The year is 1979. Metal is a loosely defined genre, not yet a major force to be reckoned with, and, what is now considered “Classic Rock” is all the rage. American hard rock consists of bands like Van Halen, Aerosmith, KISS and Starz. There’s also a contingent of pop bands adorned with mullets, striped shirts and spandex pants that are often wrongly shoehorned into the genre, due to their similar fashion sense. New York’s Riot was one such band that co-opted the pop look to a certain degree, but was really a svelte, no-holds-barred hard rock machine.

NARITA was the band’s second album. Their first three albums featured vocalist Guy Speranza, before they drafted the incomparable Rhett Forester to join the ranks, but that’s another review. Speranza (RIP) had a smooth, powerful style that was common in rock circles of the day (think Paul Rodgers or Lou Gramm). NARITA saw the band move in a tougher-sounding direction. From the rousing opener "Waiting For the Taking," featuring some great harmonies, to the kick-ass "49er,” and the anthemic “Kick Down the Wall,” the album is a prime example of American hard rock’s developing evolution into what would soon be considered “Heavy Metal.” It was a naïve time for new bands like Riot, who fell in between the monolithic sounds of metal’s reigning leaders (Zep, Sabbath, Purple), and the more pop-focused bands like Foreigner and Journey. From start to finish the album does not disappoint, except for a campy cover of Steppenwolf’s “Born To Be Wild,” but at least this was before all the faux-biker ’80s bands co-opted the anthem to hit home the point that they were “for real.” Riot did it first.