Rehab

Rehab is a work on which Quiet Riot, around blues-derived guitar, thick, powerful rhythm and Kevin DuBrow’s distinctive singing, headed toward a less over-decorated, mature hard rock. Rather than flamboyant 1980s decoration, the groove and the feel of the riffs themselves, which the band sounds directly and rawly, are valued above all. Welcoming guest musicians, it shows a broader musicality. By rough, aggressive songs and somewhat settled, cool songs lining up in good balance, you can clearly feel the breadth of musicality particular to a band with a long career. The power of the opener “I Can’t Hold On” and cuts like “Free,” “Blind Faith” and “South of Heaven” convey the band’s fullness, while a cut like “Old Habits Die Hard” also shines. A record that, beyond the frame of flashy party rock, again powerfully brings out the sure appeal Quiet Riot natively holds as a rock-and-roll band by returning to basics. Yet it became the last studio album in the lifetime of DuBrow, the band’s face. Strongly inscribed with his presence, it is a mature, richly flavored record.