Album #109: Dio - Holy Diver

Dio

Holy Diver (1983)

Few vocalists are as synonymous with metal culture as Ronnie James Dio, the little Italian from New York with the massive voice. The man credited with introducing the 'metal horns' to the world, he made his name as the frontman of Elf and Rainbow (the latter along with Deep Purple axe maestro Ritchie Blackmore), and his soaring, searing vocals were often a highlight of those recordings. However, most famously, Dio was one of (and easily the best of) the replacements for Ozzy Osbourne in Black Sabbath. Their album Heaven and Hell is still, in my view, one of the greatest Sabbath releases, partly because of the work of Dio.

In 1982, though, Dio left Sabbath and decided to form a band of his own with fellow ex-Sabbathite, drummer Vinny Appice. He recruited Irish guitar wizard Vivian Campbell (who would later go on to join Thin Lizzy and is currently the lead guitarist for Def Leppard) and Scottish bassist Jimmy Bain (Rainbow, Phil Lynott, Gary Moore) to join him in his eponymous metal band, Dio.

Their debut, 1983's Holy Diver, subsequently went on to become one of the most definitive metal albums of the 80s, and remains the band's most successful album to date. Why? Well, sit back and allow me to explain.

The Album

The two biggest reasons why Holy Diver is such a superb album are Ronnie James Dio and Vivian Campbell. Campbell's virtuosity on guitar, his squealing, ballsy guitar tone and his ear for a kickass metal riff are a highlight, and contribute to many of the album's most spine-tingling moments. As for Dio, there have been few vocalists in the history of rock and metal with his range, his power and his flexibility. Whether he is singing sweetly over an acoustic accompaniment, or belting out those trademark fantasy lyrics with a mindblowing half singing/half screaming approach, Dio makes it not only sound effortless but like he was put on this planet purely to sing metal. 

The rhythm section of Bain and Appice do more than their fair share of the heavy lifting also. Appice shows his chops on a number of occasions with tasteful, yet accentuating, fills and grooves, while Bain plays both bass and keys and is a vital component of many songs (Dio also contributed some keys to the album.)

The songs themselves are packed, wall to wall, with killer riffs, some of which have become legend in metal music. The most obvious of those are the two singles, and arguably the band's finest ever song releases, Holy Diver and Rainbow In The Dark. The former lures you in with its atmospheric opening, as the distant howl of the wind is accompanied by some subtle synth lines. Out of nowhere the song begins with a bang, cranking straight into that familiar, yet simple, riff, played by both Campbell and Bain in tandem. The lyrics might be Dio's fantasy nonsense but holy shit Dio absolutely fucking kills delivering them (though it's not his best performance on the album, believe it or not.) Campbell's solo progresses from careful bluesy progression to lightly shredded technical proficiency. 

The latter is the outstanding track on an album full of quality. Campbell's brutally superb riff is complemented by a hook played on the synthesiser, while Dio unleashes his highlight vocal of the album, a sublime display of powerful metal singing. Campbell also unleashes a shredfest of a solo, highlighting why he's such an underrated, highly talented axeman.

That's not all that makes the album a standout though. Opener Stand Up And Shout briefly calls to mind Neon Knights from Sabbath's Heaven and Hell, with its galloping riff and frenetic tempo, Gypsy features a catchy, cool little riff and more Dio gymnastics, Straight Through The Heart features one of the heaviest riffs from Campbell, some great work from Vinny Appice and continued Dio brilliance, and Invisible sounds like some Vol.4 era Sabbath, with a beefy, heavy, doomy plodding metal riff and a jawdropping guitar solo.

Also of note is the fantasy/progressive metal of Don't Talk To Strangers, featuring multilayered acoustic guitars in the introduction, and a sweet, lilting Dio vocal, before crashing through your speakers with a chuggy riff and some sharp drumwork, and the closing track Shame On The Night, which has a menacing, plodding tempo, bass and vocal-driven verses and several very different sections (an instrumental bridge where Campbell and Bain duet along with a church organ accompaniment then winds its way to an extended coda, featuring a ballsy riff pounding away relentlessly while Appice and Dio punctuate the guitars with their contributions.)

The Verdict

Holy Diver stands the test of time as one of metal's most essential and influential releases. Credited by some as inventing the genre of power metal (though I'd probably credit bands like Manowar with that moniker), it represents the fusion of four very talented musicians working in perfect synergy to create a masterwork. Even the album filler tracks are chock full of quality riffs, great musicianship...and, of course, Dio, who is admittedly one of my vocalist heroes. This album is Exhibit A in the case for Dio being one of the greatest vocalists of all time.

My rating: **** and a half

Standout Tracks

Rainbow In The Dark

Holy Diver

Invisible