There are multiple artists that perform under the name:

1. Riot spra… Read Full Bio ↴There are multiple artists that perform under the name:

1. Riot sprang from the basement of Mark Reale's home in Brooklyn, NY in the summer of 1976. In 1977 they had recorded and released their first album "Rock City" for New York's Firesign Records. Able to to obtain various licensing deals throughout the world, "Rock City" quickly found an audience. Capitol Records quickly signed Riot, who soon entered the studio to record their second album "Narita" which would be released in 1979. It was in 1981, however, that Riot released what is considered by most fans to be the band's most definitive album "Fire Down Under".

Early History

Riot began when Kon-Tiki members Mark Reale (guitar) and Peter Bitelli (drums) recruited Phil Fiet (bass) and Guy Speranza (vocals) and recorded a four-track demo which they hoped would be included in a proposed compilation of new rock bands. While waiting for the project to get off the ground they added Steve Costello on keyboards.

Reale took the various demos to New York based producer Steve Loeb, who also owned Greene Street Recording Studio and the independent label Fire-Sign Records. Loeb turned down the compilation proposal but signed Riot. The band added second guitarist Louie Kouvais, replaced Fiet with Jimmy Iommi and recorded its debut album, Rock City. After a promising start and support slots with AC/DC and Molly Hatchet, the band were unable to maintain momentum, and were on the verge of breaking up for good by 1979.

In that year however, the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal took off, and the band came to the attention of Neal Kay who spread the word about them in Britain. British fans bought imported copies of Rock City which was recorded and produced by Steve Loeb and released on Loeb's Fire Sign Records. Encouraged, Loeb recorded the band's new album Narita. In the course of recording, Kouvaris was replaced by band roadie Rick Ventura.

Subsequent to a successful support of Sammy Hagar on his US Texas tour Capitol Records offered Riot a worldwide deal for Narita, mostly to support Hagar. Capitol and Hagar needed a harder, younger edge to associate with him, so Riot was chosen if they agreed to support Hagar on his UK tour. Hagar and Riot had a successful tour, but Riot was dropped by Capitol as soon as they were finished promoting Hagar.

Riot's management, Billy Arnell, Ezra Cook and producer Steve Loeb spent their last dollars remaining from the Capitol advance retaining important indie FM radio promotions to promote the Riot album. They put it on as many radio stations around the country as possible, thus raising the radio profile enough to where Capitol picked up their option for another record. And thus began Riot's biggest selling album titled Fire Down Under.

When the record was completed some months later, Capitol turned the record down calling it "commercially unacceptable" which put the band in contractual limbo. Capitol also refused to let the band out of the contract and insisted if the band wanted off Capitol, they would have to sue. A campaign was organized and financed by producer Steve Loeb and managers Ezra Cook and Billy Arnell with fans around the world, but especially in the UK where the fans picketed the offices of EMI Records. Finally Elektra Records worked things out with Capitol's Rupert Perry and signed Riot and immediately released Fire Down Under which then soared into the Billboard Top 100 chart.

Breakup and Resurrection

Singer Guy Speranza had difficulty melding his religious convictions with his role in the band and was replaced by Rhett Forrester (b. 22 September 1956 – d. 22 January 1994) for the next album, Restless Breed (1983). Though a striking frontman, any hope of a major breakthrough was sunk by a combination of Forrester's erratic behaviour on the road and a changing of the guard at Elektra. The next album, Born in America, (1984) was self- financed by Steve Loeb and was released on Quality Records, an independent Canadian label. Support melted away, leading to the band's disintegration.

After stints with his own band (Narita) and abortive reformations of Riot, Reale mended fences with producer Steve Loeb in New York. He kept Don Van Stavern from Narita on bass, recruited Bobby Jarzombek (1988 - 1999) on drums and Greene Street Studio Manager Dave Harrington brought in Tony Moore for vocals. A resurrected Riot was born. Loeb cut a four track demo at his Greene Street Studio in Soho NY and along with real estate maven turned rock manager Vince Perazzo brought the band to CBS Associated, who offered the band a worldwide deal. Resultant albums Thundersteel (1988) and Privilege of Power (1990) renewed fan interest around the world, particularly in Japan, where they maintained their strongest subsequent following.

The revived band was from then on dogged by continual personnel and record company changes. But, by virtue of Loeb's willingness to self finance every record that followed until his departure from the production chair in 1995, Riot was able to continue making records. All told, Loeb produced or co-produced 13 Riot albums in his 19 year association with Mark Reale and the different configurations of Riot. Reale continued to steer the band into the turn of the century, releasing albums roughly every couple of years.

Rhett Forrester was shot dead during a robbery in Atlanta Georgia in 1994, and original vocalist Guy Speranza died of pancreatic cancer in 2003.

On January 25, 2012, founding band member Mark Reale died of complications resulting from Crohn's disease at the age of 56. Immediately following his death, the band, featuring the "Thundersteel" lineup, performed several previously-booked east coast shows and the "70,000 Tons of Metal" cruise ship gig without him. A new Riot compilation was released following the shows, and at the request of Mark's father, the name "Riot" was put to rest. However, some former members of the "Thundersteel"-era lineup began work putting together a new band performing music in the same vein as Riot. The band was officially re-launched as "Riot V", the name alluding to the addition of Todd Michael Hall as the fifth official singer, replacing Moore. Van Stavern revealed that Moore had chosen not to continue with the band to spend more time with his family.

In 2014, Nick Lee, a former student at the guitar classes run by Flyntz, joined as the new co-lead guitarist for the band, replacing deceased Reale, and Frank Gilchriest rejoined the band in place of Jarzombek, who had quit the band to focus on his activities with Fates Warning. Their new album Unleash The Fire was released in Japan, under the name Riot, in August 2014. This is the band's first release since the death of Reale.

Todd Michael Hall said about the "V" letter: "The official name for the band is Riot V, but we do have this confusion with the Japanese release versus the European release. I was told that the Japanese record label considered the release to be a continuation of the previous contract with "Riot", so they did not want to use the V"

2. Composing of Tom Davidson & Daniel Magid, is a duo of dubstep producers based in Los Angeles, California. They were originally from Israel.

They have released songs on Monstercat, Dim Mak and Insomniac records.

Holy Land
Riot Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

For many years my people walked this land on ehich I stand
I pray no more whitre men come to soil this holy land
Pontiac, gather xour men and meet me down below
Until they learn, they must pay with the seeds in life they sow

Holy Land
I'll fight you with this arrow in my hand
Holy Land

Running from the valley to the sand

Now get away, I'll slaughter all I find on this frontier
No more to say, no answer or excuses will I hear
I'm ottawa, I've com to make you pay for what you've done
I will not fall, not before your brother or your son

Holy Land
I'll fight you with this arrow in my hand
Holy Land
Running from the valley to the sand

On my way, I must erase your poison from this land
I'm here to stay, eradicate your seed with my bare hands

Holy Land
I'll fight you with this arrow in my hand

Holy Land
Running from the valley to the sand

Overall Meaning

Riot's "Holy Land" is a song about the struggle for Native American sovereignty and the desire to protect their land from the invading white men. The first lines of the song speak of the indigenous people who have walked on this holy land for many years. The lyrics express concern about the arrival of white men who have come to soil the sacred land. The singer in the song, Pontiac, calls for his men to join him to fight against the white men who have come to take their land.

The lyrics then escalate into a war cry and a warning to the white men that they must pay for the seeds they sow. The song becomes more aggressive with the lines, "Now get away, I'll slaughter all I find on this frontier." The singer is portrayed as Ottowa, who has come to make the invaders pay for what they have done. The song speaks of the determination of the indigenous people to fight for their land, and not even the white men's siblings will stop them.

In short, Riot's "Holy Land" is a powerful song about the struggles faced by the Native American people, including the impacts of European colonization in North America, and their efforts to preserve their culture and land.

Line by Line Meaning

For many years my people walked this land on which I stand
The singer is acknowledging the history of his people in the land he is standing on.

I pray no more white men come to soil this holy land
The singer hopes that no more white men will come to damage the sacred land.

Pontiac, gather your men and meet me down below
The singer is calling on Pontiac to help him in his fight against the white men.

Until they learn, they must pay with the seeds in life they sow
The singer believes that the white men must learn from their actions and suffer the consequences for the damage they have caused.

Holy Land, I'll fight you with this arrow in my hand
The singer is declaring his intention to fight for the holy land with his weapon in hand.

Running from the valley to the sand
The singer is saying that he will fight for the sacred land wherever he needs to.

Now get away, I'll slaughter all I find on this frontier
The singer is warning the white men to leave or they will be killed.

No more to say, no answer or excuses will I hear
The singer is saying that he will not listen to the excuses of the white men anymore.

I'm Ottawa, I've come to make you pay for what you've done
The singer is identifying himself as an Ottawa warrior seeking revenge for the wrongs done to his people.

I will not fall, not before your brother or your son
The singer is exclaiming that he will not die before he gets revenge on the white men.

On my way, I must erase your poison from this land
The singer is saying that he must get rid of the destruction caused by the white men on the sacred land.

I'm here to stay, eradicate your seed with my bare hands
The singer is declaring that he is staying to completely get rid of the white men and their influence in any way he can.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: M. DIMEO, M. REALE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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