Tribute albums are a tricky business, as I'm sure I have mentioned here sometime before. They are even trickier when it comes to someone who is quite outstanding on their instrument of choice, because to fall down in that area will then bring apart the whole concept of the album itself. When it comes to sending out a tribute to one of the greatest vocalists of all time, it could easily become a nightmare. Unless it is done by the very best in the business, and is held in the highest regards by those behind the project and the artists who become involved.
This album, to the lasting memory of Ronnie James Dio, shows all sides of this conundrum. The main one of course is that no one can sing like Ronnie, or could hope to reproduce his songs in the same style as he does. The best you can do is play with enthusiasm and sing within your realm of expertise, and don't try and oversell yourself. For the most part that has been done with this collection of songs and artists. The 'fan boys' and 'fan girls' are out in force here.
In one group, we have the bands who have set out to be completely faithful to the original songs, and have played their hearts out in doing so. Anthrax's version of "Neon Knights" that opens the album is perhaps the best example of that here. Joey's vocals are on song, and the band nails its version here. Terrific stuff. So too is Scorpions version of Rainbow's "Temple of the King", with Klaus Meine doing a great job on a difficult vocal. Adrenaline Mob's "The Mob Rules" ticks all the boxes, while Corey Taylor and his conglomerate of musicians also doing a fair job of "Rainbow in the Dark".
It's also great to hear two female vocalists given their reign. Doro's version of "Egypt (The Chains Are On) has been around for awhile, and appeared on other tribute albums, but it still sounds just as good as ever. Halestorm's "Straight Through the Heart" is a ripping version, and Lzzy Hale's vocal is a beauty.
The three generations of the Dio band are also to be found. The majority of the Dio Disciples group - Craig Goldy, Rudy Sarzo, Scott Warren and Simon Wright - join with legend Glenn Hughes to perform "Catch the Rainbow", the Dio Disciples vocalist Oni Logan is joined by Jimmy Bain, Rowan Robertson and Brian Tichy to perform a rousing version of Black Sabbath's "I", while Doug Aldrich, Vinny Appice, Jeff Pilson and Scott Warren are joined by another legend in Rob Halford for Rainbow's "Man on the Silver Mountain"
Glenn Hughes and Rob Halford's vocals are perhaps the best examples of why Ronnie is so hard to copy. Halford's vocals have always been superb, but age has tested his vocal chords, and in recent years he has had to modify how he sings Priest songs, let alone "Man on theSilver Mountain". Sure it still sounds fine, but it is a completely different register, and it is noticeably different and less energetic as a result. Glenn has always been The Voice of Rock, but even his version here of "Catch the Rainbow" just proves how magnificent Ronnie's voice was, and his original version of the song.
Motörhead, Kilswitch Engage, Tenacious D and Metallica lend their own uniqueness to their versions. Motörhead is joined by Saxon's Biff Byford for a pleasingly 70's hard rock carousel of "Starstruck". Kilswitch Engage's version of "Holy Diver" has also been around for awhile, but their uniquely played version is still always a hit. The D's rollicking version of "The Last in Line" won Best Metal Performance at the Grammy Awards in 2015, and not only has Jack Black's fantastically approving vocals, but a recorder solo in place of the original guitar solo that brings the house down wherever and whenever I play it. A true tribute. Metallica, no doubt mainly through Lars Ulrich's influence, put together a medley of his Rainbow songs that sounds terrific in their updated way, while James Hetfield ensures he isn't trying to compete with Dio's vocal chords. Combining four great songs, "A Light in the Black", "Tarot Woman", "Stargazer" and "Kill the King", this is a fitting way to add to their historic treatment of the bands that influenced their own career.
The final song is Dio's own "This Is Your Life", the name of this tribute album, and taken from Dio's somewhat disastrous 'Angry Machines' album. It is a quiet reflection on his own career from the time, and if nothing else again showcases his amazing vocal quality.
This is probably the best Dio tribute collection that has been released, if only for the fact that the majority of the vocals on this album do not denigrate Ronnie's own from the originals. They may not quite approach his brilliance, but no one expects them to. Every song here exudes the love of this great man, and while once again a tribute album only goes to proves just how brilliant the original versions of all of these songs are with the originals bands, it does a great service to the man who conjured them, and allows them to pay tribute to him. As a tribute album, it couldn't have been much better.
Rating: "This is your life, this is your fate". 5/5
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