The greats of power metal from yesteryear joined forces Friday night at the Rock Box with South Texas legions of the early 2000s and the future of Alamo City metal to form a conglomeration of rock that many concert billings would be tough to match.
Led by Riot once again playing the hometown of bassist Don Van Stavern, but this time doing so 45 years after 1977 debut Rock City, the program also featured Austin’s Ignitor plus classic locals Byfist and the youth of Jessikill.
Playing their first show since late 2019 in Europe, Riot stormed out of the gates with an 18-song, 95-minute set covering a bulk of its career with some newly played tunes. With Hall informing Alamo True Metal that he landed in town from Michigan the day before, Riot held a two-hour rehearsal Thursday, according to a source. Then with Jessikill vocalist Jessica Alejo and guitarist Jyro Alejo donning Riot’s seal-head mascot masks preceding the group’s entrance, Riot treated dedicated South Texas fans — and even visitors from Virginia and Pennsylvania — to another reliably riveting set (setlists in 82-photo slideshow below).
Opening with “Victory” from 2018 and latest album Armor of Light, Riot unleashed a slew of tracks from 1988 powerhouse Thundersteel including second song “Flight of the Warrior.” Thundersteel is arguably Riot’s signature album, though you can’t go wrong with 1981’s Fire Down Under claiming such a moniker either, and you can watch ATM’s Facebook Live footage of more Thundersteel classics “Sign of the Crimson Storm” and “Johnny’s Back” sandwiched by “49er” here.
No one remains in Riot from the debut-album days, as Van Stavern is the longest reigning member, having joined for the 1988 Thundersteel era. He was followed the next year by current lead guitarist Mike Flyntz. Hall etched his place in Riot vocalist lore in 2013 joining drummer Frank Gilchriest, but Friday’s show — coming a day before Riot’s participation in the Hell’s Heroes Fest in Houston — included a new second guitarist, at least for these Texas shows.
Lance Barnewold exhibited his skills with Riot for the first time in the Alamo City, bringing a unique background. Barnewold is not only the drummer in the solo band of Manowar co-founder and former guitarist Ross “The Boss” Friedman but his nephew as well. Friedman played a guest solo on “Warning Fire” on Jack Starr’s Burning Starr’s 2011 powerhouse of an album Land of the Dead, a band fronted at the time by Hall.
For those unfamiliar with Hall’s background as a heavy metal singer in his current and former bands, as well the group Reverence once upon a time, they may likely recognize him from television. Hall was a contestant in early 2020 on “The Voice,” wowing mainstream fans and viewers with his rendition of Foreigner’s “Juke Box Hero,” which we discussed a year ago to the day of Friday’s show via Zoom (watch here). Hall also released solo effort Sonic Healing at the time of the interview in the vein of classic rock tunes after teaming with Metal Church guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof on the album.
On a night Alice In Chains guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell was playing the Aztec Theatre, Riot continued with the good vibes inside the Rock Box on other classics such as “Outlaw” and “On Your Knees.” Watch more ATM Facebook Live footage of “Altar of the King,” “Angel’s Thunder, Devil’s Reign” and “Road Racin’ “ and ATM videos below of six additional tracks.
Van Stavern and Flyntz took swigs of their patented tequila bottle while dedicating multiple moments to the late guitarist Mark Reale, who’s buried here in San Antonio, plus vocalists Guy Speranza and Rhett Forrester, rhythm guitarist Louie L.A. Kouvaris and famed local DJ Joe “The Godfather” Anthony. The band added a nice touch by inserting the Forrester-sung title track to Restless Breed (watch below), though Van Stavern inexplicably left Armor of Light track “San Antonio” off the set in the one city that deserved to hear his written homage to his hometown. But there was another hometown reference when it was revealed Gilchriest was playing the drum kit of former Riot backstopper and San Antonio’s own Bobby Jarzombek, incidentally with his guitarist brother Ron Jarzombek in attendance.
Ignitor provided direct support to Riot, and that meant the powerful demonic vocals of South Texas Music Walk of Fame star, Corpus Christi native and longtime Austin resident Jason McMaster. Ignitor guitarist Stuart Laurence remains the lone original member of the band that formed in 2003 and once had two women in the group, on vocals and guitar.
Backed by rhythm guitarist Robert Williams, bassist Billy Dansfiell and drummer Pat Doyle, you can watch them perform “Heavy Metal Holocaust” plus footage below of “Secrets of the Ram” and the title track to 2017’s Haunted By Rock N’ Roll.
McMaster has placed his stamp on a variety of original bands including Watchtower, Evil United, Broken Teeth and the group that introduced him to an MTV generation, Dangerous Toys. McMaster has even had Van Stavern as a guest on the podcast he conducts with a former colleague of yours truly, “Metal” Dave Glessner. So when’s the musical collaboration, boys?
Byfist continued its run of local shows since dropping In the End in September 2020. With original rhythm guitarist Nacho Vara once again accompanied by bassist Stony Grantham and drummer Scott Palmer, like Riot the group unveiled a new guitarist stage left.
Manny Santos made his live debut with Byfist on this night having replaced Ernie B. Fans may recognize Santos from Zero The Hero, but he’s also played the axe for 40 years, according to the band’s socials, which included being a 3-peat winner of San Antonio Guitar Wars. Watch Santos and his bandmates in action below on “Mary Celeste” and on finale “In the End.” You don’t even have to be a “worthless scum” to enjoy it.
Jessikill kicked off the night as a prelude to what figures to be the most important and rewarding stretch of its young career. The band embarks on a national tour supporting Yngwie Malmsteen starting this Sunday in Hartford, Connecticut, (ATM details here) But the first order of business was opening for Riot.
Taking the stage to latest video single “Lightning,” the Alejos joined bassist Arturo Knight and drummer Marcel Biel in giving a taste of what national fans about to watch them live for the first time can expect over the next six weeks. Witnessing Alejo on guitar never gets old, but it’s also a pleasant sight seeing the band grow and mature with every new song and performance. Watch them on “Save Me” and below on “Midnight Rush.”
If the presence, and performance, of Riot, Ignitor, Byfist and Jessikill indicated anything, it’s that South Texas heavy metal is in good hands and not going anywhere anytime soon. How lucky do you get to be living here when it comes to the heavy metal scene, San Antonians?
True, there could always have been a larger turnout. But for those who understood the special significance of it all, the Rock Box was the place to be Friday night.
And we could all share a toast of tequila to that.
