Older Quiet Riot fans might find this too much of an ask, however if you’re familiar with the band’s more recent work, then this might not come as a complete surprise.
Written by: gdmonline
ARTIST: Quiet Riot
ALBUM: Road Rage
LABEL: Frontiers
SERIAL: FRCD 809
YEAR: 2017
CD REISSUE: Discogs Reissue List
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA
LINEUP: Frankie Banali – drums * Alex Grossi – guitars * Chuck Wright – bass * James Durbin – vocals
TRACK LISTING: 01 Can’t Get Enough * 02 Getaway * 03 Roll This Joint * 04 Freak Flag * 05 Wasted * 06 Still Wild * 07 Make A Way * 08 Renegades * 09 The Road * 10 Shame * 11 Knock Em Down
RATING: 60/100
WEBLINKS: Site Link
Background
I’ll give Frankie Banali his due. Keeping the flame of Quiet Riot alive in the wake of Kevin DuBrow‘s passing is admirable, but is probably well past its use-by date. Now signed to Frontiers Records, I doubt ‘Road Rage’ is adding anything of worth to the 800 odd album releases that the label has issued over its 20 year existence.
To be honest, they sound nothing like the prime-time era of the band, it would’ve been better to start afresh with a new band and leave the legacy alone, and intact. But then again they would probably sell less CD’s without an established name to their PR and pre-sales effort.
The Songs
The new singer James Durbin has a voice you’ll either love or hate. In parts, James sounds like Michael Sweet. I guess mostly he sounds decent enough from my perspective, but it certainly adds a different slant to the legacy Quiet Riot sound. The rest of the band sound OK too but the ‘so-so’ songs brings it down a notch.
They are obviously aiming for that earthy and rootsy L.A style which many other rivals have trended to in recent times. Some with success, the others less so. Great White are a comparable name, however they are more blues based. Just the three highlights for me: ‘Roll This Joint’ with a Michael White approved groove, the hard-edged groove of ‘Still Wild’, and the rather excellent ‘The Road’, which touches power-ballad territory. Nice.
In Summary
Older Quiet Riot fans might find this too much of an ask, however if you’re familiar with the band’s more recent work, then this might not come as a complete surprise. With 2017 now going beyond the halfway point, I’m still on the lookout for that knockout blow. ‘Road Rage’ is not that package unfortunately.
