WRAITH – Riot [Japan Edition +1] Out Of Print

After featuring here WRAITH‘s album ‘Danger Calling’ few days ago, many of you asked for the band’s following record 1993’s “Riot“. Here’s the Japanese Edition which not only has a better sound quality, but a different cover art and includes a very good bonus track.
British hard rockers WRAITH is another of those old-school heavy-rock bands that can be either well known or quite unknown to you. Unfortunately, they didn’t have much commercial impact back then, largely perhaps because they arrived at the scene a little late.
They’ve had the support of spectacular musicians of the caliber of UFO’s bassist Pete Way and even the legendary Mr. Lemmy Kilmister (RIP) gave them support. And for a reason; on “Riot” WRAITH delivers a killer set of crunchy, hard rockin’ metallic tunes mixed with melodic hard rockers with a late ’80s feel, like a cross between of Dokken, Lion, Blue Murder, etc.

A look at Sumerian female warrior cover art may warn the listener to prepare for a smashing and chaotic record infested of dark, mean riffs and an inhuman rhythm section. However that’s far from reality.
While this album is hard and heavy on the surface, Wraith combines the groove-riffs from the mid-Eighties NWOBHM sound with ’80s American melodic hard rock / glam metal in order to capture both the adrenaline and energetic side of their old-school British colleagues and the sleazy, partying vibe of their hairy influences.
You have your driving fast, in-your-face heavy rockers, your melodic rock midtempos, and your ballad which it isn’t cheesy at all.

Despite recorded 1993 when the rock music scene was changing, there aren’t any painful attempts to incorporate down-tuned arrangements to the sound and the production is very polished without making the album sound sterile or flat. In short, there’s the required amount of heaviness and melodies are instantly enjoyable.
Each song blends into the other and keeps you hooked, among our favorites the catchy ”Russian Roulette”, “Human Zoo”, “Downonme”, and “Shove It”.
Highly Recommended

01 – Russian Roulette
02 – Riot
03 – Cursed
04 – You’ve Got It Comin’
05 – Downonme
06 – Shove It
07 – Get What I Want
08 – Pride Of Youth
09 – Human Zoo
10 – Shattered
11 – Fall Into The Fire
12 – Under The Hammer (Japan Bonus Track)

Jedd Clarc – vocals
Andy Gamble – guitars
Greg Russell – guitars
Steve Clark – bass
Andy Reynolds – drums

out of print