Category: Rioteers Review

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Rioteers Review

RR45 Terrorvision – Regular Urban Survivors

(Originally released over on https://www.patreon.com/riotactpodcast 8th October 2020)

Remfry is beyond excited as he and Steve discuss ‘the best band of the 1990s®’ according to EVERYONE WHO IS SANE … Terrorvision, and their 1996, 3rd full-length album Regular Urban Survivors. As suggested by absolute ruddy bloody legends Doug Rae and Wayne Mcwilliam, Regular Urban Survivors was the follow-up to the hugely successful How To Make Friends and Influence People, an album that yielded 5 singles and reached no #18 on the UK Albums Chart. Regular Urban Survivors managed 4 singles, (Easy, Bad Actress, Celebrity Hit List and Perseverance) but reached no #8 in the charts, the highest position for a Terrorvision album. The downfall (and the dire Tequila) were to come but at this point, Terrorvision were a very big deal, playing 4th down on the ’96 Reading Festival line-up beneath Offspring, The Prodigy and Rage Against the Machine.

Now everybody repeat after me …IWASHIGHONAMOLOTOVOFCOCKTAILSIWASLOWONAHUNDREDTHINGSIWASWRONGTOPUTMYMONEYWHEREMYMOUTHWASIWASRIGHTABOUTTHEWHALESANDTHEDOLPHINSWHALESANDDOLPHINSWHALESANDDOLPHINSYEEEEEEEAH

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Rioteers Review

RR44 Kings of Leon – Youth & Young Manhood

(Originally released to Patrons via https://www.patreon.com/riotactpodcast on 1st October 2020)

Steve and Remfry head back to 2003, to a time when Southern Indie rock quartet Kings of Leon weren’t a boring band … or maybe they were? Thanks to Michael Perry, who suggested we cover the band’s debut album (although kindly, he gave us the choice between this and the band’s 2004 follow-up Aha Shake Heartbreak).

17 years on, does the album live up to the ***** reviews and proclamation in The Village Voice that Youth and Young Manhood was “2003’s finest rock debut?

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Rioteers Review

RR43 Velvet Revolver – Contraband

Originally posted over on https://www.patreon.com/riotactpodcast (https://www.patreon.com/riotactpodcast) September 23rd 2020

Remfry and Steve head back to 2004 for a suggestion to cover GN’R/STP supergroup Velvet Revolver and their debut album Contraband. As suggested by Jonathan Davidson (who very kindly gave us the choice between Contraband or their risible 2007 follow-up Libertad), the timing of the release of this debut was extremely fortuitous, as the retro classic rock sound was back in fashion after The Darkness had paved the way with their debut album Permission to Land the previous summer. Consequently, Velvet Revolver were welcomed with much more open arms than they would have been just a couple of years previously … but do the songs on Contraband still sound as good today as they did 16 years ago?

** WARNING: Features Josh Todd impressions **

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Rioteers Review

RR42 Hundred Reasons – Ideas Above Our Station

Original posted September 16th 2020 on https://www.patreon.com/riotactpodcast

Steve and Remfry go very in-depth (almost Classic Album-worthy in-depth) on an album that was very hotly anticipated at the time, the debut from Aldershot melodic post-hardcore heroes Hundred Reasons. As suggested by Tierney, this Rioteer’s Review provides an opportunity to merrily skip down memory lane as both Steve and Remfry were heavily invested in the scene that Hundred Reasons (debatably) spawned.

They discuss the hype leading up to the record, the resounding success and sadly, what seemed inevitable decline of a band who, for just a sweet short summer in 2002 looked like they might dominate the entire universe (spoiler … they didn’t).

All that plus, we discover the revelation that Remfry’s never heard the saying ‘keen as mustard’ and Steve stays on brand by obsessing over a band that no-one’s even vaguely heard of and oly ever released one(!) demo.

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Rioteers Review

RR41 Killer Be Killed – Self-Titled

Originally posted September 9th 2020 on https://www.patreon.com/riotactpodcast

Remfry and Steve discuss a record that features members of Sepultura (Max Cavalera), The Dillinger Escape Plan (Greg Puciato), Mastodon (Troy Sanders) and The Mars Volta (Dave Elitch). The rule of super-groups dictates that surely, despite the calibre of musicians, this would be a crock of shit … but no! By finding the time to flaunt each individual member’s skills, whilst still maintaining the sense of a coherent and (perhaps most importantly) ‘proper’ band, Killer Be Killed is actually mag-bloody-nificent. Steve admits that his response to the record might have been too tepid upon release whilst Remfry manages to (shock-horror) get a reference in about post-rock … whilst talking about a heavy metal record. #branddedman

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Rioteers Review

RR40 Tyler, The Creator – IGOR

Originally posted September 2nd 2020 on https://www.patreon.com/riotactpodcast

It’s our 40th Rioteer’s Review and we’re covering something a little outside of the usual Riot Act remit as suggested by James Smurthwaite. Steve and Remfry discuss IGOR, the 5th album from controversial rapper, musician, songwriter and producer Tyler, The Creator.

Released on 17th May 2019, IGOR is a concept album that combines elements of R&B, Hip-Hop, Funk and Soul and interweaves a loose narrative about a love triangle between the titular character and his male love interest.

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Rioteers Review

RR35 Angels & Airwaves – We Don’t Need to Whisper

In a bid to annoy Steve, Remfry has taken a suggestion from the Download forums to discuss the debut album from our lord and savior Jesus Chr… I mean Tom Delonge. As suggested by Asthenia 912 (likely not their real name) we try to get to the bottom of Delonge’s messianic complex and how on earth he could have viewed this U2 knock off as “the greatest rock and roll revolution for this generation.”

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Rioteers Review

RR34 The Workhorse Movement – Sons Of The Pioneers

Steve and Remfry are keeping the Sabbath dream alive as they take a look at Sons of the Pioneers, the debut (and only) full-length album by ‘nu-metal’ one hit wonders The Workhorse Movement as suggested by Doug Rae. Outrageously coloured hair, mustard-coloured suits, two vocalists, one of whom is called ‘cornbread’ … it could only be the early 2000s. The Workhorse Movement had Monte Connor’s backing, the Roadrunner A&R guy famous for signing the likes of Slipknot, Sepultura, Fear Factory and Machine Head … but do The Workhorse Movement live up to such lofty signings?

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Rioteers Review

RR33 Death – Scream Bloody Gore

Steve and Remfry discuss 1987’s Scream Bloody Gore, the debut album by Death, as suggested by Tom Butterworth. The boys discuss the album’s standing as the first true death metal album ever and whether it deserves such a lofty title, they ponder the impact Death have had on the metal world at large and pontificate about the size of venues Death would play if they were still around today.

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Rioteers Review

RR32 Antemasque – Self-Titled

As suggested by Jed Grainger, Steve and Remfry discuss the debut (and only) album from the short-lived project formed by Omar Rodriguez Lopez and Cedric Bixler-Zavala of At the Drive-In / The Mars Volta fame. Released digitally on July 1st 2014 (november 10th 2014 physically) Antemasque caused a minor ripple for fans of At the Drive-In and The Mars Volta, which led Antemasque to play their debut London show at the Electric Ballroom, a show which Remfry attended and recalls here via a long lost Team Rock review. Steve generally mopes, but at least he likes Antemasque more than the last At the Drive-In album.