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Posts tagged Vinny Appice
Dio – Live at Donington UK (1983-87) (@256)
01 Jan 2012
(Review from bbc.co.uk)
When former Black Sabbath and Rainbow frontman Ronnie James Dio exploded out of the gate with a formidable new band and a simply awesome new album, he was an artist reborn. The year was 1983 and the band – simply christened Dio – were on fire, as the album – the immaculate, immortal Holy Diver – so ably attested. Rather than become jaded by acrimonious splits with both his former bands, Dio turned his trials into triumphs and when Dio the band arrived on UK shores for the first time, the setting simply couldn’t have been more magnificent.
The 1980s were the Monsters of Rock’s glory years, taking place in Doningtom. In 1983 Dio had their first taste of success. With just one ‘solo’ album to call upon, Dio delved into his illustrious past to assemble a set as replete with metal standards as it was with future classics. Today, Dio tunes such as Stand Up and Shout, Rainbow in the Dark and Holy Diver can hold their own alongside Sabbath’s epic Heaven and Hell or Rainbow’s jaw-dropping set piece Stargazer; in 83 Dio were really throwing down the gauntlet by daring to perform new, untested material back-to-back with songs that’d sold millions. As a result, the band’s Donington 83 set is simply electric.
Even if it hadn’t been a decidedly damp and miserable afternoon, their return to the Donington stage in 1987 was never likely to eclipse the sheer energy of their debut appearance. New numbers such as Dream Evil and Naked in the Rain show Dio holding steady rather than racing ahead. That said, the band – complete with new guitarist Craig Goldy on his maiden show – are as razor-sharp and rampant as four years previously, riding high on the huge successes of the intervening period.
This double-disc is a trip down memory lane, one disc recordings from 1983, the second from 1987. There’s a fair bit of track duplication between both recordings but, with Vivian Campbell strutting his stuff in 1983 and the aforementioned Goldy taking over in 1987, there’s also plenty of contrast.
Line-up:
- Ronnie James Dio / Vocals
- Vivian Campbell / Guitar (CD1)
- Craig Goldy / Guitar (CD2)
- Jimmy Bain / Bass
- Vinny Appice / Drums
- Claude Schnell / Keyboards
Track List:
CD1 (1983)
01. Stand Up And Shout – 3:49
02. Straight Through The Heart – 4:49
03. Children Of The Sea – 6:15
04. Rainbow In The Dark – 4:38
05. Holy Diver – 5:08
06. Drum Solo – 0:41
07. Stargazer – 1:42
08. Guitar Solo – 1:38
09. Heaven And Hell (Long Live Version) – 11:05
10. Man On The Silver Mountain – 3:32
11. Starstruck – 0:47
12. Man On The Silver Mountain (Reprise) – 2:29
CD2 (1987)
01. Dream Evil – 4:56
02. Neon Knights – 4:43
03. Naked In The Rain – 7:28
04. Rock And Roll Children – 2:46
05. Long Live Rock And Roll – 4:39
06. The Last In Line – 4:12
07. Children Of The Sea – 1:22
08. Holy Diver – 1:27
09. Heaven And Hell (Long Live Version) – 3:18
10. Man On The Silver Mountain – 4:28
11. All The Fools Sailed Away – 4:23
12. The Last In Line (Reprise) – 1:11
13. Rainbow In The Dark – 5:11
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Heaven and Hell – Neon Nights (Live 2009) (@256)
14 May 2011
(Review from roadrunnerrecords.com)
On Thursday July 30, 2009, Heaven & Hell took to the stage at the famous Wacken festival in Germany as part of the tour in support of their album ‘The Devil You Know’, released earlier in the year.
Although nobody knew at the time, it was to be Ronnie James Dio’s last recorded concert appearance before his death in May 2010 from stomach cancer. Heaven & Hell were on fantastic form and played a set blending tracks from the newly released album with classics from their Black Sabbath days.
This is a truly fitting tribute to one of the legendary voices of rock.
Line-up:
- Ronnie James Dio / vocals
- Tony Iommi / lead guitar
- Geezer Butler / bass
- Vinny Appice / drums
- Scott Warren / keyboards, rhythm guitar
Track List:
01. Mob Rules – 3:46
02. Children Of The Sea – 6:30
03. I – 6:16
04. Bible Black – 6:29
05. Time Machine – 4:39
06. Fear – 4:36
07. Falling Off The Edge Of The World – 5:39
08. Follow The Tears – 6:11
09. Die Young – 6:41
10. Heaven And Hell – 17:48
11. Neon Knights – 5:45
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Heaven and Hell – Devil You Know (2009) (@256)
18 May 2010
(Review from allmusic, blabbermouth.net, wikipedia)
After the band’s successful 2007 world tour, “Heaven & Hell” entered the studio to record the album “Devil You Know”.
This is a heavier album than any of its three predecessors with the same line-up (Heaven and Hell, Mob Rules, Dehumanizer); whether it’s due to the bandmembers’ advancing age or the influence of anxieties felt throughout the world outside the studio.
The first songs of the album that make up the bulk of its running time, are like slow-motion avalanches, Iommi’s riffs and Appice’s drumming punishing the listener like medieval monks scourging unbelievers. Dio’s lyrics, too, seem to embody an almost Old Testament world-view, positing a universe of darkness, fire, and despair. His voice is as powerful as ever, but he’s no longer offering self-esteem lessons the way he once did; he seems consumed by fear and doubt. This gives The Devil You Know a feeling of genuine doom that leaves little opportunity for the catharsis provided by classic heavy metal.
It’s not until “Eating the Cannibals”, that the band revs into high gear the way it did on “Neon Knights” and “Turn Up the Night” 20-plus years ago.
Dio still sounds amazing, writing in a lower register these days but possessed of a grandeur and gravity that’s just awe-inspiring. He’s always been a consummate professional, able to give the dodgiest material a patina of class and grace, and when he’s working with Iommi and Geezer Butler, he’s clearly inspired to kick things up a notch. And speaking of Butler, the band’s oft-underrated secret weapon is all over “The Devil You Know”, his bass high up in the mix, with a larger-than-life tone and plenty of sly accents and fills burbling under the obsidian sheen of Iommi’s riffing.
Due to the death of Ronnie James Dio, this would be the band’s only studio album.
Line-up:
- Ronnie James Dio / vocals
- Tony Iommi / guitar
- Geezer Butler / bass guitar
- Vinny Appice / drums
Track List:
01. Atom & Evil – 5:13
02. Fear – 4:46
03. Bible Black – 6:26
04. Double The Pain – 5:23
05. Rock And Roll Angel – 6:02
06. The Turn Of The Screw – 5:00
07. Eating The Cannibals – 3:35
08. Follow The Tears – 6:09
09. Neverwhere – 4:32
10. Breaking Into Heaven – 6:53
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Dio – Inferno : Last in Live (1998) (@256)
09 Nov 2008
Thanks to Man in Silence for the review contribution.
(Review from amazon, allmusic)
This is a sprawling double live set that if nothing else proves that at the end of the century Ronnie James Dio still has some of the best set of pipes in the business.
The album was recorded on the “Angry Machines” tour but looks back on his career with Rainbow, Sabbath and Dio. In fact he even throws in a cover of Deep Purple’s “Mistreated”, a song that he used to sing
with Rainbow.
Most of the tracks are classic Dio with only one song from the “Angry Machines” album. In addition he performs Sabbath tunes “Heaven And Hell”, and “The Mob Rules”. There is also a surprising amount of Rainbow material with “Long Live Rock N Roll”, “Catch The Rainbow”, and “Man On The Silver Mountain” all represented here.
Tracy G’s radically different approach to soloing and his highly dark sound we get a radically different take on many of the older Dio material. “Holy Diver” and “Heaven and Hell” sound much more doom oriented than on any other live album containing these classics. “The Last in Line” has a more agitated sounding solo, probably because it’s a difficult solo to pull off so Tracy G retailored it to fit his own style.
As blistering as much of the material is, Inferno points to the fact that the singer has always been an expert when it comes to combining rich melodies with brute force.
Line-up:
* Ronnie James Dio – Vocals
* Tracy Grijalva – Guitars
* Larry Dennison – Bass
* Scott Warren – Keyboards
* Vinny Appice – Drums
Track List:
CD1
01. Intro – 1:37
02. Jesus, Mary And The Holy Ghost – 3:27
03. Straight Through The Heart – 5:47
04. Don’t Talk To Strangers – 6:02
05. Holy Diver – 4:59
06. Drum Solo – 4:01
07. Heaven And Hell – 7:29
08. Double Monday – 3:18
09. Stand Up And Shout – 4:08
10. Hunter Of The Heart – 5:16
CD2
01. Mistreated – 10:11
02. Guitar Solo – 3:38
03. The Last In Line – 6:54
04. Rainbow In The Dark – 4:56
05. Mob Rules – 3:37
06. Man On The Silver Mountain – 2:11
07. Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll – 4:14
08. We Rock – 5:40
Links in comments.
Dio – Angry Machines (1996) (@256)
09 Nov 2008
(Review from metal-archives.com, allmusic)
“Angry Machines” is a natural follow-up to the band’s previous album with the same line-up. Awkward sound all across the board, dissonant riffs, random baroque symphonic pieces, and confusing social commentary!
Whether you get it or not, the album is making a statement. The lyrics mostly avoid Dio’s familiar medieval-fantasy D&D obsessions, instead directing their attention to more real-world concerns (albeit with the same sense of drama).
The album is full of pounding rhythms and guitars along with plenty of wailing by Ronnie James Dio. The band often seems to concentrate on sound more than songwriting — the album sounds good while it’s playing, but the riffs or melodies don’t stick with you afterwards to judge it a complete return to form.
Line-up:
# Ronnie James Dio – Vocals
# Tracy Grijalva – Guitars
# Jeff Pilson – Bass
# Vinny Appice – Drums
# Scott Warren – Keyboards
Track List:
01. Institutional Man – 5:09
02. Don’t Tell the Kids – 4:18
03. Black – 3:10
04. Hunter of the Heart – 4:13
05. Stay Out of My Mind – 7:11
06. Big Sister – 5:35
07. Double Monday – 2:55
08. Golden Rules – 4:54
09. Dying in America – 4:38
10. This Is Your Life – 3:23
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Dio – Strange Highways (1994) (@256)
07 Nov 2008
Thanks to Man in Silence for the review contribution.
(Review from wikipedia, metal-archives.com)
After the short lived Dehumanizer reunion with Black Sabbath, Dio and Appice returned to Dio’s solo group. Due to Dio’s hard feelings toward Craig Goldy at the time, he hired Tracy Grijalva a his guitarist.
In this album, Dio takes the sound of the “Dehumanizer” album and build on that, giving this album a very hard, modern feel. Many Dio fans felt betrayed by this who were expecting another ‘Holy Diver’ or ‘Dream Evil’. Others viewed it as a nice change from the 80s sound he had relied on before. Both musically and lyrically the album takes off right where Sabbath’s “Dehumanizer” left you.
The first noticeable point when playing this album for the first time is that the production of this record is massive. Turning up the stereo reveals a huge deep drum sound, which is nice and natural. The guitar sound is absolutely fantastic with much more gain than on previous Dio efforts, and fabulous tone. A great example of the heavyness of the guitars can be heard in the intro of the title track ‘Strange Highways’ with lovely open power chords. The guitar playing of Tracy G is unique and quite unlike any of the other Dio axe slingers. There is lots of use of the whammy bar and pinched harmonics. The solos tend not to be particularly fast, but then the music isn’t.
The songs on this album are generally mid to slow tempo, apart from the opener ‘Jesus, Mary and the holy ghost’ and ‘Here’s to you’. The choruses of the songs tend not to be as catchy as previous efforts. Ronnie James Dio is playing a different game here. The songs are deep, dark and disturbing with sinister lyrics. ‘Evilution’ and ‘Pain’ are a good example of the sludgy, doom laden material that represents ‘Strange Highways’.
Line-up:
* Ronnie James Dio – vocals
* Tracy G – guitars
* Jeff Pilson – bass, keyboards
* Vinny Appice – drums
Track List:
01. Jesus Mary & The Holy Ghost – 4:14
02. Firehead – 4:07
03. Strange Highways – 6:54
04. Hollywood Black – 5:09
05. Evilution – 5:37
06. Pain – 4:13
07. One Foot In The Grave – 4:02
08. Give Her The Gun – 6:00
09. Blood From A Stone – 4:14
10. Here’s To You – 3:24
11. Bring Down The Rain – 5:45
Link in comments.
Dio – Dream Evil (1987) (@256)
06 Nov 2008
Thanks to Man in Silence for the review contribution.
(Review from allmusic, metal-archives.com)
Dream Evil is by no means a departure from the Dio formula that was so successful for his first three solo albums. All of the elements that made them so successful are yet again retained here.
However, what makes things different this time around is that Dio has more of a melodious side to him, which he puts use here rather than relying on the riffs and delivery he learned at the school of Sabbath. He even touches on the power ballad (a sure sign that the style had fully infiltrated metal) with “All the Fool Sailed Away”, managing to be emotional without being sappy.
“Night People” is infectious speed metal and “Overlove” features a catchy main riff that will be stuck in your head for days. The title track is in the tradition of past Dio title tracks… ominous, heavy, and awesome. “Sunset Superman” also proved to be two of Dio’s most well-known, and most loved songs in his massive catalog.
Line-up:
* Ronnie James Dio – Vocals
* Craig Goldy – Guitar
* Jimmy Bain – Bass
* Claude Schnell – Keyboards
* Vinny Appice – Drums
with
* Mitchell Singing Boys – chorus (4)
Track List:
01. Night People – 4:08
02. Dream Evil – 4:25
03. Sunset Superman – 5:48
04. All The Fools Sailed Away – 7:14
05. Naked In The Rain – 5:13
06. Overlove – 3:47
07. I Could Have Been A Dreamer – 4:47
08. Faces In The Window – 3:52
09. When A Woman Cries – 4:42
Link in comments.
Dio – Intermission (Live 1986) (@256)
04 Nov 2008
Thanks to Man in Silence for the review contribution.
(Review from amazon, wikipedia)
Intermission is an EP the band released in 1986. The live songs were recorded with Vivian Campbell during the first leg of the Sacred Heart tour. Craig Goldy replaced Campbell, and the band wanted something to represent the new lineup, so they recorded “Time to Burn” with him in studio, and it was added to the album.
All 5 live recordings sound great and are of very high quality. The Rock ‘N’ Roll Children Medley is the most awesome, as it contains Man on the Silver Mountain, a classic tune from Dio’s “Rainbow” days done faster and up to date (for the 1986 that is).
“Time To Burn” is an excellent surprise, a new studio track stuck in the middle of all the live tracks.
Fans who had been hoping for a double-live album were somewhat disappointed with this release, especially as the guitar-parts of the now-departed Campbell seem low in the mix. Though, “Intermission” was popular at its time, because it was the only to get some live Dio.
Line-up:
* Ronnie James Dio – Vocals
* Vivian Campbell – Guitar Solos
* Jimmy Bain – Bass
* Claude Schnell – Keyboards
* Vinny Appice – Drums
* Craig Goldy – Guitar (4) & over-dubbed rhythm guitar (1-3,5,6)
Track List:
01. King Of Rock And Roll – 3:41
02. Rainbow In The Dark – 4:42
03. Sacred Heart – 6:23
04. Time To Burn (Studio) – 4:26
05. Rock ‘n’ Roll Children – 9:40
06. We Rock – 4:55
Link in comments.
Dio – Sacred Heart (1985) (@256)
04 Nov 2008
Thanks to Man in Silence for the review contribution.
(Review from amazon)
Sure, you could argue that Dio’s style has remained fairly constant and he does not have a tendency to “grow” stylistically. But one thing for sure: this is one guy who knows how to rock. On Sacred Heart, he cranks out 9 great tunes, and he makes it seem easy. The truth is, while these songs do not shock you with stunning originality, they still rock you to the core. This music is not emotionally moving, but that’s not the point!! The point is that it is hard rock, and it does just that: it rocks hard.
The best song on the album is definitely the title track, “Sacred Heart.” It is in the vein of the title tracks of his two previous albums, “Holy Diver” and “Last in Line”. It is a slower, more epic composition, and it dominates. Other highlights are “King of Rock and Roll” and “Another Lie”.
The band is in top form, as usual. The new keyboardist, Claude Schnell, is pretty cool; his sounds add a whole new element to the band’s music. Sometimes they sound downright evil: check out the main riff to “Like the Beat of a Heart.” And of course, Vivian Campbell tears it up on guitar.
Dio is one of the great voices of hard rock. Although he has more popular albums than “Sacred Heart”, it still seems that he can do no wrong.
Line-up:
* Ronnie James Dio – Vocals
* Vivian Campbell – Guitar
* Jimmy Bain – Bass
* Claude Schnell – Keyboards
* Vinny Appice – Drums
Track List:
01. King of Rock and Roll – 3:43
02. Sacred Heart – 6:27
03. Another Lie – 3:49
04. Rock’n'Roll Children – 4:32
05. Hungry For Heaven – 4:11
06. Like The Beat Of A Heart – 4:20
07. Just Another Day – 3:21
08. Fallen Angels – 3:58
09. Shoot Shoot – 4:16
Link in comments.
Dio – Last in Line (1984) (@256)
02 Nov 2008
Thanks to Man In Silence for the review contribution.
(Review from amazon)
Holy Diver was an excellent debut from Dio, and this album, just a year later, continued to show Dio at full glory.
The album kicks off with one of heavy metal’s top ever openers – “We Rock”. And indeed it rocks. This is the classic type of metal opener you’d imagine: fast, furious and it rocks! The title track is next, and is the highlight of the album. “Breathless” is next and is a good metal song, quite fast, decent chorus, and strong solos. “I Speed At Night” has some great solos, and has an extemely cool riff.
“One Night In The City” is a mid-tempo song with some strong riffs, that would best be compared to ‘Shame On The Night’
from the previous album (nothing to do with the ‘night’ though). “Evil Eyes” is another short and fast rocker, sort of like “Gypsy”, with strong lines throughout, very good. “Mystery” is a ballad, with some good keyboard work by Dio himself. Its slow but manages to stay solid. It reminds you a little of “Rainbow In The Dark”. “Eat Your Heart Out” is a nice mid-tempo song, with nice solos by Vivian Campbell, once again.
The closing song is Dio’s soon-to-be famous ballad – Egypt (The Chains Are On). It’s a slow song, but has excellent crunching riffs, great lyrics, and is a real classic.
Line-up:
* Ronnie James Dio – Vocals
* Vivian Campbell – Guitar
* Jimmy Bain – Bass
* Vinny Appice – Drums
with
* Claude Schnell – Keyboards
Track List:
01. We Rock – 4:35
02. The Last In Line – 5:47
03. Breathless – 4:09
04. I Speed At Night – 3:22
05. One Night In The City – 5:16
06. Evil Eyes – 3:38
07. Mystery – 3:58
08. Eat Your Heart Out – 3:50
09. Egypt (The Chains Are On) – 6:57
Link in comments.
Heaven and Hell – Live From Radio City Music Hall (2007) (@256)
05 Oct 2008
(Review from wikipedia, allmusic)
Heaven and Hell is a musical collaboration featuring Black Sabbath members Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler along with former members Ronnie James Dio and Vinny Appice. Because of the projected continuation of Black Sabbath’s original lineup (Iommi, Butler, Osbourne and Ward) and the 2006 induction of the original lineup into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Iommi (owner of the Black Sabbath name) decided to call the touring group Heaven and Hell. The moniker was taken from the first Dio-fronted Black Sabbath recording, Heaven and Hell.
The four members of Heaven and Hell recorded and toured together as Black Sabbath from 1980-1982 and again from 1991-1992. In 2006, while the foursome reunited to record new songs and then decided to embark on a 2007-2008 tour. This live album was recorded at the legendary Radio City Music Hall during that tour.
The spirit of this live album is very much in the vein of the “Reunion” live album with Ozzy nearly a decade ago. A monstrous set list covering all aspects of the Dio-era with two newly written songs.
Even though some of this material is over 25 years old, it works phenomenally well in the context of this band. The pairing of Butler and Iommi is utterly captivating — always has been, probably always will be. The noise they make together is wonderfully musical, and at times just devastatingly heavy. Butler’s trademark bass throb, all fuzzy and dark, is the perfect foil for the riff-laden, slow to midtempo rock riffing of Iommi. Appice is a consummate big rock drummer, basic and powerful when the need arises, but he’s taken a few nods from John Bonham and Keith Moon as well; his fills are colorful and dynamic, and project the tunes forward underscoring every big riff, chorus, and post-line wail from Dio. And Dio… it’s hard to believe this guy’s actually 65 years old in the time of this recording. He is one of rock & roll’s great frontmen. He’s versatile, can project and wail on top of that boisterous trio.
So they run the course of their recordings together and it’s wildly obvious from the end of “E5150/After All (The Dead)” that these old guys are having a good time. They play like they mean it, they understand after all this time what a rock show is supposed to be (not what it is any longer), and they give it to the faithful in overdrive. There is crisp fresh energy here and the execution is nearly flawless.
Iommi’s wah-wah guitar solo in “Lady Evil” is just plain nasty. “The Devil Cried”, one of the new cuts, is among the best in the bunch. Beginning with a growling open-chord guitar riff and a sub-basement bass pummel, it gets the crowd into fist-pumping mode and, if the tape is accurate, keeps them there — yes, even through the drum solo.
At the end nothing but pure godless rawk power and orgiastic volume excess that somehow don’t seem as menacing as they do rousing, as the freewheeling closer, “Neon Knights”, finally fades.
“Heaven & Hell” are not a guilty pleasure; the band is a riot of the greatest aspects of stadium rock power and glory.
Line-up:
* Ronnie James Dio – vocals
* Tony Iommi – guitar
* Geezer Butler – bass
* Vinny Appice – drums
with
* Scott Warren – keyboards
Track List:
CD1
01. 5150 – After All (The Dead) – 8:30
02. The Mob Rules – 4:04
03. Children Of The Sea – 6:52
04. Lady Evil – 5:20
05. I – 6:27
06. The Sign Of The Southern Cross – 9:06
07. Voodoo – 7:42
08. The Devil Cried – 11:29
CD2
01. Computer God – 6:41
02. Falling Off The Edge Of The World – 5:45
03. Shadow Of The Wind – 6:05
04. Die Young – 7:44
05. Heaven And Hell – 15:15
06. Lonely Is The Word – 6:48
07. Neon Knights – 7:58
Links in comments.
Black Sabbath – Dehumanizer (1992) (@256)
30 Sep 2008
(Review from wikipedia, amazon, ram.org, metal-archives.com)
While on tour with his own band in August 1990, former Black Sabbath vocalist Ronnie James Dio was joined on stage at the Minneapolis Forum by former Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler to perform “Neon Knights”. Following the show, the two expressed interest in rejoining Black Sabbath. Butler convinced Iommi, who in turn broke up the current lineup, dismissing vocalist Tony Martin and bassist Neil Murray.
Ronnie James Dio and Geezer Butler joined Tony Iommi and Cozy Powell in the fall of 1990 to begin working on the next Black Sabbath release. While rehearsing in November, Powell suffered a broken hip when his horse died, falling on the drummer’s legs. Unable to complete work on the album, Powell was replaced by former drummer Vinny Appice.
The year-long recording process was plagued with problems, primarily stemming from writing tension between Tony Iommi and Ronnie James Dio, as some songs were re-written multiple times. The resulting album, “Dehumanizer” was finally released on June 1992.
“Dehumanizer” is a concept recording dealing with the evils of modern technology, painting a vision of a dystopian future. It is incredibly heavy, dark and powerful. Dio’s angry and powerful vocals and Iommi’s soaring guitar work are nicely complemented by Geezer Butler’s pounding bass and Vinny Appice excellent drum work.
Throughout the entire listen we are treated to a variety of lyrical themes that are quite a departure from Dio’s earlier work with Sabbath. From the futuristic technological tyranny of “Computer God” to the egoistic anthem “I”, we get songs that are poetic, yet still catchy and easy to sing along with in the concert hall. We also get a taste of older Sabbath themes from back when Ozzy was still fronting the band such as the somber introspective song “Too Late”, and the social commentary included on such tracks as “Letters from Earth” and “Sins of the Father”.
The music contained on here is a rather brilliant combination of several eras of Sabbath. “After All (The Dead)” sounds a good deal like “Disturbing the Priest”, while “Buried Alive” has an introductory riff that reminds a good deal of “Zero the Hero”. “TV Crimes” and “Time Machine” could almost pass for faster tracks from the earlier Dio era of Sabbath, although the riffs do contain a darker tinge that keeps them in line with the subject of this album. “Master of Insanity” is definitely similar to some of the darker tracks from the Ozzy era, and contains one hell of an evil sounding bass intro.
Some of the music on here is a bit more original sounding, though still in line with the precedents set on previous efforts. “Too Late” starts off with a sad sounding acoustic guitar intro that sounds a tiny bit like “Odin’s Court” off the last album, only to kick into some rather evil sounding electric guitar riffs that seem more in line with the dark title track to “The Eternal Idol”. “I” has a very blues inspired intro that could pass for Sabbath’s debut album in 1970, though the rest of the song sounds similar to some of Dio’s later solo work.
During the tour of this album, former vocalist Ozzy Osbourne announced his first retirement, and invited Black Sabbath to open for his solo band at the final two shows. The band agreed, aside from vocalist Ronnie James Dio who believed it was humiliating and a harbringer of a reunion. Dio quit the band the night before those shows.
Line-up:
- Ronnie James Dio / vocals
- Tony Iommi / guitars
- Geezer Butler / bass
- Vinny Appice / drums
- Geoff Nicholls / keyboards
Track List:
01. Computer God – 6:15
02. After All (The Dead) – 5:41
03. TV Crimes – 4:02
04. Letters From Earth – 4:17
05. Master Of Insanity – 5:55
06. Time Machine – 4:15
07. Sins Of The Father – 4:46
08. Too Late – 6:55
09. I – 5:13
10. Buried Alive – 4:50
Link in comments.
Black Sabbath – Live at Hammersmith Odeon (1982) (@256)
23 Sep 2008
(Review from amazon, allmusic)
As evidenced by their so-so live set, “Live Evil”, a Dio-era Black Sabbath live performance was never truly captured on vinyl — as the aforementioned album was allegedly the victim of far too much knob-twiddling during the mixing stage. As a result, many longtime fans will attest that this lone live document was an album that lacked the spark of Sabbath’s live shows circa 1980 through 1982.
“Live At Hammersmith Odeon” is quite a nice little treat on that account. Recorded during the 1981 Mob Rules tour, this recording takes the best versions of the performed songs from 3 out of the 4 Hammersmith Odeon sold-out concerts (between December 31st, 1981 through January 2nd, 1982) and compiles them seamlessly as one glorious presentation.
The Black Sabbath are on fire throughout — as they launch through a set that is split almost 50/50 between Ozzy-era classics and soon-to-be Dio era classics. Tops on the list here are fine readings of “Neon Knights”, “The Mob Rules”, “N.I.B.”, “Voodoo” and “Children of the Grave”, as well as such rarely played “Mob Rules” nuggets as “Country Girl” and “Slippin’ Away”.
This is a great live album both from a sonic and performance standpoint, a must for Dio-era Sabbath fans.
Line-up:
* Ronnie James Dio – vocals
* Tony Iommi – guitars
* Geezer Butler – bass
* Vinny Appice – drums
* Geoff Nicholls – keyboards
Track List:
01. E5150 – 1:17
02. Neon Knights – 4:37
03. N.I.B – 5:16
04. Children Of The Sea – 6:07
05. Country Girl – 3:53
06. Black Sabbath – 8:24
07. War Pigs – 7:40
08. Slipping Away – 3:18
09. Iron Man – 7:05
10. The Mob Rules – 3:33
11. Heaven And Hell – 14:24
12. Paranoid – 3:21
13. Voodoo – 5:44
14. Children Of The Grave – 5:03
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Black Sabbath – Live Evil (1981-82) (@256)
23 Sep 2008
(Review from allmusic, wikipedia)
Black Sabbath’s first attempt at an official live album was the straw that broke the camel’s back; or rather, it split the band’s second lineup right down the middle. Band tensions were already at an all-time high but when founding members Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler accused singer Ronnie James Dio of sneaking into the studio to raise the volume on his vocals, the pint-sized warbler decided it was time to pursue a solo career, taking drummer Vinny Appice with him.
Accusations aside, 1982′s Live Evil benefits from a clear, “in your face” sound, and despite relying heavily on Dio-era material, the album effectively documents Black Sabbath’s tours in the early ’80s. Dio certainly has the vocal chops (if not the same innocent charm) to handle the Ozzy-era classics.
One of the most popular tracks on the album is a near 20-minute long medley that includes “Heaven And Hell” (with its extended break-down section and additional lyrics), “Sign of the Southern Cross”, a guitar solo, and finishing off the ending of “Heaven and Hell”.
Another favourite is an extended War Pigs which featured a drum solo from Appice whose playing more closely resembled John Bonham than original Sabbath drummer Bill Ward’s jazzier style.
Line-up:
- Tony Iommi / Lead Guitar
- Geezer Butler / Bass
- Ronnie James Dio / Vocals
- Vinny Appice / Drums
- Geoff Nicholls / Keyboards
Track List:
01. E5150 – 2:09
02. Neon Knights – 4:28
03. N.I.B – 5:09
04. Children of the Sea – 6:04
05. Voodoo – 5:23
06. Black Sabbath – 8:34
07. War Pigs – 9:17
08. Iron Man – 7:10
09. The Mob Rules – 3:18
10. Heaven and Hell – 11:57
11. The Sign of the Southern Cross / Heaven and Hell (continued) – 7:16
12. Paranoid – 3:25
13. Children of the Grave – 5:02
14. Fluff – 0:43
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Black Sabbath – Mob Rules (1981) (@256)
04 Aug 2007
(Review from allmusic.com, amazon, wikipedia)
1981′s Mob Rules was the second Black Sabbath album to feature vertically challenged singer Ronnie James Dio, whose powerful pipes and Dungeons and Dragons lyrics initially seemed like the perfect replacement for the recently departed and wildly popular Ozzy Osbourne. In fact, all the ingredients which had made their first outing, Heaven and Hell, so successful are re-utilized on this album, including legendary metal producer Martin Birch and supporting keyboard player Geoff Nichols.
“The Mob Rules” is a magnificent record, with the only serious problem being the sequencing of the material, which mirrors “Heaven and Hell” almost to a tee. In that light, one can’t help but compare otherwise compelling tracks like “Turn Up the Night” and “Voodoo” to their more impressive Heaven and Hell counterparts, “Neon Knights” and “Children of the Sea”. This unhappy streak is finally snapped by the unconventional “E5150,” a synthesizer-driven instrumental. Then, the unbelievably heavy, seven-minute epic “The Sign of the Southern Cross” delivers one of the album’s best moments before unleashing the roaring title track. When the band slows things down in the middle of the otherwise heavy “Country Girl”, you can’t help but be impressed. Out of the last three songs, “Falling Off the Edge of the World” stands out with its dark lyrics — it is perhaps the most overlooked secret gem to come from the Dio era.
Line-up:
* Ronnie James Dio – vocals
* Tony Iommi – guitar
* Geezer Butler – bass guitar
* Vinny Appice – drums
* Geoff Nicholls – keyboards
Track List:
01. Turn Up the Night – 3:42
02. Voodoo – 4:32
03. The Sign of the Southern Cross – 7:46
04. E5150 – 2:54
05. The Mob Rules – 3:14
06. Country Girl – 4:02
07. Slipping Away – 3:45
08. Falling Off the Edge of the World – 5:02
09. Over and Over – 5:28
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Dio – Holy Diver (1983) (@320)
24 Jun 2007
(Review from allmusic.com, wikipedia)
After participating in five classic studio albums (three with Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow and two with Black Sabbath) in the late ’70s and early ’80s, legendary vocalist Ronnie James Dio formed a band bearing his own name in 1983. Dio states that he never intended to begin a solo career. His intention was to form a new band with fellow former Black Sabbath member drummer Vinny Appice. Naming the band Dio made sense from a commercial standpoint, as the name was already well-known at that time.
With the release of his self-monickered band’s debut album, Holy Diver, in 1983, Dio struck gold once again by injecting catchy melodies into the classic metal riffery of his previous groups. Besides Dio’s inspired songwriting, the album’s consistency owes a lot to his carefully chosen bandmates, including veteran bassist Jimmy Bain and drummer Vinny Appice, and a phenomenal find in young guitarist Vivian Campbell, whose creativity and technique are quite astounding. The album opens in full-tilt metal mode with the frenetic “Stand Up and Shout,” which segues into the epic title track, an album highlight thanks to it’s hypnotic, mid-paced riff. Dio himself plays keyboards (badly) on the hit single “Rainbow in the Dark,” and the remaining cuts range from further stabs at pop-metal (“Gypsy,” “Caught in the Middle”) to blatant metal anthems (“Straight Through the Heart,” “Invisible”). These two facets find a perfect balance on the excellent “Don’t Talk to Strangers,” arguably the album’s high point.
Dio quickly became one of the world’s top heavy-metal acts. In the late ’80s, lineup changes unsettled the group, but the tenacious frontman persevered, leading Dio into the 21st century still waving its classic headbanging flag high.
Line-up:
* Ronnie James Dio – Vocals, Keyboards
* Vivian Campbell – Guitar
* Jimmy Bain – Bass, Keyboards
* Vinny Appice – Drums
Track List:
01. Stand Up and Shout (Ronnie James Dio, Jimmy Bain) – 3:06
02. Holy Diver (Dio) – 5:51
03. Gypsy (Dio, Vivian Campbell) – 3:39
04. Caught in the Middle (Dio, Vinny Appice, Campbell) – 4:14
05. Don’t Talk to Strangers (Dio) – 4:53
06. Straight Through the Heart (Dio, Bain) – 4:31
07. Invisible (Dio, Appice, Campbell) – 5:24
08. Rainbow in the Dark (Dio, Appice, Bain, Campbell) – 4:21
09. Shame on the Night (Dio, Appice, Bain, Campbell) – 5:20
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