Holy Diver

Dio | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Warner Bros / Wea
• ASIN: B000002KZ1
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (169 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,151 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #21 in Music > Classic Rock > Glam
  • #97 in Music > Hard Rock & Metal > Pop Metal

Editorial Reviews

No Description Available
No Track Information Available
Media Type: CD
Artist: DIO
Title: HOLY DIVER
Street Release Date: 07/06/1987
Domestic
Genre: HEAVY METAL

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic Metal, April 17, 2003

By 

A.F. "musicfan585" (Bronx, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Holy Diver (Audio CD)

More than any other singer in rock and roll and/or heavy metal, Ronnie James Dio has had the longest, most prolific career. His career has lasted for more than 40 years and has gone through more ups and downs than anyone can imagine. It's a shame that Dio doesn't get enough acclaim, because he was around before bands like Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, and Deep Purple forged the heavy hard rock revolution, so that alone makes him the true pioneer. Anyway, enough of me ranting.

HOLY DIVER is an all-time heavy metal classic. It was the debut of Dio's self-moniker band, featuring Jimmy Bain on bass, Vinny Appice on drums, and a talented young guitarist named Vivian Campbell. This was also Dio's comeback release. After a stint with Elf in the early '70s, he joined Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow later in the decade. Soon he left, and became the new lead singer of Black Sabbath, replacing Ozzy. After a fallout with Tony Iommi during the making of Sabbath's first live album (LIVE EVIL), Dio had a lot to prove. Thus, he embarked on his solo career and made a searing impression with HOLY DIVER.

With his own band, Dio basically combined the epic, medevial imagery of Rainbow with the blistering heaviness of Sabbath to forge his own sound. Needless to say, this combo works extremely well. Every song on here is a winner. "Stand Up and Shout" is a fiery opener with great energy and speedy riffs. The mini-epic title track is a masterpiece, starting out slowly with an extended, lush keyboard intro and never letting up once the heaviness kicks in. Great drumming from Vinny on this song. "Don't Talk to Strangers" starts out as a power ballad-type track with some nice acoustic work, but it segues into becoming another hard rocker. Dio's vocals and lyrics are especially great in this track.

Both "Gypsy" and "Straight Through the Heart" are crunchy, melodic rockers with more great riffs and catchy choruses. My absolute favorite song on the album is the powerful "Invisible." This song has a spacey, atmospheric guitar intro from Vivian (very similar to Iron Maiden's "Strange World"), but stops suddenly and turns into an explosive metal feast. And let's not forget "Rainbow in the Dark," one of the best metal singles ever released in the '80s, with an awesome guitar solo from Campbell. Vivian is such a good player. What happened to him? Have you heard his stuff with Def Leppard? He sounds horrendous with them. Oh, well. That's what he gets for leaving Dio.

I have nothing else to say. HOLY DIVER is an unforgettable metal masterpiece, and it won't be leaving my CD player (or yours for that matter) anytime soon.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Long live Dio, June 30, 1999

By 

"astyanax" (Columbia, MO USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Holy Diver (Audio CD)

Dio left Rainbow and left Sabbath, but brought the best of three worlds with him. His first solo album, Holy Diver, is a magnificent encomium to metal pioneers like Ritchie Blackmore and the Sabs. But Dio does not imitate--he creates and his creation of great driving loud songs combined with strange mystifying lyrics have propelled him into stardom, as well as the album, which remains one of Warner Brothers top selling albums of all time. Dio had worked with the leaders of the established metal tradition and, not only followed it, but added a greater amount of focus and intelligence. A metal classic and one that will be played until the very end.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rest In Peace to a heavy metal icon, Ronnie James Dio, May 17, 2010

By 

Peace Daddy "Eclectic ReflectionZ" (Where the Wind Blows) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Holy Diver (Audio CD)

How can you not call this album a classic? Personally, Rainbow in the Dark is my favorite song on here, but every single track is great in it's own right. One of the top 10 metal albums of all-time, from one of the greatest singers to ever rock the mic. Rest In Peace Ronnie James Dio, you will be missed. \m/