These days Quiet Riot comprise drummer Frankie Banali, who is joined by veteran bassist Chuck Wright (who has been in and out of the band since 1982), guitarist Alex Grossi (who has been in the band since 2004, and new vocalist James Durbin. Once American Idol alumni James Durbin joined on vocals, the band decided to scrap the original sessions and record a new version of the album with the new line-up. Seeing the mask on the cover art, and with an album title that implies an in-concert release one could be forgiven for thinking that this is a live album, but no, what we have here are 11 new songs recorded in the studio.
To say that it is basic American HM is somewhat denigrating the genre, as there is a feeling that the band know that if this released under a different name then it wouldn’t attract nearly as much attention as it is. This is supposedly the band that had the first HM #1 in America with ‘Metal Health’, except it isn’t. Kevin DuBrow died from an accidental cocaine overdose ten years ago, and he was the heart and soul of this band, with a voice borrowed from the mighty Noddy Holder and charisma and attitude to match. This isn’t Quiet Riot, but another American band that is going to continue to attract fans due to their heritage as opposed to what they are doing now. One to miss.
