by Derek Draven

Created on: March 18, 2009

Alongside Twisted Sister, Quiet Riot led the charge of thunderous, high-energy heavy metal in the early 1980s. Scathed by critics as being rebellious music frought with Satanic influence, Quiet Riot nonetheless soldiered on and forged the way for hedonistically happy heavy metal to take the stage throughout the rest of the 80s. It led that charge with two significant breakthrough hits: "Cum On Feel The Noize," and "Bang Your Head (Metal Health)."

At first glance, Quiet Riot seemed to the epitome of everything wrong with musicians in the early 1980s. They were lambasted as savage brutes who played clunky guitars and rhymed about everything evil. Like their predecessors KISS, Quiet Riot was unfairly judged for simply playing music that promoted having a good time.

Quiet Riot was the primary brainchild of legendary guitarist Randy Rhoades, notorious for his tenure with Ozzy Osbourne and subsequent death by freak airplane accident. Together with bassist Kelly Garny, vocalist Kevin DuBrow and drummer Drew Forsyth, Quiet Riot played under two different monikers and played covers in clubs before aspiring for bigger and better things. The band didn't achieve success until their breakthrough hit "Cum On Feel The Noize" struck airwaves in 1983, signalling the emergence of hair metal and optimistically rebellious metal music in general. Horrified parents grouped Quiet Riot together with other seemingly offensive acts like Twisted Sister, Alice Cooper and Iron Maiden, leading to an intense backlash. It wasn't until "Bang Your Head (Metal Health)" was released that the music world finally started to gain acceptance of heavy metal as the dominant musical genre. The track even managed to dethrone "Synchronicity II" by the Police from the No. 1 spot on the charts, further proving metal's viability as a successful form of music.

Although their success had plummeted as fast as it had peaked, Quiet Riot still soldiered on through the 80s and most of the 90s, battling intense in-band feuding and disappointing record sales. The emergence of grunge music signalled the downfall of heavy metal's chart reign. The group managed to survive into 2003, but broke up shortly thereafter. They did regroup in 2005 for a comeback on the ROCK NEVER STOPS tour, but it would not be long before tragedy struck.

Longtime vocalist Kevin DuBrow was found dead in his apartment in November of 2007 by suspected cocaine overdose. It was the latest in a string of disappointments for the band. Drummer Frankie Banali refused to audition new singers for the band, and Quiet Riot called it quits after 25 years of rollercoaster mayhem.

Despite their setbacks and two significant band member deaths, Quiet Riot is regarded as a vital link to the rise of heavy metal in mainstream culture. They gave metal a chance to become a severely powerful force that burned up the charts well into the early 1990s. Their signature sound has often been imitated by other bands (mostly notably W.A.S.P.) but the spirit and fire they presented were purely signature.

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