It’s a pretty tough ask to leave a band that has done so well, and then find your feet again. It is almost unheard of to do it twice. Imagine such a feat then, as has befallen Ronnie James Dio - at the forefront of Rainbow’s rise to prosperity, before leaving, then to land on his feet in the ailing Black Sabbath, and help their rise back to the top, then to leave again, only to put together his own band, and release what I consider to be one of the best ten or fifteen albums ever. Welcome to Holy Diver.
Teaming up with Jimmy Bain from Rainbow, Vinnie Appice from Sabbath and young gun virtuoso Vivian Campbell, Dio set forth and put together an album that is practically bullet proof. With a bag of tricks learned from two great bands with differing styles, this album delivers on every level.
Dio’s vocals soar here, and he is at the peak of his powers. Able to mix the different levels of intensity of each song at will, his ability to exude the emotion of his lyrics and transmit this to the listener is what makes him such a magnificent vocalist. It’s one thing to be able to write great songs, it is another to make someone feel the emotion and energy through your singing. Ronnie James Dio is the king in this respect.
The rhythm section of Appice and Bain work perfectly together, maintaining the tempo of every song with precision, without losing their own signature beat. Their pairing is an inspired choice.
Almost stealing the show, however, is Vivian Campbell. His guitaring is as close to perfect on this album as anyone’s guitaring has been, ever. Great rhythm, brilliant soloing, and wonderful fills and flurries which puts his own stamp on every song. Apart from the obvious greatness of those around him, it is Vivian’s guitar that helps this album to rise to the top of the tree.
Every song here is a classic, but it is probably the lesser thought of songs that really make this album as good as it is. Whereas the often played songs such as “Stand Up and Shout”, “Holy Diver”, “Don’t Talk To Strangers” and “Rainbow in the Dark” are the ones that even people who aren’t fans of the band will recognise, for me it is songs such as “Gypsy” and “Caught In The Middle” and “Invisible” that are the stars of the show. A great album must have songs such as these to make it great – so good that they still stand on their own merit, even though they may not be singles nor even played live very often.
Holy Diver set the band of Dio up to make it on their own, without comparisons to earlier bands that the individuals in the group had been a part of. It is also a milestone in heavy metal music that is as influential today as it was twenty five years ago.
Rating: One of the best of all time. 5/5.
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