Toshiba/EMI
2006
1. Army Of One
2. Knockin At My Door
3. Blinded
4. One More Alibi
5. It All Falls Down
6. Helpin Hand
7. The Mystic
8. Still Alive
9. Alive In The City
10. Shine
11. Stained Mirror
12. Darker Side Of Light
Army Of One marks lucky number 13 for Riot at they've been releasing albums since 1977. I can't say I was particularly worried about this one going in since I've liked everything they've ever done throughout their long career to varying degrees. Riot is a band I just expect to be good on faith.
Well what we have here... surprise, suprise... is a pretty good album. Army Of One is a bit more metallic than Through The Storm as the guitar sound is definitely a lot thicker, but it also strays more from metal in other ways at the same time. While Through The Storm got back to their roots of rock, this album is kinda lacking in direction. Some tracks are in a familiar style such as Army Of One and The Mystic which are patented DiMeo era rippers. Still Alive and Blinded are also familiar in their swaggering style that reminds of old school Riot.
Other songs on the album head off in different directions though. Most notable to me is Knockin At My Door which was a rather unpleasant surprise honestly and definitely my least favorite on the album. The chorus on this one is so sugary sweet it reeks of power ballad and made my stomach lurch. Definitely one Riot song I could do without. I'm used to some softer songs in Riot but this one just sounds way overproduced and saptacular. Helpin Hand and One More Alibi are also a bit on the sappy side in parts but I can handle those two much better.
Alive In The City on the other hand is an example of good new ground being broken. That one was definitely a surprise as it's pretty well a total blues oriented song. The whole thing has a purely southern vibe about it and really breathes with a hell of a lot of feeling. DiMeo's blues backround comes through here in a great way and it's very different from anything else on the disc. This track would have to be the one that really grabbed me on first listen.
The other tracks are pretty much a blend of the aforementioned styles. Shine in particular does a great job of crossing speed with some groove riffs here and there and some emotive parts in the mix. Probably the most complete song here.
In conclusion, this album is a bit more metal and interesting in the songwriting to me than the last album. The overly sugary parts do drag the album down a little, but it's not too detrimental. I like the fact the album is more diverse in the songwriting and that the riffs have more meat to them. Not Riot's best album ever, but a notch up from Through The Storm, and well worth owning for any Riot fan.
Highlights: Shine, Alive In The City, Blinded
Rating - 3.5/5
2. Knockin At My Door
3. Blinded
4. One More Alibi
5. It All Falls Down
6. Helpin Hand
7. The Mystic
8. Still Alive
9. Alive In The City
10. Shine
11. Stained Mirror
12. Darker Side Of Light
Army Of One marks lucky number 13 for Riot at they've been releasing albums since 1977. I can't say I was particularly worried about this one going in since I've liked everything they've ever done throughout their long career to varying degrees. Riot is a band I just expect to be good on faith.
Well what we have here... surprise, suprise... is a pretty good album. Army Of One is a bit more metallic than Through The Storm as the guitar sound is definitely a lot thicker, but it also strays more from metal in other ways at the same time. While Through The Storm got back to their roots of rock, this album is kinda lacking in direction. Some tracks are in a familiar style such as Army Of One and The Mystic which are patented DiMeo era rippers. Still Alive and Blinded are also familiar in their swaggering style that reminds of old school Riot.
Other songs on the album head off in different directions though. Most notable to me is Knockin At My Door which was a rather unpleasant surprise honestly and definitely my least favorite on the album. The chorus on this one is so sugary sweet it reeks of power ballad and made my stomach lurch. Definitely one Riot song I could do without. I'm used to some softer songs in Riot but this one just sounds way overproduced and saptacular. Helpin Hand and One More Alibi are also a bit on the sappy side in parts but I can handle those two much better.
Alive In The City on the other hand is an example of good new ground being broken. That one was definitely a surprise as it's pretty well a total blues oriented song. The whole thing has a purely southern vibe about it and really breathes with a hell of a lot of feeling. DiMeo's blues backround comes through here in a great way and it's very different from anything else on the disc. This track would have to be the one that really grabbed me on first listen.
The other tracks are pretty much a blend of the aforementioned styles. Shine in particular does a great job of crossing speed with some groove riffs here and there and some emotive parts in the mix. Probably the most complete song here.
In conclusion, this album is a bit more metal and interesting in the songwriting to me than the last album. The overly sugary parts do drag the album down a little, but it's not too detrimental. I like the fact the album is more diverse in the songwriting and that the riffs have more meat to them. Not Riot's best album ever, but a notch up from Through The Storm, and well worth owning for any Riot fan.
Highlights: Shine, Alive In The City, Blinded
Rating - 3.5/5
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