Riot City – Electric Elite

Here’s our second look at Canadian speed metallers during 2022: Riot City.

Written by: gdmonline

ARTIST: Riot City
ALBUM: Electric Elite
LABEL: No Remorse Records
SERIAL: 0723803978757
YEAR: 2022

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:

LINEUP: Jordan Jacobs – vocals * Cale Savy – guitars * Roidan Reimer – guitars * Dustin Smith – bass * Chad Vallier – drums

TRACK LISTING: 01 Eye Of The Jaguar * 02 Beyond The Stars * 03 Tyrant * 04 Ghost Of Reality * 05 Return Of The Force * 06 Paris Nights * 07 Lucky Diamond * 08 Severed Ties

RATING:

WEBLINKS: Bandcamp Page

Background

Here’s our second look at Canadian speed metallers during 2022: Riot City. They impressed me big time with the mammoth debut ‘Burn The Night’ from 2019, and now with new singer Jordan Jacobs in tow (actually he’s been with the band since 2020), Riot City are equipped with two scream demons as original singer Cale Savy is still there, but focusing more on guitar duties. That first album was quite mind-bending, can they surpass that one?

The Songs

As per the first album, Riot City deliver eight songs, and from the outset it’s the power drill tonsils of Jacobs that sets the high bar. He sounds unerringly like the late Carl Albert from Vicious Rumors. This was apparent to me upon listening to ‘Eye Of The Jaguar’, a relentless speed metal chaser much like the big cat in question. Watch out for the claws.

‘Beyond The Stars’ is a galloping riff fest, its not quite a space epic, that award goes to Swedish audionauts Dragonland. ‘Tyrant’ is a medium speed grinder. Very 80’s all around, like Fifth Angel‘a’ Cry Out The Fools’. ‘Ghost Of Reality’ slows up even further, the epitome of a power metal ballad before they are off and racing like mad pilots.

Return Of The Force’ could easily describe some of the best North American bands of the power/speed metal genre going back three or four decades. Learn from the masters. The speed is definitely on with ‘Paris Nights’. There’s no late night romantic escapade to be found here, unless black leathers and studded wrist bands are your thing.

‘Lucky Diamond’ slows the speed somewhat but the star of the show is Jacobs voice, soaring higher than the solar wind. Without doubt, the epic track is the near 10 minute opus ‘Severed Ties’ which navigates several passages of calm then uplifting intensity. Many bands have explored this territory previously, now add Riot City to the list.

In Summary

During 2022 I haven’t listened to a lot of full-on heavy metal, but I made an exception for these guys. It’s a pity that the guy masquerading as the poor excuse for a Canadian Crime Sinister has dominated all headlines and deadlines coming out of the Great White Gulag in 2022, and that 2023 is finally the year that Canucks take back their country.

Video

Ghost Of Reality

Paris Nights

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