Tag Archives: mark reale

Features, PiercingMetal Says

This Just In: Nuclear Blast Records Signs Riot V

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Fans of the band Riot will be chomping at the bit at the news of their inclusion onto the awesome roster of Nuclear Blast Records artists. Check out the press release below. I’ll add some closing editorial at the end.

The Press Release:
NUCLEAR BLAST are proud to announce the signing of cult New York Heavy Metal band RIOT V, who will be inducted into the prestigious Heavy Metal History Hall of Fame 2018! Hardly any other metal act has such a long, absorbing history behind it. Since the quintet formed in 1975 they have been hit by several severe strokes of fate during their long career. With Rhett Forester (R.I.P. 1994), Guy Speranza (R.I.P. 2003) and Mark Reale (R.I.P. 2012) – three deceased members have left their mark on the four decades of RIOT’s band history.

Since their legendary debut album “Rock City” (1977), RIOT has released numerous heavy metal classics, including “Fire Down Under” (with classics like “Swords And Tequila”), their masterpiece “Thundersteel” (1988), and the unforgotten “The Privilege Of Power”(1990).

After the death of Mark Reale and the departure of Tony Moore, Todd Michael Hall (from Michigan, USA), completed the line-up of the band, which in the meantime performed under the name of RIOT V under the auspices of the two long term members and main songwriters Donnie van Stavern (bass) and Mike Flyntz (guitar). With the critically acclaimed “Unleash The Fire” (2014), a pure power metal jewel once again underlined the musical importance and influence of the quintet.

Many artists name-check RIOT as an important influence of their musical career and have paid tribute to the power metal godfathers on multiple occasions. The list is long and includes several well-known acts such as HAMMERFALL (‘Flight Of The Warrior’), Luca Turilli’s RHAPSODY (‘Thundersteel’), AXEL RUDI PELL (‘Warrior’) and newcomers such as NIGHT DEMON (‘Road Racin’), ALPHA TIGER (‘Flight Of The Warrior’), SAVAGE MASTER (‘Swords And Tequila’) and STALLION (‘Rock City’).

“RIOT V is proud to announce our union with the mighty Nuclear Blast label! Two true metal visionaries meet to unleash an assault on all you metal warriors of the world! Its really awesome to be on “THE” metal label and have so much respect and excitement between us. We are in great hands and it’s always nice to have a mutual vision of what this band needs to be thrust back onto the metal battlefield and with our thousands of metal soldiers supporting and fighting with us. This will be the start of a great relationship – and it doesn’t hurt that some of the Nuclear Blast staff are long-time fans! Now let’s start a riot! Shine On!”, commented Don van Stavern.

RIOT V are busy recording the follow up to the highly acclaimed come back record “Unleash The Fire”, which entered the Hard Rock 100 Billboard charts at #75 and Rolling Stone Magazine gives it a 4/5 rating, while most media including Burrn!, Rock Hard and Aardshock dubbed it album of the year! The new disc will be released in spring 2018 and production duties will be handled by producer whiz Chris “The Wizard” Collier (METAL CHURCH, FLOTSAM & JETSAM, SLIPKNOT, KORN a.o.).

The new songs promises to please fans of the “Thundersteel”-era of RIOT, as main song writer and long time Mark Reale music collaborator Don Van Stavern undertakes a lot of the writing as he did on “Thundersteel”, “The Privilege of Power” and the latest offering “Unleash The Fire”. Don van Stavern adds: “This next offering will please long time fans and create new ones, as the material is fresh and Power Metal at it’s finest.”

RIOT V truly are metal soldiers and will keep marching and fighting the good fight to bring you the music you’ve come to know, love and expect from RIOT V. In addition, RIOT V will return to Europe for some live shows in December.

*** end of transmission ***

PiercingMetal Thoughts: Truth be told I wasn’t really following Riot back in the day as a regular study but liked what I would hear when I heard it. Too many albums had gone by me to find me sinking the time backward but like I said, I did always enjoy what I knew. I caught the band during a NYC visit a few years ago around the time that founder Reale was at death’s door and while the band kicked serious ass it was a room filled with a very solemn vibe. Mark left us that same week and I was glad that the band decided to maintain course and keep the music reaching more and more fans. I might have been late to the party but I am sure interested in what their soon to be revealed songs are like. What do you readers think about this new signing by Nuclear Blast Records? Are you excited at all? Let me know down in the comments section below.

Official Website: http://www.areyoureadytoriot.com/

Features, In Memoriam

R.I.P.: Riot’s Mark Reale (1/25/2012)

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Wow. I had to say that I really didn’t expect this news to be the case even though the Metal Republic and I had been informed about the critical shape that guitarist Mark Reale was in when I attended the New York City based band Riot’s gig last week at B.B. King’s. The band had recently released the album “Immortal Soul” and it’s been receiving some really great reviews and while I still need to get a copy and focus my thoughts on it, I had to say that I really enjoyed what the band did live. The guitarist had been suffering from Crohn’s disease for most of his life and even though he was often in considerable pain according to press reports, he would press on and perform for his fans again and again. Shortly before the tour began it was reported how Mark was in the hospital in critical condition based on complications from his illness but the band would press on in his name and not let the fans down. Singer Tony Moore had us remaining hopefully but few actually knew that the guitarist was actually in a coma all this time since January 11th.

My exposure to Riot was limited at best and yet everything that I ever heard I seemed to like. It’s almost funny for me to wonder why I was never following them before or outside of the one album that I owned. That just happens sometimes because there really is a ton of Metal and Hard Rock to enjoy if you choose to expand your horizons past Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. If you love the heavy side of things and cannot move past those legends I strongly suggest you try because its a wonderful world. Despite Mark’s absence from the appearance, the show that I attended was nothing less than kick ass and I was very hopeful that he would be able to pull through and be rocking for his fans once again. Sadly this would not be the case and the dire complications from this illness would take him from us. He was 56 years of age.

Mark Reale was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1955 and his love of the artists of the day would lead him to form Riot in 1975. The band became a staple on the New York City Hard Rock and Metal scene and throughout the bands often tumultuous lineup shifts he would remain its sole original member from their first album “Rock City” until their 2011 release “Immortal Soul”. There are seventeen albums in total available on labels like Metal Blade Records, Epic Records, Capitol Music and SPV Records so the new and legacy fans really have their purchase work ahead of them if they do not have a complete set of their catalog. The question remains as to whether or not the band shall continue on without him, because he was not only the founding member but also the only one left who was touring with them at this point in music history. I’d like to keep positive because this was such a good show and the band has numerous killer tunes. Of course I also have my doubts about it as do many other fans in media. It’s hard enough for newer in the public eye regularly bands to keep going on much less a legacy group that has just lost its founder. Only time will tell right?

On behalf of the PiercingMetal brand name I send sincere and heartfelt condolences out to Mark’s worldwide fans, friends, band mates and of course his loved ones. He really did some good for the Metal scene and his music shall live on forever. Rest in Peace Mark Reale.

Official Riot Website: http://www.riotrockcity.com
Mark Reale’s Wikipedia Entry HERE.
Learn more about Crohn’s Disease via this Wikipedia Entry HERE.

Events, Reviews

Riot @ B.B. King Blues Club (1/18/2012)

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There was going to be a Riot in NYC this evening and I am speaking about the legendary NYC Metal band that goes by that name who were set on delivering the goods for their ardent fans tonight at B.B. King Blues Club. I’ve never seen them before so I was rather excited to see what it was all about because my friends had been fans for years. The down side was that founding guitarist Mark Reale had been admitted to the hospital only days before the tour began and was reportedly in critical condition due to the effects of Crohn’s disease. We sure wish him the best and applauded the band for not cancelling the shows for the fans. To check out the full concert report and see some photos just scroll on down past the bands logo below.

Artist: Riot
Venue: B.B. King Blues Club (New York, NY)
Opener: Gothic Knights, Arctic Flame
Date: 1/18/2012
Label: SPV Records

My interest level was high when I learned that the legendary New York Metal band Riot was going to be playing one of my favorite concert venues after never having done so before. Well, I will admit that this is to the best of my knowledge because I’ve only been reviewing shows at this establishment since 2004 and I don’t recall my missing a show like that. I had to admit that even though I grew up enjoying many of the same bands that my friends do, I was less than informed about this bands stuff. My only real exposure to them was with the album “The Privilege Of Power” which was one of their later efforts and morphed them more into a Power Metal band than a traditional Heavy Metal one. Since I had never seen them before this would be an exciting show to both my ears and eyes and it was honestly very cool to be right up front in such intimate quarters as this venue allows. There was a serious downside to this gig as the bands founding guitarist Mark Reale would not be making the journey and had been hospitalized only a few days before the show due to complications from Crohn’s disease. It had to be hard on the band to do this without him but they apparently had his blessing to do it.
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