QUIET RIOT

“Quiet Riot.” Pasha/CBS ***

This smoky, moody LP bears little relation to the bold, brash feel imparted by Quiet Riot’s exfrontman Kevin DuBrow. New singer Paul Shortino’s passion-soaked vocals surround the melodic, often contemplative songs on this ballad-heavy album. The LP starts off slow, but gains momentum with punchy tracks like “King of the Hill” and “Coppin’ a Feel,” which give guitarist Carlos Cavazo a chance to strut his stuff. Maybe Quiet Riot’s re-emergence shouldn’t be viewed so much a comeback as a surprisingly good bow from a new band containing several familiar faces.