Review Summary: DIO's first record as a band, and DIO's finest record.
R.J. Dio is one of those singers that you can easily recognize, either for his silhouette or for his voice. He is considered to be one of the best Metal vocalist and has been a huge influence over Metal bands all over the World. He started out in metal with Ritchie Blackmore's
Rainbow but then joined
Black Sabbath for three years. During that time-lapse he released some of the most known Sabbath album (Heaven And Hell and Mob Rules). He left Sabbath over a disagreement on the recording of Live Evil and took with him drummer Vinnie Appice. He then recruited guitarist Vivian Campbell (
Def Leppard,
Thin Lizzy) and bassist and keyboardist Jimmy Bain (
Rainbow) to form a new band,
DIO. Their first record came out in 1983 and was named
Holy Diver, a metal classic.
All throughout the album, the combination of heavy metal riffs and R.J. Dio's voice gives us a sound that is unique to this band. Every song on this album could stand as an anthem to those who love Metal. From the killer Stand Up And Shout to the closer Shame On The Night, all the songs are made for you to sing along while enjoying Campbell's riffs. Of course some songs are better than others but none can be considered as fillers. Stand Up And Shout was the perfect opener for this album, telling us Dio doesn't need Iommi to make fine records and that he was back in business. Holy Diver has to be one of the most known song from him, and probably his best. No other songs combines perfectly each of
DIO's band member's potential, the riffs, voice and lyrics are just unforgettable:
Holy Diver
You've been down too long in the midnight sea
Oh what's becoming of me
Ride the tiger
You can see his stripes but you know he's clean
Oh don't you see what I mean
Gotta get away
Holy Diver
Rainbow In The Dark shows the band's commercial side but keeps their potential as a metal band. Don't Talk to Strangers and Invisible both show R.J's singing range, from a softer voice to his trademark metal voice.
Although Campbell, Appice and Bain played an important role on this album, R.J. Dio is the only one you remember after listening to his songs, his voice and lyrics are unforgettable. R.J. Left us in May 2010 but will never be forgotten. Wherever he has participated, he has succeeded, from Rainbow's Ritchie Blackmore's
Rainbow to his last
DIO album
Master Of The Moon, the small man is a true metal dio.
R.I.P Ronnie James Dio!
