Fire Down Under
Fire Down Under is the third studio album by American heavy metal band Riot, released in 1981, it's the last album to feature original vocalist Guy Speranza.[3] The song "Flashbacks" is dedicated to Neal Kay, a British DJ who supported heavy metal in the UK during the new wave of British heavy metal.[4]
| Fire Down Under | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1981 | |||
| Recorded | 1980 | |||
| Studio | Greene St. Recording, New York City | |||
| Genre | Heavy metal | |||
| Length | 37:35 | |||
| Label | Elektra, Victor (Japan) | |||
| Producer | Steve Loeb and Billy Arnell | |||
| Riot chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Martin Popoff | [2] |
The album was re-issued on CD in 1997 by the German-based High Vaultage label, utilizing a new, controversial remix by former Riot producer Steve Loeb, and in 1999 by Metal Blade Records in the U.S., this time featuring the original Elektra mix. The album was reissued in 2014 courtesy of Varèse Sarabande. All three versions contain various bonus tracks recorded for the original Capitol Records version of Fire Down Under which the band were unhappy with. Capitol dropped the band for being "too heavy" after hearing the final version subsequently released by Elektra Records.. In 2018 the album was reissued, remastered and with six bonus tracks, by Rock Candy Records.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Composers | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Swords and Tequila" | Guy Speranza, Mark Reale | 3:18 |
| 2. | "Fire Down Under" | Speranza, Kip Leming | 2:31 |
| 3. | "Feel the Same" | Rick Ventura | 4:52 |
| 4. | "Outlaw" | Speranza, Reale | 4:19 |
| 5. | "Don't Bring Me Down" | Speranza, Reale, Leming, Ventura, Sandy Slavin | 3:00 |
| No. | Title | Composers | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6. | "Don't Hold Back" | Speranza, Reale | 3:14 |
| 7. | "Altar of the King" | Speranza, Reale | 4:44 |
| 8. | "No Lies" | Ventura | 4:19 |
| 9. | "Run for Your Life" | Speranza, Reale | 3:16 |
| 10. | "Flashbacks" | Speranza, Reale, Leming, Ventura, Slavin | 4:00 |
| No. | Title | Composers | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11. | "Struck By Lightning" | Reale, Speranza | 3:41 |
| 12. | "Misty Morning Rain" | Speranza | 3:10 |
| 13. | "You're All I Needed Tonight" | Speranza, Ventura | 3:00 |
| 14. | "One Step Closer" | Ventura | 2:14 |
| 15. | "Hot Life" | Ventura | 0:25 |
| No. | Title | Composers | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11. | "Misty Morning Rain" | Speranza | 3:10 |
| 12. | "You're All I Needed Tonight" | Speranza, Ventura | 3:00 |
| No. | Title | Composers | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11. | "Misty Morning Rain" | Speranza | 3:10 |
| 12. | "You're All I Needed Tonight" | Speranza, Ventura | 3:00 |
| 13. | "One Step Closer" | Ventura | 2:14 |
| 14. | "Struck By Lightning" | Reale, Speranza | 3:41 |
| 15. | "Outlaw (remix/edited)" | Reale, Speranza | 3:18 |
| 16. | "Rock City (live)" | Feit, Reale, Speranza | 4:29 |
Personnel
Band members
- Guy Speranza – vocals
- Mark Reale – guitar
- Rick Ventura – guitar
- Kip Leming – bass
- Sandy Slavin – drums
Production
- Steve Loeb, Billy Arnell – producers
- Rod Hui – engineer, mixing
- Howie Weinberg – mastering
Cover versions and appearances
- The song "Swords and Tequila" is featured in the video game Brütal Legend.
- The song "Swords and Tequila" was covered by the band "Salvación".
Chart performance
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Billboard 200 | 49[5] |
References
- Anderson, Jason. "Riot Fire Down Under review". AllMusic. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
- Popoff, Martin (November 1, 2005). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 2: The Eighties. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. pp. 288–289. ISBN 978-1-894959-31-5.
- "Riot - Fire Down Under". Encyclopaedia Metallum. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
- Fire Down Under (LP Sleeve). Riot. New York City, USA: Elektra Records 5E-546. 1981.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - "Riot | Billboard Albums". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved December 16, 2014.