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.

The Man
Riot Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'm tired of running, I'm tired of who I am
I've been obsolved from this prison which I stand.
I pray for freedom from everything I see
Somebody please set me free
Oh no I'm never looking back
No now I'm in for the attack

Here I stand, you know who I am, running for the highway

I'm the man
Here I stand, catch me if you can, burning down the highway
I'm the man

I see your justice I watch your wicked ways, steal their minds
And then you will betray.
You feed them silence and make them lose their will freedom song running still.
Oh no I'm coming after you.
No now there's nothing you can do.

Here I stand, you know who I am, running for the highway
I'm the man
Here I stand, catch me if you can, burning down the highway
I'm the man
Here I stand, you know who I am, running for the highway
I'm the man
Here I stand, catch me if you can, burning down the highway
I'm the man
Here I stand, you know who I am, I'm running long
Here I stand, catch me if you can, coming after you
I've been running hard.

I've been running long.
I've been running so long.

Overall Meaning

The song "The Man" by Riot is a classic heavy metal anthem that speaks to the struggles of feeling trapped and seeking freedom. The opening lines, "I'm tired of running, I'm tired of who I am, I've been absolved from this prison which I stand" set the tone for the song as a whole. The persona of the song is tired of feeling like they are trapped in their current life and desperately seeking a way out. This feeling is compounded by the personas plea for freedom from everything they see around them, indicating an overwhelming feeling of entrapment.

The second verse of the song speaks to the injustices and wicked ways of society, suggesting that it is the external factors surrounding the persona that are contributing to their sense of entrapment. The line, "you feed them silence and make them lose their will freedom song running still" speaks to the idea of being silenced and stripped of one's agency, thereby contributing to the sense of feeling trapped. The persona then declares that they are coming after these external forces, and that there is nothing they can do to stop them.

The chorus of the song serves as a call to arms for the persona, who identifies themselves as "The Man". It suggests that no matter what obstacles they face along the way, be it societal oppression or internal inner turmoil, they are committed to continuing to run and fight for their freedom. Overall, "The Man" is a powerful heavy metal anthem that speaks to the universal human desire for freedom and agency.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm tired of running, I'm tired of who I am
I am exhausted from constantly running from my past and the person I used to be

I've been absolved from this prison which I stand
I have found redemption and been forgiven for my past mistakes

I pray for freedom from everything I see
I yearn for freedom from the injustices and negative influences surrounding me

Somebody please set me free
I plead for someone to help me break free from my current situation

Oh no I'm never looking back
I am determined to move forward and not dwell on my past

No now I'm in for the attack
I am ready to take on whatever challenges lie ahead and fight for my freedom

Here I stand, you know who I am, running for the highway I'm the man
I am confidently asserting my identity as the one in control of my life and journey

Here I stand, catch me if you can, burning down the highway I'm the man
I am daring anyone to try and stop me on my path towards freedom and self-discovery

I see your justice I watch your wicked ways, steal their minds And then you will betray
I am aware of the oppressive systems in place that manipulate and control people, ultimately leading to betrayal

You feed them silence and make them lose their will freedom song running still
You silence and suppress people, taking away their free will, but I will continue to fight for my freedom

Oh no I'm coming after you No now there's nothing you can do
I am determined to hold those responsible for oppression accountable, and they cannot stop me

Here I stand, you know who I am, I'm running long
I am persevering through obstacles and running a long race to reach my goals

Here I stand, catch me if you can, coming after you I've been running hard. I've been running long. I've been running so long.
I am pursuing my dreams and seeking justice relentlessly, despite the challenges and struggles I face

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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