Bloody Riot
Bloody Riot

In 1983, punk is starting to falter. At least, it seems. In various countries (read: Italy), it is now gaining traction. And here come the Bloody Riot.

A band with a not-so-extensive production but that has left a certain impact on the hearts of Italian punks and others.

Violent: a machine gun in their logo; the name roughly translates to "bloody riot" ("Violent revolution!" a die-hard Kreator fan like me would shout). Raw, but not excessively so, just enough. Because yes, they were punk, but in '83, you could be punk in many ways. The audio quality is very low, but this does not prevent one from appreciating some gems that the band creates on a purely musical level.

The title track, "Bloody Riot," in terms of composition, is the best song. The chorus is brutal but not overly heavy, with that abrasive and desperate voice. The lyrics are not excellent: the critique of the police was at that time (and still is) a mantra that eventually tires, a real stereotype. Having made it the core, the manifesto, inserting it as the main verse of the song that gives the band its name, is not a great sign of maturity in songwriting. However, the relative sophistication of the guitar work is to be praised, which offers very beautiful melodies. The other songs ("C.L.S.", "No Eroina," and "Naia di Merda") all have a higher level of lyric writing and more predictable melodies, but not unpleasant by any means. In fact, the tracks flow wonderfully, and those accustomed to certain sounds will certainly be satisfied. Sometimes the band gives in a bit to coarseness, but repeatedly showing that they know well how to write a song and that they don't settle for two simple chords repeated for a hundred and twenty seconds with a few random words shouted.
In conclusion, therefore, a work to which a young punk can easily become attached, containing some flaws that are difficult to ignore completely, yet do not affect the overall result of the work. A remembered album, which despite being unripe, has the courage to dive into the fray. The listening is, therefore, highly recommended: not even a quarter of an hour for high-level music, which certainly does not represent the pinnacle of its genre, but which—trust me—contains at least a couple of tracks to add to your punk playlist. With a cool head, I can't give a sky-high rating, but I understand well why some old grey-headed punk, with heart, might even assign a 100 to this album. Rating: 81/100.