road Racin´", the final track of "Narita", because I possessed an obscure sampler that featured inter alia this song. It offered a heavy riff that was skilfully combined with remarkable vocal lines. In any event, it made me curious enough to buy the vinyl. Well, the cover looked ugly. But the ominous creature apparently had a strange fascination for me. It took years before I realised the meaning of "Narita". And it took another couple of years until I understood that the creature on the cover wears the sexy loincloth of a sumo wrestler.

However, the music interested me more than the incomprehensible cover. The musicians did their utmost in order to impress buyers of this vibrant album. It emanated an energizing aura due to the noticeable enthusiasm of the band. Riot´s style moved between hard rock and heavy metal while the main focus was on the latter. A German metal magazine made the bold statement that the title track of "Fire Down Under", the successor album of "Narita", was their first speed metal song. I am not sure whether this is really the case. Some pieces of the here presented full-length already pointed in this direction. Just listen, for example, to the rapid instrumental title track. The riffs, the up-tempo drumming, the guitar lines - honestly, from my point of view, this song appeared as a harbinger of the following speed metal explosion. The only thing missing was the professional vocal performance of Guy Speranza (R.I.P.). His expressive and emphatic voice ennobled the remaining songs. But irrespective of this, a lot of great tunes - in most cases with catchy choruses - were waiting to be discovered. Casual rocking numbers like "Here We Come Again" met my expectations as well as rebellious tracks such as the short "White Rock". Riot mastered them all in a very presentable form and almost each and every song had the necessary dose of energy, heaviness and liveliness. And let us not forget that they delivered strong and diversified guitar solos.

"Narita" does not represent a timeless work. But that is no drawback. The heavy metal aura of the album has the charm of the (so-called) good old days and breathes the spirit of a period of upheaval. Hard rock and heavy metal were developed further by young and hungry musicians and Riot played its part in supporting this exciting process. Their effort was absolutely convincing, not least because of their authenticity. Surely, the talented band was not free of commercial interests. Just listen to the well constructed "Hot for Love". Its chorus delivered a very memorable and emotional melody line which made the song radio compatible. But Riot were not the only band who wanted to earn money with its music. And however, this business intention seemed not to be the main thought of band leader Mark Reale (R.I.P.) and his comrades. Their joy of playing was the outstanding feature of this vinyl. Thus, with only one exception ("49er"), they delivered gripping songs. They were well produced, sounded credibly and enriched the arising metal scene. Of course, this scene was still manageable so that it was easy to make an independent contribution. But this was not the fault of the band. Therefore, fasten seat belts, Narita awaits you.

Rating: 7.8 out of 10