Review Summary: Riot City's speed metal comes with a little more control on Electric Elite
While Riot City’s second album features much of the same flailing speed metal as 2019’s Burn the Night, there is considerably more control in its execution. This is perhaps best demonstrated with the change of singers as Cale Savy’s decision to focus solely on guitar playing allows lead vocalist Jordan Jacobs to take the helm. The change isn’t too drastic as Jacobs offers a similar mix of high-pitched wails and falsettos, but their application better serves the natural needs of a song at hand.
Beyond that, the writing also reveals a bit more dimension once things get settled. The more mid-tempo “Tyrant” breaks the fast pace set by the one-two punch of “Eye of the Jaguar” and “Beyond the Stars” and ends up being the album’s strongest song thanks to catchy gang vocal trade-offs in the chorus and busy soloing. “Ghost of Reality” and the closing “Severed Ties” threaten to go even further, tempering their bursts with extended borderline ballad segments.
The songs in between don’t take too many risks, largely opting for the faster approach, but we do get some solid tracks out of it. “Paris Nights” and “Lucky Diamond” serve up some anthemic fun, the former putting in some smooth flow between its building verses and gang vocal-driven hooks while the latter serves up a little more intensity. There’s still a sense that the band could rein themselves in to ensure a little more accessibility, but their wildness remains part of the charm.
Riot City’s high flying speed metal is the sort of thing that will always be an acquired taste, but Electric Elite’s application of those tropes makes for a slightly more palatable experience. While it’s easy to imagine folks preferring the more frenzied approach of Burn the Night, this is a considerably more balanced listen without watering down the style. There’s a sense that this could be a transitional album but that might also just be me wanting more songs like “Tyrant.” Riot City might still be on an uphill trajectory, but this is a solid enough spot to hop on.
