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.

Santa Maria
Riot Lyrics

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There are ships upon the ocean
Through the morning mist and cold
Ride the wind to the new world
Lion hearts they sail so bold
In a vision I have seen this
Such a dream I can't ignore
What become of our children
When they reach the secred shore ?

Santa Maria
The world awaits your destiny
Santa Maria
Say a prayer for me

A man of faith, he is driven
Passion turns deep inside
Hope and courage dwell within him
As he watched the midnight sky
There are some who will forsaken him
There are those who wonder why
Though many people will embrace him
We remember and we cry

Santa Maria
The world awaits your destiny

Santa Maria
Say a prayer for me

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Riot's song "Santa Maria" describe a group of seafarers who are determined to embark on a journey to the new world with courage and hope. Through the morning mist and cold, they ride the wind fearlessly, with lion hearts. The song's protagonist, who has had a vision of their journey, cannot ignore the sense of foreboding that comes with it. They contemplate what will become of the children who accompany them and whether they will be safe when they reach the shore.

The song's chorus, "Santa Maria, the world awaits your destiny. Santa Maria, say a prayer for me," refers to the ship they sail on, the Santa Maria, one of the three ships that Christopher Columbus sailed on his first voyage across the Atlantic in 1492, in search of a new trade route to India. The song borrows its title from the ship, which became a symbol of European expansionism and colonialism in the New World. The lyrics also capture the sense of adventure and peril that accompany such explorations, as well as the complex emotions of those who embark on them.

The second verse of the song focuses on the man leading the journey, who is driven by his faith, hope, and courage. He watches the midnight sky as his passion turns deep inside. Some will forsake him, some will embrace him, and some will wonder why, but the memory of their journey will live on, and people will remember and cry. Overall, "Santa Maria" is a powerful, evocative song that captures the sense of adventure, hope, and fear that comes with explorations.

Line by Line Meaning

There are ships upon the ocean
There are numerous ships floating on the ocean.

Through the morning mist and cold
The ships are sailing in the morning amidst the cold mist.

Ride the wind to the new world
The ships are propelled by the wind towards a new world.

Lion hearts they sail so bold
The sailors on these ships are brave and fearless.

In a vision I have seen this
The artist has seen this scene in his/her imagination.

Such a dream I can't ignore
This dream is too vivid and important to overlook.

What become of our children
The singer wonders what will happen to the future generations.

When they reach the sacred shore?
The artist is concerned about the fate of children when they arrive at a holy land.

Santa Maria
The name of a significant ship

The world awaits your destiny
The world is eagerly waiting for the fate of Santa Maria

Say a prayer for me
The singer asks Santa Maria to pray for them.