It's time for Record of the Week, so pull up your chairs, kids. This week, the Randomizer serves us Holy Diver, the 1983 debut from Dio. This is the copy that'll be on my turntable, a 2013 RSD reissue. Prior to this era, Ronnie James Dio came up with Elf, Rainbow and Black Sabbath. After some disagreements in 1982, Ronnie James Dio and Vinny Appice left Black Sabbath to form Dio.
The first Dio album, Holy Diver showed up in 1983 like the Kool Aid man running through a wall. It's a fantastic album from start to finish. And that cover art, oh man, so cool. As mentioned, Ronnie James Dio had long been established by this point. I even saw him when I caught Black Sabbath touring for Mob Rules. This album, I think, pretty much cemented his legacy as one of the top metal vocalists. Rainbow in the Dark, Holy Diver, Caught in the Middle, Don't Talk to Strangers. All certified bangers. Dio (the band) had a 10-album run (studio albums) before RJD passed away from stomach cancer in 2010.
Dio sang a lot about dragons, magicks and dark towers. Like lots of Lord of the Rings, D&D and fantasy type stuff. These really connected with us and this album in particular got a ton of play back then with my friends and I, and it still sounds great. So let this be your soundtrack for slaying a level 60 dragon and downing flagons of mead with your hunting party afterward.