That is a very accurate assessment of Bobby Rondinelli's role with Riot for the Through the Storm album.
Rondinelli is frequently a "hired gun" or a session musician who records albums but does not commit to the full touring cycle, especially when he has other long-term commitments (like with Blue Öyster Cult or other bands).
Here's the situation with Riot's 2002 album:
Studio Drummer: Bobby Rondinelli recorded the drums for the album "Through the Storm" (2002).
The Transition: Shortly after the album's release, Rondinelli moved on, and Frank Gilchriest joined Riot as the permanent drummer in 2003.
This means that while Rondinelli's drumming is on the record, Frank Gilchriest took over the live duties for the subsequent touring and became the established member for their next album,
Bobby Rondinelli began his musical journey quite early, but his professional career in well-known rock bands started in the early 1980s.
Early Years (Amateur): He started playing drums when he was 11 years old. In his teens, he played in local bands around Long Island, New York, such as The Wanders and Tusk.
Major Break (1980): His career took off when he was invited by Ritchie Blackmore to join the legendary hard rock band Rainbow in 1980, replacing Cozy Powell. This is considered the start of his major professional activity.
His first major album credit is with Rainbow on "Difficult to Cure", which was released in 1981.
Rainbow (1980–1983): Rondinelli gained significant fame as the drummer for Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow, playing on the albums Difficult to Cure (1981) and Straight Between the Eyes (1982).
Black Sabbath (1994, 1995): He was the drummer for the album Cross Purposes (1994) and the subsequent live album.
Blue Öyster Cult (1997–2004): He had a long tenure as the main drummer for this iconic American band.
Other Projects: His extensive resume also includes recording and touring with Quiet Riot (Terrified), Doro, and Axel Rudi Pell (since 2013).
Riot: As mentioned, he recorded the drums for their 2002 album Through the Storm.
Rondinelli is considered a "drummer's drummer" and is known for his technical skill, particularly with double bass drumming, even co-authoring a book on the subject.
