Band:	Riot V
Album:	Mean Streets
Style:	Hard rock, Heavy metal
Release date:	May 2024

01. Hail To The Warriors
02. Feel The Fire
03. Love Beyond The Grave
04. High Noon
05. Before This Time
06. Higher
07. Mean Streets
08. Open Road
09. Mortal Eyes
10. Lost Dreams
11. Lean Into It
12. No More

Riot V is the same band as Riot, yes. The classic Riot, known from albums such as Fire Down Under, Narita, and ThunderSteel, come from the vast American heavy metal and power metal scene. Riot was one of the pioneers of the style, and a point of reference for new bands. Can you recall the name Guy Esperanza? Then you might be a fan of the band's classic period.

Riot was formed in New York City in 1975 by guitarist Mark Reale. Achieving peak success and popularity during the early 1980s, the band has continued a long-running successful career. Riot's sound initially started out as straightforward heavy metal, but since their 1988 release ThunderSteel, their musical style has shifted a little towards power metal.

Why Riot V? Because the band was officially re-launched as "Riot V", the name alluding to the addition of Todd Michael Hall as their fifth official singer.

Riot V - Mean Streets: released in 2024, it is Riot's third album not featuring long-time guitarist and founder, Mark Realem who died in 2012, and is the follow-up album to Armor Of Light, which was released in 2018. This new album seems to represent the band's long-awaited return to their more classic power metal sound; in songs like "Feel The Fire" or "Love Beyond The Grave", this can be clearly heard, in comparison to where the band have been found wanting on their other recent albums. In songs like "High Noon", "Higher" and "Lost Dreams", one can hear both the epic and power metal sides of Riot, which had been lost over the years.

The highlights here are "Hell To The Warriors", "Mean Streets" and "Lean Into It". Overall, this is a very fun album, one that is easy to listen if you like the classic heavy metal or American power metal sounds, and it may be the best record from the present era of Riot.

Perhaps the main difference between Riot and Riot V is that the band members want to distinguish themselves from the former version, rather than continuing with the weight and responsibility of carrying on the legacy of the classic band. I am now aware that it is not appropriate to judge the past through the eyes of the present. Listening to this record is the most effective way to exercise this, and may serve as a good benchmark for other records and other bands in the future.