RILEY’S L.A. GUNS will release its sophomore album, “The Dark Horse”, on January 22 via Golden Robot Records. The effort will arrive more than two months after the death of the band’s drummer and leader, Steve Riley, who would have celebrated his 68th birthday on the day of “The Dark Horse”‘s release.

In addition to Riley, RILEY’S L.A. GUNS‘ most recent lineup featured Orlando, Florida-based guitarist/vocalist Kurt Frohlich, bassist Kelly Nickels (a member of L.A. GUNS‘ “classic” incarnation) and guitarist Scott Griffin, who played bass for L.A. GUNS from 2007 until 2009, and then again from 2011 to 2014.

In September 2023, RILEY’S L.A. GUNS released “The Dark Horse” title track via Golden Robot Records. The track came seven months after RILEY’S L.A. GUNS issued another new song, “Rewind”, digitally via Golden Robot. In October 2022, RILEY’S L.A. GUNS released a single called “Overdrive”.

“The Dark Horse” track listing:
01. Overdrive
02. Rewind
03. The Dark Horse
04. Somebody Save Me
05. Sweet Summer Girl (Florida)
06. The Truth
07. Changing Lights
08. It’s The World
09. Downday Drag
10. While I’m Away

Riley died on October 24, 2023 at the age of 67. Prior to his passing, Steve had been battling a severe case of pneumonia for several weeks. His wife Mary Louise and son Cole were by his side in his final moments.

Riley was the drummer for W.A.S.P. on the band’s second and third albums — 1985’s “The Last Command” and 1986’s “Inside The Electric Circus” — and world tours from 1984 to 1987. After leaving W.A.S.P., Riley joined L.A. GUNS and played on that group’s most commercially successful LPs.

In 2016, singer Phil Lewis and guitarist Tracii Guns reunited in a new version of L.A. GUNS that didn’t include Riley. Steve later launched his own version of L.A. GUNS, which played its debut concert at the M3 Rock Festival in Maryland in May 2019.

In April 2021, an out-of-court resolution was reached between Riley and Guns and Lewis over the rights to the band’s name. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, Tracii and Phil continued to operate under the L.A. GUNS trademark, while Riley and his bandmates from the other version of L.A. GUNS carried on under the new name RILEY’S L.A. GUNS.

In January 2020, Riley was sued by Lewis and Guns in California District Court. Joining Riley as defendants in the case were the three musicians who performed in his rival version of L.A. GUNS; that group’s manager, booking agent and merchandiser; and Golden Robot Records. The complaint, which requested a trial by jury, alleged that Riley‘s version of L.A. GUNS (referred to in the case docket as “the infringing L.A. GUNS“) was creating “unfair competition” through its unauthorized usage of the L.A. GUNS trademark. In addition, Guns and Lewis were seeking relief from and/or against false advertising, breach of contract and unauthorized usage of their likenesses.