Dio - Holy Diver

You've Got Desire So Let It Out!!

This right here is one of my favorite albums of all time, certainly my favorite Dio cd. Being a teenager, I am surrounded by all of these people that think that rap, pop, and pop/punk(gag..barf...excuse me) are the only genres in music and refuse to broaden their tastes. I think that there are only 2 or 3 people at the whole school that know who Dio is! That's just wrong! But, anyway, on with the review.

The Band:

Ronnie James Dio is an amazing vocalist, one of the best I've ever heard, not to mention one of the most powerful. He has a really wide range. His best performance is probably Rainbow in the Dark.

Vivian Campbell is a great guitarist. When you think to all of the greatest guitarists, the first ones that come to mind are Hendrix and Clapton and all of those guys, and while those guys are excellent, you barely ever hear about Vivian Campbell. I mean, just listen to those leads on Stand Up and Shout, Gypsy, Don't Talk to Strangers, and Rainbow in the Dark! SHREDDING!

Jimmy Bain is a good bassist. When you're listening to this disc, you're probably going to be too absorbed by the singing, guitars, and drums to listen to the bass, but once you look past all of the other brilliant music, what you get is catchy, beeping, foot-tapping basslines that make Bain very good. Not quite as good as Geddy Lee, Steve Harris, or John Myung(my 3 favorite bassists) but he is definitely good.

Vinnie Appice is an exciting and electrifying drummer. Not as good as his brother, Carmine, but still really good and really fast. His best performances are on Stand Up and Shout, the title cut and Straight Through the Heart.

The Songs:

Stand Up and Shout is one of the best openers ever. It starts off with a great riff and is a perfect way to get this album going. Also features a shredding solo from Vivian. The next track, the title track, is my personal favorite Dio song of all time. It begins with the famous, eerie intro and then goes into an explosive riff. Nice drumwork from Vinnie, too. Gypsy is good, not quite as noteworthy as the first too, but still very good. Great solo from Vivian. Caught in the Middle is one of the catchiest songs on the album. I agree with another reviewer that it has great lyrics. "Look inside of yourself/You might see someone you don't know". I love Dio's vocals on this one. Don't Talk to Strangers is another personal favorite. Starts off with an acoustic intro with some soft singing by Dio, and then explodes into a thunderous headbanging riff. Scorching lead by Vivian, too. Straight Through the Heart is probably Vinnie's proudest moment on the album. Great drumming on here, especially after the vocals during the verses. Invisible, like Gypsy, is not as great as the others, but still pretty good. It contains one of the best riffs on the album. Next is Dio's best known song, Rainbow in the Dark. Great riff with some cool keyboard work. Great vocal performance by Dio, and another awesome Vivian lead. A fan favorite and certainly a personal favorite. Shame on the Night starts off with wolves howling in the distance, and then turns into a midpaced rocker. Like Invisible and Gypsy, not too great, but not too bad either.

So all of this complies into a great metal album, one of the best ever. Definitely in my personal top 10. Dio really outdid himself on his first solo outing. If you're a metal fan, then chances are you already have this in your collection. If you don't, then what are you waiting for? STAND UP AND SHOUT!!!

October 1, 2008

The Best Dio Has Ever Done

This is the best album Dio has ever put out, with or without Sabbath. A lot of the credit has to go to Vivian Campbell who came up with some truly memorable riffs on this album. Pretty much every song is a classic and if you don't have this in your collection, what are you waiting for? September 7, 2008

this junk is classic ?

First of all, I should state that I have a high IQ, do not smoke pot, do not worship Satan, don't drink, do not smoke and despise metal. Did I mention that I despise metal? The clientele of this band Dio seems to forget that for music to entertain us, it should be enjoyable and capable of being listened to. I was stuck in a Swedish hostel where some metal head losers put this on the CD/record player.

Aggravating. Not only is it truly awful, it is unbearable, I guarantee any sane person who is forced to listen to this rubbish will want to jump out a window. The lead singer thinks he is the devil and has the corniest art covers including "secret messages" that angered fanatical Christians.

Frankly, it's all very boring. The lyrics are no better, he writes about gnomes, trolls, dark elves and evil forests. It's obvious the guy played D & D (Dungeons & Dragons ) in the early 80's and probably has an oujia board in his closet. His voice is excruciatingly annoying, he whines through all the songs and then there are the corny guitar solos that make me want to puke. On one song they are even bold enough to add keyboards like a bunch of other crap 80's metal bands that didn't know where to go music wise. Most metal heads think this junk is classic but its not worth your time, that is, if you are a truly sane person. June 27, 2008

A Metal Classic!!!

Funny how Ozzy Osbourne and Ronnie James Dio have a similar career parallel. Both were vocalists for Black Sabbath. Both were kicked out of Sabbath. Both found young guitar geniuses (Ozzy/Randy Rhoades, Dio/Vivian Campbell)who played on their first two albums post Sabbath. Rhoades was killed in a plane crash after Ozzy's second album. Campbell left Dio after his third album though trouble started brewing during the recording of that album between the two. And uncoincidentally both Ozzy and Dio's best albums were there first two.

I just listened to this for the first time in awhile this evening. I remember as a teenager sitting back with my buddies trying to decipher Dio's cryptic lyrics, trying to figure out what he was really saying. I'm not sure if there was some really deep meaning to his lyrics or if they just sounded so damn cool (ie. listen to the first verse of "Invisible" after the intro.) I give "Holy Diver" a slight edge over Dio's second album, "The Last In Line". "Rainbow in The Dark" is the most well know song on here but IMHO there are a number of tunes on here that I consider superior. "Holy Diver", "Gypsy", and my fav "Don't Talk To Strangers". Any true metal fan should go out and get this if they don't have it. And remember "Don't Write in Starlight, cause the words may turn out real" LOL! May 27, 2008

80's Heavy Metal Classic

This album is without question the best Dio album ever, and it's also the first solo album released by legendary heavy metal vocalist Ronnie James Dio (who also fronted such great bands like Elf, Rainbow, and Black Sabbath) as well. Released in 1983 (the same year I was born in) "Holy Diver" is just a classic heavy metal album, no questions asked, and not to mention, that this is also one of the all-time greatest heavy metal albums of the 80's as well. I mean seriously, with a classic lineup consisting of the legendary Ronnie James Dio on vocals of course, Vivian Campbell on guitar, Jimmy Bain on bass, and Vinny Appice on drums, how can any true metalhead not enjoy such a classic metal album like this. Ronnie's vocals are just amazing, powerul, melodic, and absolutely god-like. This guy is definately one of heavy metal's all-time greatest singers, no questions asked. Vivian Campbell's guitarwork on here is just superb, full of killer, heavy, ferocious riffs and awesome shredding solos. Jimmy Bain's basslines are great and hearable, yes I said hearable, and of course Vinny Appice does an all around solid, superb job on the drums. As far as the songs on this album go, they're all great, but here's a look at my favorites anyway. "Stand up and Shout" is a classic fist-pumping, headbanging opener that features heavy speeding riffs, fast headbanging drum beats, a great catchy chorus, and a fierce, powerful rocking vocal performance by Ronnie as well. Next up, we have the classic title track "Holy Diver" which starts off with a moody keyboard intro, and then at 1:20 it goes into it's crushingly addicting main riff. This song also features more great vocals from Ronnie as well a great rocking guitar solo from Vivian. Track four "Caught in the Middle" is a solid, catchy, driving melodic rocker and another favorite of mine, that is highlighted by soaring melodic vocals from Ronnie, a great rocking chorus, and another great guitar solo. The fifth track "Don't Talk to Strangers" is another favorite of mine that starts off with a nice accoustic guitar melody and some soft vocals from Ronnie, and then the song thrusts into a barrage of nasty, thundering riffs and solid hard rocking drums, and Ronnie's fierce, powerful vocals come into play. There's also another great wild shredding solo by Vivian as well. "Straight Through the Heart" is an excellent heavy, mid-tempo number that features more great heavy riffs and great soloing, hefty drum beats, and a great chorus. The best song on here, and I DO MEAN the best song on here is without question "Rainbow in the Dark" which is truly one of Dio's most popular songs, as well as one of the greatest heavy metal songs of all time. This song is highlighted by a catchy keyboard melody, powerful riffing and another superb solo by Vivian, as well as another amazing melodic vocal performance by Ronnie. Man, words just cannot even describe how much I love this song, I mean it's a true classic, no questions asked.
Jeremy's song ratings:
1. Stand up and Shout (3:18) - 5/5
2. Holy Diver (5:55) - 5/5
3. Gypsy (3:40) - 5/5
4. Caught in the Middle (4:17) - 5/5
5. Don't Talk to Strangers (4:54) - 5/5
6. Straight Through the Heart (4:34) - 5/5
7. Invisible (5:26) - 5/5
8. Rainbow in the Dark (4:14) 10/5 Best song on here!!
9. Shame on the Night (5:18) - 5/5

Overall, "Holy Diver" is a true 80's heavy metal classic that I highly recommend to any true metalhead that enjoys classic heavy metal like I do. Get this album now, play it, crank up the volume, bang your head, and most importantly raise those devil horns. LONG LIVE HEAVY METAL!!


May 15, 2008

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