The American heavyweights return with their new album following on fairly rapidly from 2017’s Road Rage which saw new singer James Durbin brought in to replace and re-record the vocals of Seann Nicols. Nothing ever seems to be permanent in the Quiet Riot world though as Durbin has subsequently left the band after completing all of the singing duties on Hollywood Cowboys with former Love/Hate vocalist Jizzy Pearl returning for another stint as front man.
hThere are no original members in the band these days and their history certainly makes for an interesting yet disconcerting read and I can only assume that their revolving door policy will continue for years to come. So, the band for this album is (or was) long time drummer (from 1982) Frankie Banali with bassist Chuck Wright (since 1985), Alex Grossi (since 2004) and the departed James Durbin. I’m not sure of the reason why he went his separate ways but he has left something of a legacy as his performance on Hollywood Cowboys is quite outstanding. This is hard and heavy rock on which Grossi showcases his mercurial talents as he riffs and solos through the album to great effect with Banali and Wright combining sublimely too in the way that only the great bass and drum combination do i.e. Glover/Paice, Bonham/Jones, Ward/Butler. Former American Idol James Durbin, as already mentioned, is quite magnificent but Jizzy Pearl knows the ropes and will surely stabilise the ship.
The names come and go but the music remains as the one constant in the fractured life that is Quiet Riot and that, bizarrely, adds to their appeal and mystique. These boys certainly suffer for their art but the end product is thrilling but this is Quiet riot and it is what they do.
