Quiet Riot - 10

Quiet Riot 10 cover
Quiet Riot
10
RSM Records
2014
4.5
Right – Quiet Riot, that’s not quite the Quiet Riot, that you might remember… well I mean, with the passing of Kevin DuBrow, there are no original members left in this band, but one drummer from the most commercially successful period, so this band has a pretty lame “claim” to the name, imho. Legally they may have every right and performance wise, the sound they come up with, might not be a million miles away – what the original band sounded like – but still it's a cheap imitation… nonetheless.
 
Also the numerical 10, doesn’t make much sense, at all, unless we don’t take into consideration the first 2 albums of the band that were released in Japan only, because otherwise it ends up being the bands 12th album. I suppose that must be it. Ah, I feel, very bright right now, like the moon and the sun and all the stars haha!
 
Right, fronting this new “lineup” of QR, is one Jizzy Pearl, (ex-Love/Hate, ex-L.A. Guns, ex-Adler’s Appetite, ex-Ratt and whatever other band he could get in) obviously trying to get in another recording situation/band. He’s doing a semi decent work here, with his very dry and rough sounding slightly processed in order to remind more of DuBrow’s style. Speaking of Dubrow, there are 4 live tracks of his – of variable quality included as a “tribute” here. Chuck Wright (ex-Giuffria/HOL, ex-Impelliteri) is the main bassist here, but we also get inclusions of I think 2 tracks each by the very well known Rudy Sarzo (who hasn’t he played with should be the question Dio, Whitesnake, Ozzy, you name it Tate’s version of Queensryche and many more) and the masterful Tony Franklin (formerly of the Blue Murder, Firm etc.) who also contributed on the band’s “Rehab”,(reunion) album. Alex Grossi (ex-Beautiful Creatures & Adlers Appetite) is handling the guitar duties and as aforementioned Frank Banali is behind the stool.
 
One thing that strikes you, straight out of the bat, is how bad, this sounds, like a very unpolished demo. The studio tracks barely sound any better than the live ones… (OK that’s probably pushing it) but Pearl’s vocals are low in the mix and the mix itself is rather muddy with the drums rather pronounced and on occasion and certain songs the vocals jumping out... as if, they were mixed out, at different times and by different people and a mastering was never applied. As far as songwriting is concerned, the studio tracks are OK, but faux pas attempts at replicating the classic QR sound... that sound like cheap copies of old songs mixed with generic ac/dc, rather than original new material.
 
I suppose in “Rock in Peace” the whole atmosphere is not too bad – JP gives out a scream that channels the ghost DuBrow as best he can and to reinforce the whole effect even lyrics from “Metal Health” are referenced in the chorus. I dunno if this is “Bang For Your Buck” but apart from Grossi’s efforts everyone else seems happy to rip off, “Metal Health” ad-infinitum.
 
“Backside of Water” gets things bubbling up finally and changing gear a bit and is charming enough.
 
While the momentum is maintained and even multiplied on “Back on You” which is possibly the best track of the album, a hard-hitting number that proves Banali and company can still come up with the goods on occasion.
 
However hard Grossi tries to riff away “Band Down” ends out, being a plodding slow “let down” and last but not least Pearl sounds dead on like the late DuBrow on “Dogbone Alley” which is the last of the studio tracks and not, the worst of the bunch, but not the better, either.
 
The live tracks are as aforementioned of variable quality, but generally “fairly good” possibly fixed, but rather “rough” soundboard recordings. They’re fun to listen to and certainly both the selection of rather “deep” tracks, a “QIII” number “Put Up, or Shut Up” and 2 from “Rehab”, “Free” and “South of Heaven” as well as the medley at the end, give an interesting vibe, but, not including one of the better known tracks might get people “talking”…
 
Not quite Quiet Riot, but not a bad band… either… these 6 songs are just OK and the other 4 are just there for keeps and to celebrate KDB, but their quality leaves quite a bit to be desired. At any rate, this is a release that will only interest “fans” and most will dismiss it. I think there’s some possibility with the “band” if they try harder. The live tracks should be a one off so... that was that.