QR

The self-titled QR is a work of a great transitional period, made after the flagship vocalist Kevin DuBrow temporarily left the band and Paul Shortino was newly welcomed. Distancing a little from the former glam-metal image, around thick guitar and bluesy rhythm, the songs show a more settled, grown-up weight. Shortino’s soulful, powerful voice gives the band a new face. Even in melodic passages such as “Stay with Me Tonight,” the playing keeps a somewhat rough, hard feel particular to the late 1980s. Content oriented toward more serious hard rock, different from flashy party anthems. Though the absence of DuBrow, the band’s face, drew mixed views, there is surely a distinctive atmosphere particular to this new lineup. Even in a long career, it occupies a particularly unusual place in terms of a vocalist swap. It also has an experimental side, connecting the great lineup change directly to a different sound. Glimpsing another possibility of Quiet Riot, it is a cool, settled, intriguing hard-rock work — after which the band would welcome DuBrow again.