In a new interview with Marko Syrjälä for Metal-Rules.com, guitarist Rick Ventura reflects on his history with Riot and Mark Reale, and the new era with Riot Act. A few excerpts from the chat follow...
Metal-Rules.com: Riot has often been called “the unluckiest band in the world”. Do you agree with that term?
Rick Ventura: "Yeah, unluckiness and Riot seem to go together forever. So that’s just the way it is, and it seems to be one of those things. A lot of bad decisions, a lot of tragic deaths. And yeah, we were at the right place at the right time, and things just found a way to stop us, 'You can’t go any further.' We were touring with Rush, and then our singer, Guy Speranza, left the band and tragically passed away. Rhett Forrester passed away, and Mark passed away. When Lou Kouvaris passed away, I was like, 'Oh, this is a continuation of this. Maybe I should not be doing this.'”
Metal-Rules.com: Despite all the drama and unexpected events in the band, there must have been some great moments as well. What are your best and most positive memories from your era with Riot?
Ventura: "Probably touring with Rush. That was a great tour. We were playing big arenas, and I remember that before that tour, we were touring with Black Sabbath. So, I mean, that’s pretty much, you know, you grew up listening to Black Sabbath. The next thing you know, you’re opening for them at a big arena. Yeah, it’s a pretty thrilling thing to do. So, there are numerous highlights, you know?"
Metal-Rules.com: I’ve learned that the original idea for Riot Act came about after the two of you made those guest appearances with Riot V. Is that correct?
Ventura: "That’s right. We had a blast each time we played with them, and things gradually began to percolate. Lou and I always ran into each other, and he approached me to get together and do something with him. That was a few years back (2018) when Riot was inducted into the Heavy Metal Hall of Fame, so we flew out together to California, and there was this whole big ceremony. Then, the following year, before we went back, after that ceremony, Lou asked again, 'Hey Rick, call me if you want to do this.' So, I called him. We weren’t looking for this. It just came about. It sorts of just happened.
"We had always heard stories about Riot, the bands that were influenced by us, and how we were such a great band that had never made it. We had killer albums like Fire Down Under, and it just never went away. And then, during that ceremony, I said to Lou, 'The time’s probably right for us to get together and do something.' So then, the following year, we were invited back to play again, and the idea of the new band came out. And when Lou and I first got together, he said, 'Well, we need a band.' At that time, I was playing with Paul Ranieri and Claudio Galinski. I used to jam with them all the time, and when Lou said, 'Let’s do this project,' I said, 'Hey, let’s try these guys. They’re really good.' We got together at my place and played some tunes, which sounded really good.
"So, Lou was instrumental in getting me to come back because I always thought, 'How do you resurrect something, recreate something like what Riot was, especially when you don’t have Guy or Rhett?' You know, you’re afraid it’s going to be a half-assed attempt. You’d rather not do that because it might be a disaster or spoil. That’s why, you know, you don’t want people saying, 'They should have just stayed away. Just keep it. Just go back to where you came from.' But that’s how it all started. Like I said, and we all know that the bad luck of the Riot legacy didn’t end - Lou died, and that was horrible. Anyway, I think that you somehow got some power to start a new thing. Here’s a new band, then COVID hits, we lost Lou, and everyone got isolated for months. I really didn’t play much, but we had a good situation because we had great musicians in the band. We all kind of felt that there was something really good in here. So, I started writing, and we started to put out some new music."
Metal-Rules.com: Do you have plans to make more Riot Act albums in the future?
Ventura: "We plan on releasing another album, and I’ve been working on new material for the past few months. We are in the process of creating another record with the current lineup. The goal is to enter the studio at the beginning of 2024."
Read the full interview at Metal-Rules.com.
