Army of One is the 13th studio album by the American heavy metal band Riot, released in 2006. It is the final album recorded with the longest-running lineup featuring vocalist Mike DiMeo and, critically, the final album of original material to feature founding guitarist Mark Reale before his passing.
The stable lineup for this era, often referred to as the 'DiMeo' era, was:
Mike DiMeo: Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals, Keyboards (Known for his bluesy, powerful, and passionate hard rock delivery, often compared to singers like Joe Lynn Turner or Lou Gramm).
Mark Reale: Electric Lead and Rhythm Guitars, Acoustic Guitars, Banjo, Backing Vocals (The founder and main creative force, known for his melodic and tasteful guitar work).
Mike Flyntz: Electric Lead and Rhythm Guitars (Reale's long-time guitar partner, contributing to the signature dual-lead sound).
Pete Perez: Bass Guitar.
Frank Gilchriest: Drums (Replacing Bobby Jarzombek; known for a powerful, slightly technical drumming style).
Frank Gilchriest officially became a permanent member of Riot after previously playing drums as a live session musician on the Through the Storm tour, as drummer Bobby Rondinelli only recorded the album but did not participate in the subsequent tour supporting it.
Bruno Ravel: Keyboards, Backing Vocals
Tony Harnell (of TNT): Backing Vocals
Andy Aledort: Second Guitar Solo on "Alive in the City
Producers: Mark Reale and Bruno Ravel (with Ravel also serving as Engineer and Mixer).
The album's style represents a continuation of the band's focus during the DiMeo era, blending various rock and metal sub-genres:
Primary Style: Melodic Heavy Metal and Hard Rock. The majority of the tracks are mid-tempo with a solid groove, focusing on strong hooks and soaring, catchy choruses, leaning heavily toward an AOR (Album-Oriented Rock) sensibility.
Heavy Elements: There are still several fast, aggressive tracks that recall the band’s power metal era (like Thundersteel), but these are in the minority. Tracks like "Army of One" and "The Mystic" provide the traditional metal aggression.
Vocal Delivery: DiMeo's singing is a focal point, described as passionate and soulful, adding a "bluesy" touch that often gives the music a strong 80s classic hard rock or even AOR feel (compared to bands like Journey, Foreigner, or early Rainbow).
Guitar Work: Reale and Flyntz deliver top-notch guitar work, featuring excellent harmonies, solid riffs, and memorable, well-constructed solos that often employ a classic festive pentatonic style.
Overall Critical Reception: The album was generally considered a solid, quality offering and often cited as the best album of the DiMeo-fronted Riot era and a clear improvement over its predecessor, Through the Storm. However, some critics noted that its lengthy runtime (over an hour) caused some tracks to feel "samey" or repetitive.
The album is structured to offer variety, moving between hard rock and traditional metal:
| Track Title | Style Focus | Key Features |
| "Army of One" | Speed/Heavy Metal | An explosive opener with intricate guitar leads and an uncharacteristically high-register vocal performance from DiMeo. A classic metal gambit. |
| "Knockin' at My Door" | Bluesy Hard Rock | A lean, mean, mid-paced track with a foot-bouncing rhythm and harmonious hooks. Has a noticeable blues influence. |
| "Blinded" | Melodic Mid-Tempo | Features a great mid-tempo groove and memorable melody. The song showcases the layered, 'filtered' sound reminiscent of their Sons of Society album. |
| "One More Alibi" | Mid-Tempo Hard Rock | A straightforward track with a nice sentimental chord progression and a strong, catchy 'hook' chorus. |
| "It All Falls Down" | Hard Rock / Melodic Metal | Features passionate singing and a smart, sharp drum groove. Critics noted the influence of 80s Rainbow in the track's execution. |
| "The Mystic" | Power/Speed Metal | One of the most aggressive and fastest songs on the album, praised for its guitar work. It is considered a highlight for fans of the Thundersteel era. |
| "Alive in the City" | Gritty/Blues Hard Rock | A very long (7 minutes) track with a distinct, gritty, "old school" feel, often compared to the style of early Riot vocalist Rhett Forrester. |
| "Stained Mirror" | Instrumental | A brooding, baroque-styled instrumental piece, showcasing Mark Reale's melodic, technical guitar work and often featuring slight keyboard support. |
| "Darker Side of Light" | Mid-Tempo Hard Rock | The album's strong closer, featuring a vast mid-tempo guitar riff and the trademark Riot melodic approach. |
Japan (Marquee/Avalon): Riot has always enjoyed significant popularity and recognition in Japan. Army of One was well-received, continuing the band's tradition of releasing quality albums and ensuring their steady success in the crucial Japanese market. The blend of melody and technicality is highly valued there.
Worldwide (Europe/US): Globally, the album was seen as a reliable and solid contribution to US heavy metal, demonstrating the band’s consistent quality despite not achieving major commercial success in the US. Fans and critics generally praised it for its consistent songwriting and excellent musicianship, despite the length being a minor drawback. It cemented the DiMeo era as a period of reliable, high-quality melodic metal.
Gear used on this album
Mark Reale and Mike Flyntz use : Giboson,Fender.Gretch and Taylor guitars, Marshall and Vox amplification, Ghs strings and Dunlop picks
Peter Perez use: Fender basses
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