Review Summary: Dios last album shows us why he was one of the best voices around
Ronnie James Dio. The name itself has connotations of greatness, from the humble beginnings in
Elf to
Rainbow then
Black Sabbath before finally forming
Dio where for over twenty years he released many great albums,
Master of the Moon is Dio's final outing, and as far as outings go, its pretty decent.
Opener
One More for the Road is a decent opener for the album, with fast guitar riffs and great vocals, its what you've come to expect from a Dio song, with pounding verses and a soaring chorus. Going then into the title track, the slower pace of song takes nothing away as it features a decent bass drive and another great chorus, but the real forte of the song is Dio himself, his vocals on this song are wonderful, showing of the talent that he was known for over his career as well as a sample of his great fantasy themed lyrics that he has always used.
Following a cut-off from
Master of the Moon enter
End of the World starting with a synth that cuts into a heavy guitar riff that could of been plucked straight from the 80's. After the slower pace of the last song, this is a booster. Its another good song, though if listening to the album as a whole it can get overlooked, though it does feature a good solo in the middle.
A low pounding riff signals the arrival of
Shivers and a very catchy riff it is, Dio's vocals on this song are great, and the lyrics are some of the best on the album:
Fingers scratching blackboards
Make cowards of the brave
A natural reaction
From the cradle to the grave
Rats and bats and spiders
And little things that crawl
Never make me tremble
I'm bothered not at all
The song is one of my favourites on the album and has a great guitar solo in it. Follower
The Man Who Would Be King arrives with a piano and Dio signing, a very slow opener goes into a steady guitar beat that starts to solo over the top. What follows is a rather generic song, another mid pace one that can be overlooked in the album.
The Eyes is next, and immediately your ears prick up, fast bassy riffing with some strange synth over the top, this is different to anything else you'll hear. Dios voice pierces this menacing tone with perfect ease and creates a great sound. This is the longest song on the album, lasting over six minutes in length. The song changes as it progresses, keeping it interesting. Another great moment on the album.
Near the end of the album now we reach
Living the Lie which showcases the bands talent in forming a classic heavy metal song, with Dio singing above the band with ease whilst the rest of the band showcase their individual skills, with the guitar in particular once again showing of his skills with a fast catchy riff and a well formed guitar solo. This song could of been plucked of any of the classic Dio albums, such as
Holy Dover or
Dream Evil . Reaching the last three songs now we start with
I Am which, while not as good as some of the other tracks, is still worth a listen to, with a steady riff and an full chorus it is what fans enjoy hearing from a Dio song, but not quite as enjoyable as some of the others.
Penultimate song
Death by Love brings you back up, with a strong riff and a catchy verse with lyrics about gypsy queens this is classic Dio, this harkens back to
Holy Diver with the sound that is formed, this is a very enjoyable song.
Now we reach the end of the album, ending with
In Dreams opening with a heavier riff than the last, it is also more technical. The song is very good, with a sound that is different to any of the others on the album, with a pounding yet technical riff, and an odd vocal line and lyrical structure it remains enjoyable. A very good end to the album.
So here it is, the last album from Dio, his parting gift. And it is a very good album, full of great metal songs. Dios vocals on the album remain as strong as they ever were, demonstrating why he was such a respected singer, the band as well are good, with the guitar in particular demonstrating skill and many great solos. Whilst not living up to albums such as
Holy Diver it is a worthy last outing by one of metals great voices.
