Quiet Riot - QR III

Released in 1986

Quiet Riot's previous album suffered from stagnation; the band failed to rise to the challenge of matching their most popular entry, Metal Health. So when fans found Condition Critical to be an average, forgettable affair, they quickly turned their noses to Quiet Riot and sealed the band's fate.

A shame, because in 1986 the band released a fifth album that finally introduced the progression and experimentation the band needed to remain viable… but by then it was too late. Metal fans had already deemed the band irrelevant.

While QR III was not a very successful album for the band, it was a breath of fresh air that introduced something new to their mix. The band embraced keyboards and synthesizers into their sound, adopting a style similar to bands such as Europe and Danger Danger. And it worked very well.

Some of the album highlights are:

• Main Attraction – A fantastic album opener that perfectly represents Quiet Riot's new sound. Highly melodic keyboards blend with strong guitar work and impressive vocals.
• Wild and the Young – The rhythm and vocal patterns of this track just draw the listener in with their back and forth momentum. A fantastic melodic rocker.
• Twilight Hotel – A lush track that ranks right up there with the band's all time best ballads.

Unlike the commercial blockbuster Metal Health, QR III does not start deteriorating in quality after the third track. It has the vital ingredient that was missing from all their other work: consistency! While I think Quiet Riot's two 1983 anthems were among their best work due to their ability to get the adrenaline pumping, I think QR III surpasses Metal Health by far in quality and consistency. I enjoyed QR III from start to finish.

Let me emphasize once more that this album does not possess the same hard-edged sound of their two previous albums. This is a much more melodic album that comes closer to being melodic metal/AOR than heavy metal. Personally I'm a huge melodic rock/metal fan, so it worked wonderfully for me. If the idea of melody in your metal doesn't appeal to you, which was probably the case with many of the older Quiet Riot fans, unfortunately you won't be able to appreciate this album nearly as much as I.

Rating: 8 stars

Track List Main Attraction The Wild and the Young Twilight Hotel Down and Dirty Rise or Fall Put Up or Shut Up Still of the Night Bass Case The Pump Slave to Love Helping Hands

Additional Resources:

• Metal Health Review
• Condition Critical Review
• Quiet Riot Review

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