Riot - Immortal Soul (2011) (Ltd.Edition, SPV 309870 CD)

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Riot - Immortal Soul (2011) (Ltd.Edition, SPV 309870 CD)

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"Immortal Soul" is a milestone of all sorts; it is a sophisticated effort based on the time and patience of Riot, not just a wonderful collection of masterful tunes. The album marks five years since "Army of One" and is the group's fourteenth full-length record overall, but that’s not all! It is also Tony Moore's first appearance on a Riot album since "Privilege of Power" which was released eighteen years prior to the "Immortal Soul" reunion, and let's not forget the biggest achievement of all: Mark Reale had an image of what would become one of heavy metal's greatest all-time leaders thirty-six years before this monumental accomplishment. "Immortal Soul" simply represents everything that rules about Riot from its explosive opener to the final thrills of the concluding "Echoes," and it even has the girth to compete against Riot's seminal "Thundersteel" and the classic "Privilege of Power" as well.

I'm trying not to carelessly gush over this, but it is awesome; there is no denying that. The prime factor with this album has been the complete reunion of Riot's Thundersteel-era lineup, marking the return of vocalist Tony Moore, bassist Don Van Stavern, and drummer Bobby Jarzombek alongside Reale and longtime shredder Mike Flyntz. You know that feeling when you get together with a bunch of old friends and suddenly all the good times and jokes come rushing in like a flooded river, almost like there was never a prolonged period of inactivity in the first place? Yea, that's "Immortal Soul" in a nutshell. The fire, fury and electricity of "Thundersteel" and "Privilege of Power" immediately open the record with a dazzling display of kinetic speed metal that bites and gnarls like a rabid wolf. The sheer energy throughout "Riot" heaves phenomenal riffs and performances all around the table; Tony Moore sounds natural and pristine, Reale and Flyntz shred in a melodic maze of stellar guitar work, and Van Stavern and Jarzombek blaze by the steel inferno faster than the speed of light.

Thankfully, the blistering power and complete dominance shown by the album's opener both live on a number of the tracks and course throughout the magical journey of metallic might that is "Immortal Soul." There are breaks between the periodic cuts that directly remind this listener of "Thundersteel," or sometimes other seminal Riot offerings which often appear in a rocking stage of traditional metal; "Crawling" or the title track , for example, add a different shade of strength, but overall the mid-tempo songs are sensationally written and performed on a majestic level. "Insanity" and the zapping "Whiskey Man" strut into Riot's multiple masks with an edge of perfection; it's almost scary how good they are no matter what they do. Riot never runs low on excellent guitar work, and Moore sounds fantastic, arguably his best vocal performance ever.

So, the legacy of the Thundersteel-era lineup lives on within "Immortal Soul," almost like Moore and the other dudes never left at all. But the album emerged through those years of absence with a force often undetected in the work of metal's veterans, who usually end up dropping sluggish, irrelevant material; Riot lives only to defy the norm. These guys have truly created a special release, and I really can't recommend it enough. "Immortal Soul" is a masterpiece thirty-six years in the making, and it will undeniably go down as one of Riot's finest albums and one of the best reunions the metal world has ever known. Johnny is back, and with a burning vengeance!

~ www.metal-archives.com