Hopefully.
Of the three songs that Ronnie and Tony had written for The Dio Years compilation, my favourite had been "Ear in the Wall", because it contained the best parts of the band - a fast song with Dio emoting and Tony and Geezer flailing along. If I could have had an album of songs in that vein I would have been the happiest fanboy around. From the outset though, it is the slower, heavier riffs that dominate the album, keeping the tempo of the album back in the comfort zone that especially Dio has enjoyed for some years. To be fair, there is a mixture throughout, but it is the slower side which dominates, which deep down is still a disappointment to me.
"Atom and Evil" starts off at this pace, with Vinny Appice barely getting out of first gear in guiding the pace along at a snail's sludge. Dio croons marvellously over the funereal opening, which while I do not mind the song as such, is a strange one to open the album with. This is followed by "Fear" which opens up the tempo a little without producing anything over special.
"Bible Black" was the single released before the album came out, and was the kind of song everyone was hoping for. The quietish opening allowed Dio's clear vocals to lull you in, before crashing into Tony and Geezer's guitars and Vinny's pounding drum work and driving along. No doubt most people, like me, thought that the album would be more of the same, and the resulting excitement was hard to contain. "Double the Pain" kept up with a similar tempo, but was again somewhat devoid of anything outstandingly individual from the three member on instruments. It's a bit one riff for three minutes, another for thirty seconds, then back into the main riff.
I'm just not sure about "Rock and Roll Angel" at all. It seems like it is completely devoid of any of that masterful guitar sound that Tony and Geezer have perpetuated over the years, and lyrically it seems like a mishmash of the things that Dio has done before, bit like the darker days of his Dio band. This is probably the weakest song on the album and it feels quite out of place. "The Turn of the Screw" is an improvement, but still feels as though it is mired in the quicksand of sludgey tempo.
"Eating the Cannibals" is the one true fast song on the opus, and when it starts it lights up the album immediately. Dio's vocals soar while Tony's solo rips along in the tradition of his best solos, while Geezer and Vinny's rhythm runs up and down underneath it all, providing the framework of a great track. THIS is what I wanted more of, something with a bit of energy and fire, which would really grab you by the throat. It was these types of songs that brought about the difference between the Ozzy Sabbath and the Dio Sabbath back in the day.
This is followed by the hard grinding "Follow the Tears", which retains the modus operandi of the tuned down riff of Tony and Geezer, and Dio's vocals emoting through the mire. You can feel the awesomeness of Ronnie's lung work coming through the speakers at you, his amazing voice just pulling you in. I like the song, despite its simplistic and similarity chords throughout. "Neverwhere" lifts the tempo again, though if both this and "Eating the Cannibals" followed each other you would be more likely to notice how similar the riffs are within, and certainly the opening to each song. It's probably a little too close for comfort. One wonders if the band and their producers noticed this when putting the album together. "Breaking Into Heaven" closes out the album on a sombre grinding note, one that draws itself out as one of the longer tracks on the album.
The best part of this album is the professionalism and amazing talent of the members involved. Tony's guitaring invokes the best parts of his repertoire, and when he allows himself to break out in solo's along the way you get transported back in time to those younger days. Geezer is still the king of the bass in this environment. It is still amazing how he and Tony can produce such a full, rounded sound with just the bass and guitar. Listening to Geezer run up and down that fretboard is still an amazing experience. Vinny is as professional as ever, so much so that he is often not noticed at all. He doesn't flash out too often, and plays what he is asked to by his bandmates, but his kit and playing still sounds amazing. Dio's voice is still giant killing here. In one of his final recorded efforts, he still has the pipes to send tingles down the spine as you listen to him sing. There are others in this genre - and all genres - who can and do sing brilliantly, but no one betters the great Ronnie James Dio. His performance here is again sensational.
We'll never know if further albums from this quartet were forthcoming. One suspects that there may have been another follow up after the tour for this album was completed, such was the excitement and enjoyment of this band being back together again. Dio's sad demise from cancer put paid to that occurring, and instead led to a reformation of the original Black Sabbath. And while I still enjoy this album when I put it on, there is always that feeling that it could have been much more. But perhaps that is just wishing for the past and not accepting the present. In the long run, fans will get more than enough out of this to enjoy one last time.
Rating: "Let him go, he can't come back" 4/5
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