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