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Dio
Holy Diver (1983)
2021 Greg Moore Remaster
FLAC LOSSLESS 24Bit-96kHz
PBTHAL VINYL RIP
allmusic.com...
After playing a major role in five positively classic heavy metal albums of the late '70s and early '80s (three with Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow and two with Black Sabbath), it seemed that singer Ronnie James Dio could truly do no wrong. So it wasn't all that surprising -- impressive, but not surprising -- when he struck gold yet again when launching his solo vehicle, Dio, via 1983's terrific Holy Diver album. Much like those two, hallowed Sabbath LPs, Heaven and Hell and Mob Rules, Holy Diver opened at full metallic throttle with the frenetic "Stand Up and Shout," before settling into a dark, deliberate, and hypnotic groove for the timelessly epic title track -- a worthy successor to glorious triumphs past like Rainbow's "Stargazer" and the Sabs' "Sign of the Southern Cross." But subsequent metal anthems like "Straight Through the Heart," "Invisible," and the lycanthrope lullaby "Shame on the Night" were no less inspired; and by injecting uncommonly catchy melodies into the heavy rock riffery still dominating more accessible numbers such as "Gypsy," "Caught in the Middle," and hit single "Rainbow in the Dark" (where the singer himself played rather spotty keyboards), Dio proved himself perfectly capable of competing with the increasingly commercial hard rock fashions soon to come. Although most fans would agree that Dio would arguably never again replicate the simply sublime symbiosis of beauty and brawn achieved by the all-time standout "Don't Talk to Strangers." And, to be fair, aside from Ronnie's unquestionably stellar songwriting, Holy Diver's stunning quality and consistency owed much to his carefully chosen bandmates, including powerhouse drummer (and fellow Sabbath survivor) Vinny Appice, veteran bassist Jimmy Bain, and a phenomenal find in young Irish guitarist Vivian Campbell, whose tastefully pyrotechnic leads helped make this the definitive Dio lineup. So, too, is Holy Diver still the undisputed highlight of Dio's career, and, indeed, one of the finest pure heavy metal albums of the 1980s.
discogs.com...
The same way Ozzy delivered a classic debut album after its participation to Black Sabbath, Dio created his best work and a monument for the heavy metal genre. The original vinyl release included an inner sleeve showing a photo-montage with images from both Rainbow and Black Sabbath days. The cover, with art by Randy Berrett, features the band mascot "Murray" spinning a priest in chains around waves. Murray is featured on several other Dio albums. "Holy Diver" At its surface, this song is about Satan, and his descent to Hell (his "dive" . But according to Dio, there's a lot more to it, and the main character isn't really The Devil. "The song 'Holy Diver' is really about a Christ-figure, who on another place, not Earth, has done exactly the same as we've apparently experienced or were supposed to have experienced on Earth: dying for the sins of man so that man can start again and be cleansed and do it properly," he told Sam Dunn for the film Metal: A Headbanger's Journey."Caught in the Middle" shares the main guitar riff with Campbell's previous band Sweet Savage's song "Straight Through the Heart" (1983), whose title was used for another song in this album. In 2005 the album was remastered and re-released by Rock Candy Records. The album was certified gold in the US on September 12, 1984, and platinum on March 21, 1989. In the UK it attained Silver certification (60,000 units sold) by the British Phonographic Industry, achieving this in January 1986, at the same time as The Last in Line. In 2017, it was ranked 16th on Rolling Stone's list of "100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time"
Tracklist:
01 - Stand Up And Shout
02 - Holy Diver
03 - Gypsy
04 - Caught In The Middle
05 - Don't Talk To Strangers
06 - Straight Through The Heart
07 - Invisible
08 - Rainbow In The Dark
09 - Shame On The Night
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