By Martin Popoff
Unflagging in their determination to craft classic metal albums year after year, Riot return with a key personnel change for their Through The Storm record, an album that is being heralded for its organic traditional elements. Vocalist Mike DiMeo, down the line from his Long Island home, where Riot original Mark Reale also resides, is pleased with the record, happy about the vocals, which he claims, have been changed through odd means, the replacement of Bobby Jarzombek with fellow New Yorker Bobby Rondinelli, old school skinsman for the likes of Rainbow, Black Sabbath and Blue Oyster Cult, the band for which he is an official member.
"Musically speaking, I would say that the biggest difference is Bobby, in both respects, Bobby Jarzombek and Bobby Rondinelli," laughs DiMeo. "I mean, if you're familiar with the older records with Bobby on them, Bobby Rondinelli just brings a huge difference in terms of style; it's a big change for us. I don't know if you know this, but Bobby Jarzombek, our last drummer, left to play with Rob Halford. And it was kind of a big blow for us because he was an integral part of the Riot sound and losing him changed our sound pretty dramatically. But I think Bobby Rondinelli's playing on this album... you know, a lot of people tell me that it's too simple for Riot. Like I had a couple interviews last night and people were telling me that. But I welcome the change, because Bobby Jarzombek, he's a real busy player, he's fast, a real intricate player, and Bobby Rondinelli is more in the pocket, in the groove; he just lays down the groove with less action going on. But I think his rhythm and tempo and feel, you know... he's in a class of his own. He's one of the best hard rock drummers there are."
RIOT - America's Original Power Generators Page 2