Review by Paul Monkhouse for MPM
Grassroots rock music has always been the true lifeblood of the scene and whilst some bands can fill arenas seemingly on the back of one album, it’s those who have truly paid their dues that demand our respect.
The spectacle of a big show is always something to fry the synapses, but the visceral thrill of a loud, sweaty club gig is where rock ‘n roll truly lives as you watch the people in front of you creating magic, not viewing them from the back of an aircraft hanger on a video screen.
Back on the road over here following a recent, tentative foray, New Yorkers Riot Act were born from the ashes of the much-loved Riot, a band touted as the next big thing back in the early 1980’s. Their story is a torturous one of frustratingly missed opportunities, record company issues and problems with management, causing the outfit to not reach the peaks they were destined for.
It’s a testament to guitarist Rick Ventura then that after enough time passed, he formed Riot Act as a way to continue their heritage, performing new material whilst also paying tribute to the original band by including numbers from their back catalogue into the set. With this run of dates, the quartet have focussed their attention of the classic ‘Fire Down Under’ album, playing it in its entirety, the original spark and power still there as fervent as ever.
Accompanying them on the tour, UK metalheads Kaine have been a constant presence on the scene, their commitment to their craft translating to countless hours on the road and a string of toothsome releases. Soaked in the traditions of raw Heavy Metal from the past forty years, the band aren’t pushing any boundaries but instead tip their collective hats to the waves of the past that have shaped our world.
There’s nothing slick here thankfully, the quartet just playing their hearts out and trying to bring the biggest, razor-sharp riffs they can with the only nod to anything like affectation their choice of matching camo trousers.
There’s an Iron Maiden drive to the fretwork of ‘Reforge the Steel’, the none-more-metal title a clear indication of what they’re aiming at as it roars along in traditional style, the quicksilver playing of ‘Loudwire’ upping the tempo even more. This isn’t pure NWOBHM meat and potatoes stuff though as the ‘Painkiller’ era Priest urgency of ‘Slave to the Grind’ is blended with Thin Lizzy guitar harmonies, adding some extra flair to the brutality.
With the unrelenting blast of ‘After Extinction’ closing the set, the combo certainly impressed and whilst they’re not reinventing the wheel, what they do is play with such commitment and grit that it’s impossible not to be won over. Great tunes, the right attitude and a love of what they’re doing all adds up to Kaine being fine torch carriers of the British Steel that’s conquered the world.
It may have been a head-spinning forty-two years ago that ‘Fire Down Under’ was released but it’s still one of the few seminal albums of the era that sounds as fresh and vital today. Ventura has been incredibly smart with his selection of co-conspirators in Riot Act, each member bringing a freshness to the material whilst being faithful to the original spirit, the band a visceral and exciting outfit that exude the same thrill as the original line-up of Riot. Older and wiser maybe, but Ventura, vocalist Don Chaffin, bass player Paul Ranieri and drummer Claudio Calinski show that style and great material never goes out of fashion and their performance tonight taps into the adrenaline rush of those heady days.
Kicking off the set with a double hit of early Riot tunes in the form of ‘Rock City’ and ‘Road Racin”, the band immediately elicit the reaction of the cult heroes the band has become, the crowd of disciples lapping up every note. Whilst it’s great to hear ‘Fire Down Under’ in full, third song ‘Closer to the Flame’ reiterates just how good the Riot Act album of the same name is, the drive and power slotting in perfectly with the rest of the set.
Indicating that this is more than just a band enslaved to nostalgia, the track shows that they’re more than capable of writing classic hard rockers that could stand shoulder to shoulder with most that Ventura had produced before.
After the opening trio it was time to dive into a chronological run through of the seminal work, a blistering ‘Swords and Tequila’ causing a frenzy of air punching, singing and furiously nodding heads. Seeing the reception this gets brings wide smiles to the band, the level of love and fanaticism shown something to push the temperature in the already steaming venue even higher.
Chaffin is a real throwback to the days when testosterone fuelled frontmen ruled the stages, his mane of hair, waistcoat and mighty bellow a swaggering thing of delight.
The rhythm section are no slouches either, Calinski nailing down the groove with authority and Ranieri’s pick-less playing adding a funky edge to the bluster that is nothing short of utterly compelling. Arguably, it’s Ventra that makes the biggest impression, his playing somehow replicating with a fire the twin axework of the original recordings whilst adding his own little touches. Watching him play, there’s a breathless wonder and appreciation of his craft, his talent surely underappreciated by most outside of the circle of Riot faithful given the naturalness and verve displayed.
Favourite after favourite come along, the huge title track with its heavyweight dynamics and the hook-filled chorus of ‘Outlaw’ and Nascar rush of ‘Don’t Hold Back’ sound irresistible, ‘Altar of the King’ a skyscraping highlight.
With the celebratory and communal battle cry of ‘Warrior’ closing the evening it was time to head off into the night, ears ringing and hearts full. They may have missed out on the first time round but Riot live on in vivid life in the form of Riot Act and the flame burns just as bright as it ever did.
Photos by Martyn Turner Photography
