Unquestionably the best offering from New York's Riot, Fire Down Under is considered by many to be an early-'80s metal classic.
After two marginally successful LPs, 1977's Rock City and 1979's Narita, bandleader Mark Reale worked out all the kinks in Riot's membership and musical delivery, and the results are dramatic.
The songs are tight and memorable, the guitars are flashy, and the production is aggressive and slick on this 1981 collection.
The group's best and most recognizable tune, "Swords & Tequila," kicks off Fire Down Under with an astonishing power surge.
Other standouts include the fast-paced title track, "Outlaw," and "Don't Bring Me Down." The intensity then lets up as some bland numbers dampen the second half of Fire Down Under.
But despite a few lesser cuts, this effort qualifies as one of the top metal discs of 1981, and the only Riot recording that competes with mainstays from the likes of Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, and (early) Def Leppard.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fire Down UnderGuy Speranza | Riot | Play | 02:34 | 5 MB | 19 MB |
| 2 | Feel the SameRick Ventura | Riot | Play | 04:29 | 10 MB | 29 MB |
| 3 | OutlawMark Reale, Guy Speranza | Riot | Play | 04:50 | 11 MB | 34 MB |
| 4 | Don't Bring Me DownMark Reale, Sandy Slavin, Guy Speranza, Rick Ventura | Riot | Play | 02:57 | 6 MB | 22 MB |
| 5 | Don't Hold BackMark Reale, Guy Speranza | Riot | Play | 03:15 | 7 MB | 24 MB |
| 6 | Altar of the KingMark Reale, Guy Speranza | Riot | Play | 04:45 | 10 MB | 31 MB |
| 7 | No LiesRick Ventura | Riot | Play | 04:10 | 9 MB | 26 MB |
| 8 | Run for Your LifeMark Reale, Guy Speranza | Riot | Play | 03:15 | 7 MB | 24 MB |
| 9 | FlashbacksMark Reale, Sandy Slavin, Guy Speranza, Rick Ventura | Riot | Play | 04:01 | 9 MB | 27 MB |
| 10 | Misty Morning RainGuy Speranza | Riot | Play | 03:08 | 7 MB | 22 MB |
| 11 | You're All I Needed TonightGuy Speranza, Rick Ventura | Riot | Play | 02:58 | 6 MB | 21 MB |
| 12 | Swords And Tequila | Riot | Play | 03:15 | 7 MB | 23 MB |
| 13 | Struck By Lightning | Riot | Play | 03:39 | 8 MB | 25 MB |
| 14 | One Step Closer | Riot | Play | 02:12 | 5 MB | 16 MB |
| 15 | Hot Life | Riot | Play | 00:25 | 0 MB | 2 MB |
| 49 mins | 114 MB | |||||
| 49 mins | 352 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bill Able | Assistant |
| 2 | Erik Block | Assistant Engineer |
| 3 | Rod Hui | Engineer |
| 4 | Kip Leming | Bass |
| 5 | Mark Reale | Composer, Guitar, Vocals |
| 6 | Riot | Primary Artist |
| 7 | Michael Rubenstein | Studio Manager |
| 8 | Sandy Slavin | Composer, Drums |
| 9 | Guy Speranza | Composer, Percussion, Vocals |
| 10 | Paul Stevens | Assistant |
| 11 | Rick Ventura | Composer, Guitar |
| 12 | Howie Weinberg | Mastering |
| 13 | Steve Weiss | Cover Painting |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |