There are some good noises coming out of Bristol at the moment and Riot|Noise are making a lot of them.
When the band’s first EP, Fight The People’, was released back in 2009 they instantly became many critics choice for Next Big Thing. Very sensibly they went ahead on their own agenda and spent the next few years learning their craft and touring with the likes of Motorhead, Duff McKagan and the Blackout and finally release their debut album this June. No real question that they have learnt a helluva lot from their experiences but this album shows that they have kept their originality and souls intact – not an easy job!
What they deliver is Rock. Pure and simple. Well, maybe not so pure! They have a great ear for a riff but they also write songs with melody and a certain tunefulness that makes you want to listen to more.
Kev Peters has done a great job in honing their edge and bringing the power through and the gems on the album show that they really do have a sense of their own abilities. The bass boom that opens ‘Who’s Your Jesus’ or the pure metal bombast set against harmonies and melodic vocals of ‘Broken Nails & Bloody Fingers’ says a lot for their talents. Scott Stubbs and Ashley Pocock riff like monsters on tracks like ‘Rage You Know’ while the boiulerhouse of Freddie Forbes bass and Dan Fortune’s drums is irresistible – you find yourself breathless just listening to the album.
They used PledgeMusic to raise funds for the video and pressing of the album and hit their target in just three weeks which suggests that the three years of touring has gained them a solid fanbase as well as becoming an identifiable sound.
All in, one of the most enjoyable metal albums I’ve heard this year.
