Narita

Narita is the second album on which Riot tightly binds straight riffs, sharp twin guitars and Guy Speranza’s high, urgent voice. The songs choose speed and powerful drive over complexity, inscribing the earnest, fresh momentum of a young band directly into sound. A record with a striking title, named after events surrounding Japan’s Narita Airport. In the momentum of the opener “Waiting for the Taking,” the aggression of “Kick Down the Walls,” the energy of the dashing “Road Racin’” and the drama of the instrumental title track “Narita,” a clear outline leading to later American heavy metal can be seen, while cuts like “49er” and “Here We Come Again” convey early Riot’s appeal. Its appeal is that, while inheriting the debut’s roughness, the power of the playing and the songs’ hooks are further honed. Still keeping a roughness, it leaves a vivid impression through strong hooks and high-intensity playing. Showing early Riot’s fullness as the band’s character began to set, it is an important record.