{{Short description|1988 studio album by Riot}} {{Use mdy dates|date=December 2020}} {{Infobox album | name = Thundersteel | type = studio | artist = Riot | cover = Thundersteel cover.jpg | alt = | released = March 24, 1988 | recorded = January 1988 at Greene St. Recording, New York City | venue = | studio = | genre = Power metal | length = 46:06 | label = CBS<br/>Epic <small>(Europe)</small> | producer = Steve Loeb, Rod Hui, Mark Reale | prev_title = Born in America | prev_year = 1983 | next_title = Riot Live | next_year = 1989 }} {{Music ratings |rev1 = AllMusic |rev1score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref name="allmusic">{{cite web | url = http://www.allmusic.com/album/thundersteel-r16610/review | title = Riot Thundersteel review | accessdate = January 10, 2012 | last = O'Neill | first = Brian | publisher = AllMusic}}</ref> | rev2 = ''Classic Rock'' | rev2score = {{Rating|5|10}}<ref name="classic" >{{cite magazine |title=Riot - Thundersteel/The Privilege of Power |journal=Classic Rock |date=February 2010 |last=Barton |first=Geoff |authorlink=Geoff Barton |issue=141 |page=93}}</ref> | rev3 =''The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal'' | rev3Score = {{Rating|7|10}}<ref name="martin" >{{cite book | last1 = Popoff | first1 = Martin | authorlink1 = Martin Popoff | title = The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 2: The Eighties | publisher = Collector's Guide Publishing | date = November 1, 2005 | location = Burlington, Ontario, Canada | isbn = 978-1-894959-31-5 | page=289}}</ref> | rev4 = ''Rock Hard'' | rev4score = 9/10<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rockhard.de/reviews/riot-thundersteel_186865.html|title=Riot - Thundersteel Review|access-date=November 1, 2021|website=Rock Hard}}</ref> |noprose=yes }} '''''Thundersteel''''' is the sixth studio album by the American heavy metal band Riot, released after coming back from a period of inactivity in the mid-1980s. It features a totally different line-up from that of the previous work, with guitarist Mark Reale being the only remaining member.
It was re-issued in 2003 by Collectables Records with slightly amended artwork and re-issued on 180g vinyl as a 2-LP set with ''The Privilege of Power'' by SPV on February 25, 2013.<ref>{{cite web|title=SPV launch an exciting new series of catalogue vinyl releases|url=http://www.spv.de/News/newsdetail.php?newsID=436|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140101084304/http://www.spv.de/News/newsdetail.php?newsID=436|archivedate=January 1, 2014}}</ref> The album originally charted at No. 150 on ''Billboard'' 200<ref>{{cite web|url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=riot|chart=all}} |title=Thundersteel – Riot |work=Billboard | accessdate=October 16, 2010}}</ref>
The song "Thundersteel" was originally written by Mark Reale and Don Van Stavern for 'Narita', a short-lived project Reale formed with members of S.A. Slayer following the demise of Riot in 1984. A demo released by Narita exists, with "Thundersteel" and two other tracks: "Liar" and "The Feeling Is Gone". The record's title song appears as a bonus track on 2013 album "Possession" by the Polish heavy metal band Crystal Viper.
The song "Flight of the Warrior" was covered by the Swedish heavy metal band HammerFall on their 2008 album ''Masterpieces''. A cover of "Flight of the Warrior" also appears as a bonus track on the 2013 album ''Beneath the Surface'' by German metal band Alpha Tiger who've performed the song live as well.
==Album information== The album's sound has been described as power metal;<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-10-essential-power-metal-albums|last=Lawson|first=Dom|website=Metal Hammer|title=The 10 essential power metal albums|date=October 19, 2016|access-date=November 1, 2021}}</ref> with AllMusic writer Brian O'Neill going into great detail describing what all went into its sound, saying, "The disc takes cues from everything that was metal at the time, combining classic European styles reminiscent of Judas Priest's heavier moments (a premonition for ''Painkiller)'', thrashing guitars and pounding percussion indicative of the then-burgeoning underground thrash movement (it's got more riffs than Anthrax ever had), and undertones of the hair metal that was riding the charts at the time (especially in appearance) into a cohesive moment of refined ferocity."<ref name="allmusic"/>
==Legacy== In 2008, the album's personnel reunited for 2009's Sweden Rock Festival.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/riot-s-thundersteel-lineup-to-tour-europe-in-june/|website=Blabbermouth|title=RIOT's 'Thundersteel' Lineup To Tour Europe In June|date=December 28, 2008|access-date=November 1, 2021}}</ref> The album was reissued in Japan on October 7, 2009.<ref>{{cite web |date=August 19, 2009 |title=RIOT: 'Thundersteel', 'The Privilege Of Power' Albums To Be Reissued In Japan With Bonus Tracks |url=https://blabbermouth.net/news/riot-thundersteel-the-privilege-of-power-albums-to-be-reissued-in-japan-with-bonus-tracks |access-date=November 1, 2021 |website=Blabbermouth}}</ref> A 30th anniversary version of the album was released in 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rockhard.de/artikel/riot_-_thundersteel-30th-anniversary-edition_-kommt-im-november_422777.html|website=Rock Hard|title=Riot: "Thundersteel - 30th Anniversary Edition"|date=February 10, 2018|access-date=November 1, 2021}}</ref>
==Track listing==
{{track listing | total_length = 46:06 | title1 = Thundersteel | writer1 = Reale, Van Stavern | length1 = 3:49 | title2 = Fight or Fall | writer2 = Van Stavern | length2 = 4:25 | title3 = Sign of the Crimson Storm | writer3 = Reale | length3 = 4:40 | title4 = Flight of the Warrior | writer4 = Moore, Reale, Van Stavern | length4 = 4:17 | title5 = On Wings of Eagles | writer5 = Moore, Reale, Van Stavern | length5 = 5:41 | title6 = Johnny's Back | writer6 = Moore, Reale, Van Stavern | length6 = 5:32 | title7 = Bloodstreets | writer7 = Moore, Reale | length7 = 4:39 | title8 = Run for Your Life | writer8 = Moore, Reale, Van Stavern | length8 = 4:08 | title9 = Buried Alive (Tell Tale Heart) | writer9 = Moore, Reale, Van Stavern, Jarzombek, Bob Held, Steve Loeb | length9 = 8:55 }}
==Personnel==
===Riot=== *Tony Moore – vocals *Mark Reale – guitars, producer *Don Van Stavern – bass *Bobby Jarzombek – drums
===Additional musicians=== *Mark Edwards (Steeler, Third Stage Alert, Lion) – drums on tracks 2, 3, 5 & 7<ref>{{cite web|url=https://loudwire.com/top-hard-rock-metal-drummers-of-all-time/|title=The 66 Best Metal+Hard Rock Drummers of All Time|date=April 24, 2021|access-date=November 1, 2021|website=Loudwire}}</ref>
===Production=== *Steve Loeb – producer *Rod Hui – producer, engineer, mixing *Nick Sansano – engineer *Chris Shaw, Matt Tritto – assistant engineers *Howie Weinberg – mastering
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Riot V}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Riot V albums Category:1988 albums Category:Epic Records albums Category:Columbia Records albums