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Riot V – Armor Of Light – Album Review

New York City's finest deliver the goods for the 16th time!

Riot (aka Riot V) have been delivering the metal goods for longer than most of us have probably been alive; forever keeping the metal flag flying high, no matter what the era and no matter what the trends. They are, quite simply, an institution, intrinsically attuned to what makes real METAL so irresistible and content with the knowledge that they practically invented this heavy/power/speed/ metal shit in the first place.

With nothing left to prove, Armor Of Light can just let rip with twin-guitar histrionics, lightning-fast drumming and the wails and shrieks of a man who has worn tighter than tight trousers for far too many years. Which, of course, is exactly what Riot’s 16th album does…..and we’ll be fucked if it doesn’t do it damn well!

Armor (or Armour to us Brits) Of Light is a leather-clad rush of lion-hearted, bold-as brass, speed metal meets power metal anthems delivered by a band who positively reek of years of no-bullshit authenticity. “Raining Fire” rains fire and brimstone on your ass like a slashing, thrashing beast from the early 80’s while “Burn The Daylight may kick-off with a riff which sounds a little too much like Skid Row’s “Monkey Business”, but it’s soon back to business as Riot go on to pummel you senseless with equal parts melody and majestic metal muscle.

“Live fast, die young, make it last” wails Todd Michael Hall on the riotously anthemic and ‘oh-so-metal’ “Devil’s Reign” – a mantra that Riot/Riot V have lived by since their inception in 1975(!). Only a fool would think that they were about to slow down now.

Timeless metal from an ageless band. 8/10

Armor Of Light will be released on 27th April via Nuclear Blast.

About Chris Jennings (1963 Articles)
I love metal. Always have. Always will. As editor of Worship Metal - a site dedicated to being as positive about metal and its myriad of sub-genres as possible - my aim is to 'worship' metal through honest reviews, current news and a wide variety of features; offering the same exposure to underground bands as we do to mainstream/well known acts. Our mantra; the bands are partners and we exist to serve the bands \m/

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