Thundersteel  by Riot

In 1988, the year the sixth studio album of the New Yorkers Riot was released, the only member of the band that remains the same from the original lineup is the guitarist Mark Reale. Thundersteel was recorded in January 1988 and by March of that same year, it was in record stores.

Thundersteel marks a significant change in the band's musical style. The typical hard rock and heavy metal of the first five albums has been replaced by the sound of power metal. The majority of the songs have been written by the songwriting trio of Tony Moore (vocals), Don Van Stavern (bass), and of course, Mark Reale, who also took part in the album's production.

The song Thundersteel, which named the entire album, existed as a composition by Reale and Van Stavern since 1984, when they had come together in a short-lived group, Narita. Thundersteel is among the top power metal listens of the late 1980s.