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.
Soldier
Riot Lyrics
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With hope they wait for tomorrow - but in the night
They bow their heads and pray
They live by the sword and the gun
And now they march through the darkness
The fire of freedom burns brught like the sun
Soldier
With blood on your hands
You lead your command onward...to victory
Soldier
Thrashing across the seas
Mighty you stand
Defending the land
With a heart that's brave and free
Back home there's fear and hunger
Out in the streets
The desperate bleed
Out in this world there stalks a killer
Who's heart is filled with lust and greed
Soldier
Fighting for liberty
With blood on your hands
You lead your command onward... to victory
Soldier
Thrashing across the seas
Mighty you stand
Defending the land
With a heart that's brave and free...
The song "Soldier" by Riot is an anthem dedicated to soldiers who leave their homes and families to fight for their country. The opening verse acknowledges the sacrifices of women who wait with hope for the safe return of their men, but can't help but shed tears of sorrow for them. The following lines describe the soldiers who live by the sword and the gun and march through darkness to defend freedom. The chorus "Soldier, fighting for liberty, with blood on your hands, you lead your command onward to victory" highlights the central theme of the song, which is the bravery and commitment of the soldiers who fight for their country.
The second verse speaks of the desperation and chaos that occurs back home when a war is waged, with fear and hunger running rampant on the streets. Meanwhile, the soldiers are thrashing across the seas and defending their land with a heart that's both brave and free. The verse ends with a warning that there are killers out there with hearts filled with lust and greed. The chorus repeats again, in a show of solidarity and gratitude towards the soldiers.
Line by Line Meaning
Woman shed tears of Sorrow for their men so far away
Women are crying with deep sadness for their loved ones who are far away fighting.
With hope they wait for tomorrow - but in the night
The women have hope for a better tomorrow, but their hope seems distant in the night.
They bow their heads and pray
The women pray for the safety of their loved ones.
They live by the sword and the gun
Their loved ones live by fighting with weaponry.
And now they march through the darkness
Soldiers move in the darkness where there is less visibility to fight enemies.
The fire of freedom burns brught like the sun
The fervor and passion for freedom blazes as bright as the sun.
Soldier
Fighting for liberty
With blood on your hands
You lead your command onward...to victory
Soldier
Soldiers are motivated to fight for freedom and lead their men forward to win the war.
Thrashing across the seas
Mighty you stand
Defending the land
With a heart that's brave and free
Soldiers bravely cross the seas to defend their homeland with hearts full of freedom and bravery.
Back home there's fear and hunger
Out in the streets
The desperate bleed
At home, people are afraid and hungry and there are desperate, injured people on the streets.
Out in this world there stalks a killer
Who's heart is filled with lust and greed
In this world, a killer roams whose motive is to satisfy their own desires of lust and greed.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: M. REALE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Cristian Aparicio Ortiz
Riot es mi banda predilecta, muchos prefieren los primeros álbumes y otros el estilo de thundersteel y pop. En mi caso mi era favorita es la de DiMeo, mucha creatividad en las guitarras y su voz me hace abrazar muy bien las canciones...
Bruno Reeves
Eterno Mark 🤘🏻⚡
Wild E
This is the way that the very best music is made! Guitarists extraordinary!!
Fretboard_Frenzy 2023
True, but don't forget the fantastic drumming of super talented Bobby Jarzombek!
Walter Behobi
One underrated band!
Evandro Luiz
Great band, great song!!!!!
Jorge Arevalo
CON MIKE DIMEO RIOT SUENA MUY PURPLERIANO Y A PESAR QUE SOY MUY FAN DE SUS TRES DISCOS CON TONY MOORE NO PUEDO DEJAR DE SEÑALAR LO BIEN QUE SUENAN CON DIMEO
Corsario Aguirre
Los discos con mike dimeo son buenisimos. Shine on 🤘🤘🍺🎵🎶🎶🎤🎤
J Rizo
RIOT was such a great band...miss those guys so much.
Sérgio Ribeiro
Love this song