Review Summary: Riot close the Mike DiMeo era with its best expression; nevertheless it feels like a missed chance.
The classic Riot logo, the face of Johnny on the cover artwork and a four years long wait since 2002's
Through the Storm came out. Yet, not much has changed in the Riot headquarters. That's because 2006's
Army of One was recorded in 2003. So hold your horses when the straight up power metal of "Army of One" opens the album, or you might be disappointed soon after. Built over a dynamic structure and fueled by a surprisingly not cheesy chorus, the title track really isn't the most representative track of the album, though it serves its opener purposes very well. There may be plenty of double bass throughout, but there isn't a departure from the sound that characterized every album starting with
Nightbreaker.
Army of One's flavour often feels closer to a hard rock affair rather than a power metal one; a lot of it is made of mid tempo pieces, and while the instrumentation is relatively heavy the vocals soar over catchy choruses that wouldn't be out of place in a Praying Mantis album. Here we have the direct evolution of
Through the Storm, which saw the band openly embrace AOR elements. That's not said to denigrate the album, though. Conversely,
Army of One is quite ambitious. Being the longest album with singer Mike DiMeo, the tracks generally last more than 5 minutes, with a couple reaching the 7 minutes mark. This is justified by the fact that the songwriting has grown more dynamic and rich, without losing past ideas like some symphonic touches.
Even if the production isn't the clearest of Riot's, every member brings something relevant to the album creating a lively soundscape where guitars and vocals aren't always the undisputed stars. Save for occasions like the instrumental "Stained Mirror" where, as guitarist Mark Reale accostumed the fans to, the lights are pointed to emotional guitar soloing before the track flows into the lengthy album closer "Darker Side of Light". The attention to details extends throughout the album, and it seems the band had fun with the interplay of gentle and heavier sections, especially during guitar solos. Minor details like hammond organ and extra acoustic guitars are icing on the cake, and it is also notable how the album lacks a true big ballad although "Helpin' Hand" offers a chorus that could fit into one.
Certainly the best album of DiMeo-fronted Riot, but
Army of One still can't stand the inevitable comparisons with past Riot classics. The album length ends up being also a flaw. Riot aren't new to long albums, but in this case it doesn't work in the best way because this one gets samey quickly. The inclusion of more diverse material would have helped, and the more power metal tracks inevitably end up being album highlights, at least at first ("Army of One", The Mystic" and "Shine"). Additionally, the calm/heavy interplay ends up feeling a little repetitive. It becomes apparent when the slowing of "It All Falls Down"'s solo reminds of the similar situation in "One More Alibi"... the track that just came before. Naturally these are flaws that can't completely undo an album full of great tracks, but they can prevent it from reaching a higher level that was just a breath away.
