Customer Reviews

Master of the Moon

5 star:		(37)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

It's 2004. Return Craig Goldie again for a third go around in the band. Exit long time bassist Jimmy Bain. On this album, Jeff Pilson plays bass, but he was only intended for the album - the touring and formal bassist is now Rudy Sazro. Oh yeah, the album... :)

At first I didn't like this album. It took some listening to get into. I initially didn't like it. After Killing the Dragon being a very accessible disc that felt a lot like Holy Diver, we got Master of the Moon, which other than one track wasn't (to me anyway) very listenable. However, that changed over a few listens. My favorite tracks are The Eyes (which was the song I initially liked), plus Shivers, One More for the Road, and Living the Lie. It is a Dio album - there's no doubt about that. Which means it's good - Dio albums are always solid, good work. However, I was not a fan of the political song on here - "The Man Who Would be King", which is about George W Bush. I don't mind the message, but the song itself is my least favorite on the disc.

Been a Dio fan since Day 1. Bought Holy Diver when it was new, and bought all the other ones when they came out. Given I also run www.black-sabbath.com , I'd like to say that I know Ronnie Dio well. This is up there with the good ones, but it didn't catch me quickly at first - I think if you dismiss it after just one or two listens, you're not giving it enough of a chance.

This is the best Dio cd since "Holy Diver"! There have been many great moments in the history of DIO, and this cd stands tall among them. Every track is incredible! Great lyrics, tight band, and the amazing vocals prowess of Mr. Dio make this a must-have cd for any fan of hard rock.This is also my favorite cover-art since "Dream Evil". All I can hope for is an extensive US tour to support this cd! Buy this - you won't be disappointed! Thank you, DIO for continuing on after 20 + years!

Preface: This aint Magica or Killing the Dragon, Dio's two most
recent and rather bland offerings. This is definately a comeback.
If you gloss over most of this review, at least read "Shiver".



Ronnie James Dio is Sixty-Plus years old. His voice was recorded on
Vinyl before the Beatles. With nearly 50 years in the business of
Rock and Roll, Dio has seen it all. Literally.

"Master of the Moon" is his latest studio product. I use the term
"Product" because Ronnie does. I really dislike when muscians speak
of "Product." It hints of silent contempt.

However, if MotM is product, it is skillfully crafted.

"One More for the Road" We begin the album with a Riff that
immediately reminds us of Rainbow, with Blackmore at the helm.
Classic Dio harmonies. RJD's voice is showing only the tiniest signs
of age, and this is evidenced only when he tries to nail the high or
sustainy notes. He seems to do this often on MotM. I'm skipping
ahead now, so I'll sum up OMftR by saying this rocks. It is classic
Rainbow. *****

"Master of the Moon" A real march towards melody. This song seems
theatrical to me, as if I were watching a Rock Opera. This is not a
bad thing at all. Choppy Riffing manages to come off as fresh. Is
RJD's voice showing signs of age? Maybe I'm just obsessed with
finding signs? When I forget to think about it, RJD's voice is
tip-top. ****

"The End of the World" As the album progresses, I am amazed at the
Riffing. There is real creativity back in the Dio camp. I keep
finding myself going "Wow, I haven't heard that before!" I like the
lyrics of this track. It's making fun of me (an admitted conspiracy
theorist with a smattering of Eschatology.) Nothing really great here
though. ***

"Shivers" Hold on to your seats, Dio's going to rock you properly.
Fresh, Fresh Fresh. The title is apt, this song really does give one
the shivers, the kind you get when something you love has returned,
and it is every bit as great as the bits that made you love in the
first place. Sabbathy Riff with lyrics you might imagine Ozzy
singing, actually. There's a really cool keyboard effect in this
song. Pinch-harmonics and flashy playing during the solo remind you
that you're listening to Dio, and not Sabbath. Really clever lyrics
on this track and the vocal melody is interesting. This is the track
that will define this album. "Last in Line" "Rainbow in the Dark" and
"Shiver" ! *****

"The Man Who Would Be King" Dare I say an Elf-ish intro? Piano.
Yep, Piano. Strings. The intro readies us for something
awe-inspiring like "Last in Line." It doesn't deliver. The pacing is
all wrong. Plodding power-chord abuse. Lyrics are good, if you can
handle some Political commentary from RJD. This is ultimately just
too "Magica" for my tastes. The intro really had me geared up for
something extra. **

"The Eyes" More strings back a muted monotone riff. Talk-box effects
decorate the beats between verses. This is starting to remind me of
Kashmir, but without the hypnotic grab that Kashmir can claim. Lyrics
aren't very noteworthy, sort of "What is he talking about?" that we're
used to from RJD filler material. For filler, it's a keeper. At
around 5:00, this song introduces it's hook. Sort of an "Hey Jude"
ending with ooohs instead of naahs. Any song that has this sort of
ending steps itself up a notch. The riff behind this section is
beautifully dark and heavy. ****

"Living the Lie" Fast. "Stand Up and Shout" "We Rock" More shivers
here. This is good. Very melodic. Reaching a break-down, there is a
mis-step lyrically. Just a little akward. Solo smokes, and back to
the rocking. Classic Dio. ****

"I Am" Whitesnake Intro, "Slow and Easy". Another "March" sort of
beat. This is really a re-write of "I" from Dehumanizer. Anthemic
chorus. No really great riff here, unlike "I" which is rifftastic.
This is the type of the song where you wait around for the chorus.
Not that the verses are really bad or dull, just noting special. ***

"Death by Love" Great Riff opens DBL. Stars and gypsy queens
immediately. "Lady Evil" memories here. Perhaps "Tarot Woman." Now
this baffles me, at the chorus the bass drops out totally. It's not
very long, but long enough to be disturbing. There's a really sweet
guitar fill ala "Temple of Syrinx" by Rush, or "Ten Years Gone" by
Zep. I really admire RJD's commitment to staying in a higher-register
key. A lot of older singers will start writing in D and then drop
that down to a F in concert. Not RJD. I'm giving this *** but could
probably pass for a four.

"In Dreams" Blackmore and Iommi enter holy matrimony and create a
real fusion song here. Dio's voice is really outstanding on this
track, not for range, but sustain and vibrato. Ah! They through a
bit of flange on him for a bit which was really cool. ****

In Summary: This album is classic Dio. It is also Classic Dio-Era
Sabbath. It is also Classic Rainbow. Hell, for a minute or two, it's
even Classic Elf. This is a real return to songwriting for Dio and
crew. It's a return to Riff Rock and MELODY for crying out loud.
It's the kind of album I've been silently begging for aging acts to
make for years. It is not boring like many of RJD's solo albums since
Last in Line. It is also not "Just one or two tracks." You can
really sit down and enjoy this album from start to finish.

If this is product, then keep producing and I'll keep consuming. Dio
doesn't "Still know how to rock." He remembered how to rock and
brought it to us once again.

-Greg B.

I own nearly everything RJD has ever recorded and this latest CD continues the trend of excellence from start to finish - not a bad track on the disc .

But the best ? I'd have to say "The Man Who Would Be King" . I mean my views aren't going to be influenced by a singer ( even Ronnie James Dio , the greatest singer in the universe ) but "The Man Who Would Be King" is the best anti-Bush song yet ........ and this is coming from a guy who's gonna vote for Bush . And if a hard-core righty like me can dig this album then any ( intelligent ) person could !!

I read a lot of interesting reviews even before this CD was released. The hardest part for me was trying not to have any pre-conceived notions about what this was going to sound like. I then recently found a site on the web where I could here some sample MP3's. I have to say I was pretty impressed with what I heard. Yesterday, I picked up the CD and have now gone through it twice now. At first listen I liked it but wasn't sure if I really liked it. Now that I have listened to it again I find that it's growing on me with each listen, and I like it more and more. I think this is mostly because the songs are in the style of dark, doomy, slow and plodding. Nothing is really fast or upbeat on this release. There are some leads but nothing too extravagent like Vivian Campbell' work, Doug Aldrich's work on KTD, or even what Craig Goldy did on Dream Evil. The overall mix is great with a dark and bassy overtones. The vocals sound SICK! RJD is still kickin at 55.

Generally speaking, this CD sounds to my ear more along the lines of "Strange Highways" and "Angry Machines". However, if you are willing to go back to the beginning of Dio's robust catalogue and listen to each CD leading up to MOTM you can find elements and pieces from each of those CD's on MOTM. For example, Shame On The Night off Holy Diver, and Egypt (The Chains Are On) from Last In Line are very similar in style and tempo to the tracks on MOTM. I also hear many elements from "Lock Up The Wolves" and "Magica" here too. I really don't here much in the vein of "Killing The Dragon" on MOTM. KTD to me sounded more like Dio's earlier master pieces (Holy Diver, Last In Line) in terms of being more up tempo, driving, memorable, with prolific lead playing. I actually like the fact that Dio is mixing up his style and approach to keep it fresh; however, it's always vintage Dio at the core. The question really comes down to this: If you liked the writing style on "Strange Highways", "Angry Machines", "Lock Up The Wolves", and "Magica" you will probably like Master Of The Moon. If you liked the early classics and KTD but are willing to open your mind a little I think you can potentially grow to like MOTM.

All hail the mighty Dio...

This may just be Dio's best album ever!!! The melodies and the lyrics are so DIO, it's ridiculous. I was laughing with joy during my first listen. Guitarist Craig Goldy is back and he is here to teach ex-"guitarist" Doug Aldrich just what this loud six-stringed thingy is all about. Dio's voice is finally showing some wear, so he has to force it in places, but what I didn't expect is that he actually sounds better forcing it than he does when it comes naturally. As you know, Dio has two styles: Quick and viscious / Slow and doomy. This album is more of the slow and doomy kind, with quick and viscious moments. Dio has been a lead singer since the late fifties (no kidding) -and I can't believe this guy has this kind of material left! It's amazing! I can't wait to see him live and watch him get out of his wheelchair and smash it on the stage!!! Personal grandstanding moment here- I met him a few years back and he is the nicest guy I ever met. My best friend isn't half as genuine. WOOOOOO!!!! Dio rules!! Ok, end of review, I'll let you go now...... See you at the show!!

Hey all,
I just wanted to say that the new CD from the master of heavy metal is AMAZING! It starts out with the faster paced rocker, "One More for the Road" and then moves on to the slower more gothic sounding title track which sets the pace for the rest of the CD. Other notable tracks are The Eyes, Living the Lie, and I Am. The CD is a little more on the lines of "Strange Highways" Or Black Sabbaths "Dehumizer" than his earlier stuff, but that isn't a bad thing at all. It's also Dio's best CD since "Lock Up the Wolves." If you're into classic rock/heavy metal I would highly recommend adding this CD to your collection.

*NOTE* - It's actually 4.5 / 5 stars *But rounded up*

The album stars off with One More For The Road. Ronnie James Dio combines a fantastic chorus with an intricate riff. The lyrics are creatively put together before being interrupted by a fantastic guitar solo. The song, although great, seems to get a little repetitive because Dio sings the same chorus after, it seems like, two lines of new lyric material. One More for the Road is definitely a 94/100.

Master of the Moon had to be good. The album is named after it! And, damn, is Master of the Moon a great song! Dio sings with a tone that crescendos while the guitars set a heart-controlling beat in the background. He really gets you sucked into the song. "No questions. No answers. No one to scream at you!" Well, Dio, no one's going to scream at you with this amazing song that's intelligently composed and preformed. Great job! 100/100!

The next track is End of the World. The main problem I had with this track is that it seemed to start the same way Master of the Moon did. This is why I love the shuffle feature, because it eliminates this problem usually. Once Dio begins to sing, it is evident that the two songs are completely different. Dio sings out loud: What if imagination is a terrible thing? What if I'm wrong? Well here's what I've been thinking. Ronnie James Dio incorporates clever lyrics into the End of the World to score a 97/100.

Bam! Shivers, the next track, starts up immediately with an eerie riff. Dio sings with a new, fantastic tone as the guitar follows the eerie theme. The song continues until it explodes with the chorus. The night's on you, Dio begins. Wow, great chorus. Because of new song themes and excellent delivery, Dio scores a 98/100 in Shivers.

Track five, The Man That Would Be King, starts off slow. Dio begins to sings as the instruments in the background follow his tone of voice. Even when the instruments become louder, there is still a slower tone to the song. As the track continues, the beautifully written guitar part has a small solo. Then the track becomes slightly poor. Dio picks it back up with "Forgive me father for the sins we bring." I am confused with this song. Although it is not Dio's best, he brings new themes into the song. Sorry Dio, as much as this song is different, you didn't get the bullseye. You got a 89/100 on this song.

The Eyes is next. Yet again--another bam piece. A mechanical voice shouts "My eyes!" continuously while the guitar lays down a strong beat. The track remains neutral for a while as Dio sings. Nothing special yet... until the chorus. Still, I think Dio could have delivered the chorus in a better way that would make the song less similar throughout the entire piece. As the song continues on, it seems to drone on. I like it, but because of the drone Dio earns a 91/100.

Next is The Lie. Finally there is a new riff and a new way to start the song. Change is good, right? Dio has a rough sound in is voice throughout this song. Unfortunately, this song drones on little as well. Suddenly the song shifts with less guitar and more Dio. It's revived by a fantastic guitar solo. 93/100.


I Am begins with soft instruments and no singing. There's a gradual crescendo in which the guitars increase by triadic increments. I love Dio's delivery in this piece, and the chorus. The song, to me, doesn't sound repetitive at all! Wow, great job Dio. 98/100 because of interesting portrayal and performance.

Dio's next song, Death By Love, is a great one if you listen to the lyrics. He tells the story about men who die by the love of a gypsy - but what a way to go. Dio sets the mood completely and blasts off with a fantastic chorus. Great job, Dio. 99/100.

And then there's the last song on the album: In Dreams. The song is a great one to listen to last. It has a great ending tone to it and a grand chorus. It's like a cool-down on a workout, or a grand finale once the fireworks are there. The song's great, however it's not as flashy as the others. I love this one, because it's different and STILL good. 97/100!

The album art on this album, Master of the Moon, is fantastic! The album overall is amazing, except for a slight repetition that can occur if you're really into the music. Great job, Dio.

I really like this cd. It's not perfect, like the guy below I would give it a 4.5, but I am rounding up.
My favorite tracks are the title track, "One More for the Road," "Shivers," "The Eyes," and "Living the Lie." There are really no 'weak' tracks on this album (to me at least). However, if you're expecting every track to sound like "We Rock" or "Killing the Dragon," I must say you'll be disappointed; most of the songs are a little slower, but just as heavy.
If you like Dio, and even if you don't, buy this album. You won't be disappointed.

What has happened to Lock Up The Wolves is also happening to this album. It gets very much UNDERRATED! This album is very good, just like Lock Up The Wolves, but people write reviews after listening the album ones or twice. You need to get into this album, that needs a few times listening! People complain that this album is slow, but is that a bad thing? NO! Cause the music is good! Ofcourse, some more fast songs are welkom here, but that doesn't mean you should trash this album! If you like metal this is something for you. It's not the best album from the master of metal, but it's just a very good one. One More For The Road is my favorite album-opener of all Dio's openers! With this album Ronnie shows that it isn't time for him to retire yet!

Thanks Ronnie James Dio for all your great music! Keep at it!