Dio - Holy Diver (1983)

So, continuing on with the metal theme, because that's just the kind of summer it's been here in the Tetrahedrodome, here we have an album of some renown, but entirely unheard by me until this very moment! (The title track was vaguely familiar.)

My buddy Vince used to extoll the virtues of this album to my deaf ears "back in the day", and it routinely appears in pretty much every countdown of the best metal albums of all time. Guitarist Vivian Campbell went on to greater fame and fortune as Steve Clarke's replacement in Def Leppard (due to Steve's being inconveniently dead. But hey, after the drummer lost his arm and went right back behind the kit, using contraptions and his feet, who knew? Zombie Clarke in an unprecedented comeback? It would have been pretty wild). But he wasn't cool like Steve Clarke, what with his curly hair and being called Vivian and everything. What a name! Jesus!...oh, and Dio is short. Just sayin'.

And like Geddy Lee, Rob Halford,Vince Neil, et al. this was a voice I didn't care for. Too dramatic. I preferred singers that had a more fun and earthy approach to music. And so I didn't care how good my pal Vince said it was.

Listening now (and having in the meantime dug the Dio-era Sabbath stuff, and recently his Rainbow stuff too), well, it's pretty good metal for the period, to be sure. Spirited performances, Dio in fine fettle as always. I've heard of the other guys..drummer Vinny Appice, bassist Jimmy Bain. But I'll never competely warm up to songs about rainbows and dragons and every woman being some kind of mysterious gypsy in the night (the man's first band was called Elf, and the next one Rainbow, gimme a break!). But if I'm in the mood for heydey metal, then sure, I can imagine liking this a fair bit over time. It does rock.

The cover is over the top but interesting. I don't really believe that this priest is going diving, though, but I could be wrong. And the creature is truly evil, what with giving the devil sign in case you had any doubts (the sign which Dio arguably "invented" - well he says he did and no one contests it). But you know, it's fun. Not only is that guy going to a watery grave in chains (and I'm guessing that he, like, totally feels like he's innocent and being victimized), but the bad monster guy even feels the need and desire to whip him with a chain right up until the last possible moment. You know he's committed to his lifestyle.