Rick Ventura Interview – Riot Act

The highly anticipated debut album from Riot Act, the band initially formed by former ‘classic era’ Riot members Rick Ventura and Lou Kouvaris, is titled Closer To The Flame, which is sure to please fans of the late 70s, early 80s era of Riot as well as fans of classic hard rock everywhere.

The album also comes with a 12 track bonus CD of classic 1979-1981 Riot tracks recut. These recordings feature the final ever recordings of Lou Kouvaris, who tragically passed away of Covid 19 in early 2020. The deluxe double album set will be released April 1 in Europe and April 15 in the US and Canada on Global Rock Records.

Riot Act made their live debut January 2020 at the Heavy

Metal Hall of Fame Gala in Anaheim, California. Their strong performance made a lasting impression on host Eddie Trunk. You can view their performance of Rock City and Swords & Tequila on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wTM6OPIOu8

Riot Act tragically lost founding member Lou Kouvaris as the

band was about to release an EP and embark on a European tour.

They regrouped and decided to forge ahead, releasing a tribute video of the early Riot classic Overdrive.  A lot of hard work and belief in themselves has led to the release of Closer to the Flame.

The original Riot was formed in Brooklyn in 1975 by guitarist Mark Reale. They were then and still are a criminally underrated and influential band (Metallica and Iron Maiden have been big fans of Riot for decades) that endured its share of hardships throughout the years, while also attaining a level of success, respect, and a devoted fan base along the way.

Reaching a peak in popularity in the early 1980s as they rode the crest of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal era (a movement which helped to lift the popularity of many heavy metal bands of that era on an international level) Riot enjoyed success with its biggest selling album to date, Fire Down Under, which peaked at #49 in the Billboard Top 200 in 1981 and is considered one of the landmark hard rock albums of that era.

Despite numerous personnel changes over the years, the original Riot had continued recording and touring success until its breakup in 2012.  Ventura’s last album with Riot was 1983’s Born in America.  Various incarnations of Riot have recorded and released 16 studio albums over the years.

Riot was officially re-launched in 2013 as Riot V (spoken as Riot 5) and has released two studio albums.  Riot Act formed in 2019 and, with the release of Closer to the Flame, is looking forward to carrying on the legacy of Riot circa 1977-1983 along with establishing itself as a musical force in-its-own right.  Both bands have a friendly relationship and support one another’s musical efforts.

Here is the Amazon.com order link: