Quiet Riot Returns – Your Opinions?
Tuesday, September 14, 2010 at 12:01AM So drummer Frankie Banali has announced plans to resurrect Quiet Riot. This after saying Quiet Riot was done forever after the surprising death of singer Kevin DuBrow. Interestingly, the singer is unknown – which sort of makes me wonder why Frankie just didn’t form a new band but whatever. I guess he figures it will be easier to make some bucks using the Quiet Riot name. I don’t believe in the term scab. That’s not fair to anyone involved. Fair or otherwise, the singer is most usually the focal point of any band. With Quiet Riot, Kevin was definitely the star. I’m conflicted.
Here’s some of the official press release about the announcement:
After the tragic passing of co-founding Quiet Riot singer Kevin DuBrow in 2007, many figured that the band was over. But while going through the vaults of vintage video material for an upcoming documentary of the band's history, the spark was reignited once more for drummer Frankie Banali to kick Quiet Riot back in gear. The easy part was filling the guitar and bass slots — as former members Chuck Wright (bass) and Alex Grossi (guitar) promptly signed on. However, having to fill DuBrow's large shoes was no small task.
A longtime fan of heavy metal, singer Mark Huff came to Banali's attention while fronting a California-based Van Halen tribute band (that focused on the "Sammy Hagar era"). A true Cinderella story, Huff auditioned via a cattle call audition, promptly blew Banali away, and got the gig. After getting the blessing from DuBrow's mother to carry on with Quiet Riot (and to celebrate her son's music), the group was ready to rock once more.
Okay. So this Mark Huff impressed Banali. But do we want to hear a new singer in the Quiet Riot spot? As we all know, it is near impossible to replace a lead singer. Sure Van Halen did it (for awhile at least). It seems to be working for Alice in Chains. Skid Row continues to plod along…but Quiet Riot? I don’t know. It’s one thing to replace a singer that quit or was fired. It’s another to replace someone who died…out of the blue…and out of the band’s zenith.
I’m sure this means Quiet Riot 2.0 will be booked at all the Glam fests next summer. M3 anyone?
But I’m getting ahead of myself. Naturally, Quiet Riot is embarking on a tour…you know, like, soon. The dates haven’t been announced, but when they are, I’ll post here.
Gotta admit, this one shocked me.
Hear a sample track with Mark Huff on vocals. Thoughts?
Reader Comments (24)
That said, the "Rehab" album didn't really sound like QR...but it was still a great record. "South of Heaven" in particular is a spectacular song.
Will there be new material, or will they just be doing old songs? I don't see the answer to that in the press release. If there is no new material, I'm not really interested...especially since Cavazo isn't involved.
Anyway, I'm surprised as well that Banali has decided to continue playing under the Quiet Riot moniker. I guess we should give them a chance.
As far as replacing singers is concerned, it is tough to do from a commercial standpoint since the vocalist does have a lot to do with defining the sound of the band. That said, it's not impossible. I loved Bon Scott and revere everything ACDC recorded with him, but I think they did OK after he died. And I know it's a whole other topic, but I still think Hagar put Roth to shame in Van Halen, but I think you can also argue that musically, the band was really quite different with Sammy helping with the songwriting and doing vocals, and Eddie's songwriting had evolved as well, so it was really almost a different band.
As far as Alice in Chains is concerned, if you go back and listen to everything they did prior to Layne's death, you'll hear a whole lot of Jerry Cantrell doing backing vocals and even some lead vocals on their later recordings when Layne was too strung out to rely on. While they did add another singer for the recording of Black Gives Way to Blue, Cantrell is still doing a lot of the vocal work, which I think gives it some continuity with the previous Alice releases. I thought it was a strong effort and look forward to more from Cantrell in the future.
In essence all Banali did was form a tribute band to his own legacy, the new guys sounds ok but no Dubrow no Quiet Riot.
The examples you guys mentioned Van Halen, AC/DC. Alice In Chains, all did successfully but those bands had more then one creative force in that band, Van Halen and AC/DC's identity was not just wrapped in their vocalist either.
I wish him and this new line up the best of luck, they are going to need it.
"I have been approached to see if I would be interested in contacting Rudy Sarzo and Carlos Cavazo and to audition singers for Quiet Riot. I have also been approached to see if I would be interested in contacting and reforming the version of Quiet Riot that included Paul Shortino, Carlos Cavazo and Sean McNabb. Let me make this very simple and perfectly clear. While I am still actively involved in the business interests of Quiet Riot and will continue in that capacity, I reject any and all suggestions to have Quiet Riot continue as a live performing entity. My friendship, love and respect for Kevin DuBrow as well as my personal love and affection for Kevin's mother and his family makes it inconceivable for me to ever entertain any ovation to reform or to continue Quiet Riot. Kevin was too important to go on without him. It would also be a disrespect to the fans who have supported Quiet Riot for nearly 25 years. I thank everyone for the wonderful and sometimes unpredictable adventure that I was able to share as a member of Quiet Riot. The only regret that I have is the loss of Kevin. May he rest in peace. I now begin life after Quiet Riot."
This new incarnation of the band in not necessary.
And if you're Frankie Banali, why not do this? What are his other options? I'm not particularly interested and won't see them unless they happen to be opening up for a band that I like, but more power to them.
I love QR, plain and simple, the Shortino album ,meh, its ok, I haven't heard the huff track yet but will listen as soon as possible. I wonder if Huff is like Tommy dicarlo for boston being a sound alike?
Tours i'm ok with always wanted to see QR, but Sarzo and cavazo's absence will be key to skepticism, Chuck Wright is good since he has done a lot with QR anyway Grossi is a capable guitar and should play the songs well.
My question is will they keep together for an album? I certainly hope so.
Lets see (some are already mentioned), but off the top of my head:
AC/DC, Alice in Chains, Boston, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Grateful Dead, INXS,, Queen, etc...
Its Rock n Roll, let it live !!!!
Now that I've got that out of the way, Banali is certainly entitled to do whatever he wants, but I personally don't like it. Yes, there have been many bands who carried on after the death of their vocalist, and I don't have a problem with that. In this instance, my problem is with Mark Huff's voice. He is trying so hard to sound like DuBrow that it's almost ridiculous. Not to mention that, in places, he is singing slightly out of key, and missing certain notes entirely. the problem is that, because he comes from a tribute band, he is used to immitating other people rather than developing his own vocal style. So, at least within this context, Huff sounds like a bad immitation of DuBrow. I think Banali could have found a better vocalist than this guy so, for that reason, I think this particular incarnation of QR is a bad idea.
If Kevin gave his blessing, than who are any of us to say Frankie shouldn't continue? He & Chuck were both involved since before the Pasha record deal that yielded Metal Health.
I for one, was very surprised how close this new singer is to Kevin in style & tone. I say, give 'em a chance. Touring as a nostalgia act is about all they seem to be doing. Frankie & Chuck should be able to exploit their own past. They've got to eat too.
You have to admit they had some good songs, and it would be nice to hear them at the festivals this year.
Not like many of the bands we keep supporting have original members. Let's see, Cinderella, Crue sometimes, Tesla mostly, Twisted, and that is really about all you get with original members. Every other band is essentially a cover band of themselves, so why not?
As a hardcore QR fan, I can't wait to see them on the road. Good luck to the band.