Photo by Lunchbox LP, James Durbin on Walmart Soundcheck via Flickr. CC 2.0.
Adam Lambert isn’t the only American Idol singer fronting a classic rock band. The band Quiet Riot is making noise with Season 10 American Idol forerunner James Durbin as new lead singer. The fourth place contestant is replacing former frontman Seann Nichols, who only had only been with the band for a few months. Band leader and drummer Frankie Banali confesses to Billboard:
After doing all of five live shows [with Nichols], it became apparent to everybody that it really wasn’t going to work. There were some creative and personal differences. I’m not the type of person who will stay in a bad marriage for the kids– the kids in this case Quiet Riot. It was unanimous it could not go any further.
Nichols replaced Kevin DuBrow after he passed away in 2007 from a cocaine overdose. Banali resurrected the band in 2010 to find a vocalist who can fill in the shoes. Barnali discovered Durbin on American Idol singing Judas Priest’s “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin”. Barnali admits:
This guy is really talented. He was so passionate about the whole metal [scene], the whole rock scene, At the same time, I didn’t have a crystal ball that told me, ‘You’re going to be working with him in the future.’
Durbin has been a fan of Quiet Riot since he first heard them on the video game Showdown: Legends of Wrestling, which featured their song “Bang Your Head (Metal Health). Durbin remarks:
The game sucked, but I kept the disc because I wanted to listen to that song. Then years later, as I started to develop my singing voice and stage personality and everything, I was compared to two people: Geoff Tate of Queensryche and Kevin DuBrow of Quiet Riot. That always stuck with me, so this makes total sense. I’m really looking forward to putting my spin as a singer. I feel I’m much more melodic in my singing than some of the singers Quiet Riot has featured in the past, so I’m looking forward to soaring those vocals over the crowd.
Durbin will make his debut on March 18th in Kansas as the band does their North American Tour. The band is also planning to record Durbin for a future album. Barnali adds:
Alex (Quiet Riot’s guitarist) and James have been working on some songs together that are not in Quiet Riot style, but it showed me clearly that James is a very prolific writer, and he’s really good.
Quiet Riot formed in 1973. In 1983, their third studio record Metal Health was the first heavy metal album to be charted on Billboard. Since then the band has released thirteen albums and a possible fourteenth with Durbin as vocals.