Unleash the Fire

Unleash the Fire is a restart on which, overcoming the tragedy of founder Mark Reale’s passing, the remaining members, as Riot V, powerfully inherit his brilliant will. It inherits head-on the style of the band’s golden era — dashing power metal. Around a new vocalist, the band beautifully revives the intensity of old into the present. From the powerful drive of the opener “Ride Hard Live Free” and the dashing “Metal Warrior” to the grand title track “Unleash the Fire,” every song is full of a sharp speed that evokes the lineage of Thundersteel, while “Land of the Rising Sun,” themed on Japan, and a cut like “Bring the Hammer Down” convey the band’s vigor. Even having lost the flagship Reale, it is a record where the members’ strong resolve to carry his musical spirit powerfully into the future, never letting it die, can be felt. Not stopping at mere tribute, it shows sure ability as an active power-metal band. Inheriting Riot’s tradition and stepping forward anew, it is a powerful, moving restart.