Nightbreaker

Nightbreaker is the seventh album on which Riot, around hard riffs and a sure melodic sense, again powerfully sounds the appeal of traditional heavy metal. Welcoming a new vocalist, it gathers more melodic, varied songs rather than the all-speed of previous albums. Mark Reale’s guitar unites sharpness and songcraft, opening a new side of the band. From the powerful drive of the opener “Soldier” and the dashing “Destiny” to the drama of the title track “Nightbreaker,” every song is fulfilling, while a cover of Procol Harum’s classic “A Whiter Shade of Pale” and cuts like “In Your Eyes” and “Outlaw” convey the band’s broad musicality. Its appeal is steering in good balance from dashing power metal toward a more melodic, lyrical direction. Even amid the change of a vocalist swap, Riot’s sure orientation toward melody and powerful playing do not waver in the least. Announcing the band’s new start in the 1990s, it is a powerful, fulfilling melodic-metal work — Mark Reale’s mature guitar shining.