Fire Down Under

Fire Down Under
Studio album by Riot
Released	February 9, 1981
Recorded	Greene St. Recording, New York City, November - December 1980
Genre	Heavy metal
Length	37:35
Label	Elektra Victor (Japan)
Producer	Steve Loeb and Billy Arnell
Riot chronology
Narita (1979) Fire Down Under (1981) Restless Breed (1982)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Martin Popoff	[2]

Fire Down Under is the third album by American heavy metal band Riot, released in 1981, and the last with original vocalist Guy Speranza.^[3] The song "Flashbacks" is dedicated to Neal Kay, the British DJ who supported heavy metal in the UK during the new wave of British heavy metal.^[4]

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. Both 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.

Track listing

Side one

1. "Swords and Tequila" (Guy Speranza, Mark Reale) - 3:15
2. "Fire Down Under" (Speranza, Kip Leming) - 2:34
3. "Feel the Same" (Rick Ventura) - 4:30
4. "Outlaw" (Speranza, Reale) - 4:50
5. "Don't Bring Me Down" (Speranza, Reale, Leming, Ventura, Sandy Slavin) - 2:57

Side two

6. "Don't Hold Back" (Speranza, Reale) - 3:15
7. "Altar of the King" (Speranza, Reale) - 4:46
8. "No Lies" (Ventura) - 4:10
9. "Run for Your Life" (Speranza, Reale) - 3:16
10. "Flashbacks" (Speranza, Reale, Leming, Ventura, Slavin) - 4:02

1997 CD edition bonus tracks

11. "Struck by Lightning" (Speranza, Reale) - 3:39
12. "Misty Morning Rain" (Speranza) - 3:09
13. "You're All I Needed Tonight" (Speranza, Ventura) - 2:59
14. "One Step Closer" (Ventura) - 2:12
15. "Hot Life" (Ventura) - 0:25

1999 CD edition bonus tracks

11. "Misty Morning Rain" - 3:09
12. "You're All I Needed Tonight" - 2:59

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.

Chart performance

Year	Chart	Position
1981	Billboard 200	99[5]

References

1. Anderson, Jason. "Riot Fire Down Under review". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2011-09-01.
2. Popoff, Martin (1 November 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.
3. "Riot - Fire Down Under". Encyclopaedia Metallum. Retrieved 2011-09-01.
4. Fire Down Under (LP Sleeve). Riot. New York City, USA: Elektra Records 5E-546. 1981.
5. "Riot | Billboard Albums". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2014-12-16.