Holy diver --- Dio --- 1983
If there can be said to be such a thing as a perfect metal album, I believe this is it. If there can also be said to be a perfect debut, this gets that prize too. After taking the metal world by storm through his work with Rainbow and then Black Sabbath, Ronnie James Dio decided it was time to save heavy metal, and he intended to do it single-handedly. And he did.
Bad tracks? Move on, mate: you won't find any here! From the storming opener "Stand up and shout" to the grindy, chugalong "Shame on the night", every track here is a joy. Particular standouts are the title track, "Rainbow in the dark" and "Don't talk to strangers", the latter on which RJD brings his love of medieval and mythological writing, with a super little acoustic guitar intro before the song goes ape**** courtesy of one young man called Campbell.
An iconic album of the times, "Holy diver" heralded a whole new era in metal, but sadly for my money Ronnie soon ran out of steam and his third and fourth albums left me a little cold. If I'm honest, it's only this, the followup "The last in line" and "Killing the dragon" that really interest me. But this album was a shining example of Dio at his best, and it deserves all the plaudits it received and all its placings on "best albums" lists down the years. You can't truly call yourself a metalhead and not have this album. Sorry, not
worship this album. It's just that good.
Ronnie had the perfect voice for metal, loud and aggressive while still clear and strong, and able to croon when he had to. He's a great loss to the metal community, and to rock in general, but at least we have this
meisterwerk to remember him by.
Throw the horns! NOW!
Oh, and stand up. And shout.
TRACKLISTING
1. Stand up and shout
2. Holy diver
3. Gypsy
4. Caught in the middle
5. Don't talk to strangers
6. Straight through the heart
7. Invisible
8. Rainbow in the dark
9. Shame on the night