In the
days of yore, when pop music meant something, it was filled with nourishing
musical ideas and showed the tides of progress.
But then something happened, the ability for it to fill our soul has
nearly vanished, and the masses are starved on good music. There’s the occasional quality track that
stays good after multiple spins, but it has gotten to the moment where even
good pop music gets stale. We live in a
white-bread world in mainstream music.
However, there’s salvation from the drek that the masses need to know
about. In the words of Marie Antoinette,
or more accurately The Rods quoting her: “LET THEM EAT METAL!”
Hello degenerates,
heathens, weirdos, and deviants. I am the Rock Otaku, and I’m here to
show you worlds such as hard rock, metal, punk, alternative rock, movies, TV,
anime, video games, and anything that makes us scream, shout, and… um, the
slogan does already cover “Stand Up and Shout,” and a diving joke doesn’t make
sense unless it involves screaming like a girl while jumping into a volcano
(which is stupid), so let me add to it for today… not talk to strangers… yeah,
that’s it. Jeez, if that’s the case,
then I really am alone, like a rainbow in the dark.
This series is
dedicated to the best that heavy metal can offer. As you will read, I will take you on a
journey though the annals of heavy metal’s storied history from its beginning
in early 70s, its crystallization in the late 70s and early 80s, its
breakthrough into mainstream conscience in the early to mid-80s, its maturation
in the late 80s and 90s, its dominance (sort of) in the 2000s and even today,
and the rare moments that very few talk about unless in the company of
like-minded fans. Not in that order, but
I’ll be looking at the footnotes of metal history in the order I desire. In short, this series is about metal, plain
and simple.
But sometimes, it’s
probably best to show honor and respect to those who have inspired us to travel
into deeper, darker realms of understanding.
May it be because of morbid curiosity or because it is to represent them
after they’ve past, but honoring our influences is probably one of the aspects
where metal is strong. Like any other
subculture, heavy metal has multiple idols and icons that have shaped the
genre, made strides in evolving the genre, and brought it into new territory,
may it be appealing to a new audience or expanding on lore that already
exists. While pop music probably has one
or two artists that did that, and probably a short list, metal has so many that
it’s arguable that it allowed for multiple subsets of the genre while still
having a set of defining gatekeepers.
And, in honor of the first full-classic metal album I bought on my own
accord (which I had to replace because of my stupid sister), I will discuss
probably the most important of the gatekeepers (if not, he’s definitely one of
them): Ronnie James Dio.
A man that pushed for
hard rock, heavy metal, and rock ‘n’ roll in general to go into the dark and
fantastical directions that he was passionate about, Ronnie James Dio is
probably the reason why metal has a massive interest in the works of Tolkien
and other fantasy writers. That and
romantic, melodramatic imagery. Plus the
reason why the corna, a hand gesture to ward off the evil eye while having dark
connotations, is associated with heavy metal fandom in general. For the last one, when he was with Black
Sabbath, replacing Ozzy Osbourne, he came up with it as a way to continue the tradition
of using hand gestures live like his predecessor (where Ozzy used a peace sign,
Dio went for something more interesting).
And that was after he left Rainbow, a band famous for matching Ritchie
Blackmore’s virtuoso guitar playing with fantasy imagery then stadium rock
vibes once Graham Bonnett and Joe Lynn Turner sang for them, where he had three
albums of experience in singing about dragons, wizards, princesses, knights,
druids, elves, dwarfs, kings, queens, monks, mermaids, genies, and so on, so he
knew how to sing about the fantastical.
Plus he was with Elf, a (probably) fantasy-themed hard rock band in the
late 60s and early 70s. So what happens
when you sang about fantasy in one band with former members of proto-metal band
Deep Purple, and you sang about darkness in BLACK SABBATH, but quit after two
albums, you start your own band, with blackjack and hookers. As a result, we got DIO, a band dedicated to
the darkly fantastic and epic tales, being, along with Judas Priest, Iron
Maiden, and Accept, an influence on power metal and its obsession with fantasy
(and a reason for the namesake of a certain Jojo’s
Bizarre Adventure villain). And they
were an awesome band to start with, featuring legendary musicians like Vivian
Campbell, Doug Aldrich, and others in their ranks over the years. And with a lineup with Dio himself, Vivian
Campbell on guitar, Vinny Appice on drums, and Jimmy Bain (from Rainbow) on
bass, they released the legendary Holy
Diver.
So for this, let me
mention a tidbit I’ve brought up. When
we get to the Q&A, and the question of the first true old-school heavy
metal album I knowingly bought comes up, it’s today’s album. Why?
Something about what I’ve heard from it at that point and the fact that
the album cover is both dark and epic drew me in. With the image of a priest being killed by a
demon-like creature with the head of a jackal (and who’s image is similar to
the Devil himself) or the other way around, it’s nothing short of
mesmerizing. At first, I’m not sure if
it was with money I had or through my folks, but I got it on the way back from
my Grandfolks in Florida, and my sister somehow got it thrown away (and
somewhere, Dio Brando is choking a bitch after hearing that). As a result, I had to get it again through
Amazon, this time with, I’m sure it was, my credit card from my grandfather
that time, and I know I got it, alongside Mötley Crüe’s Dr. Feelgood, Nirvana’s Nevermind,
and Slipknot’s All Hope Is Gone (the
one with “Psychosocial,” if you’re wondering), with the first two actually
being contenders for this series in my eyes.
And yes, Holy Diver was one of
my favorites from that buy (and it’s a little weird since Amazon had it under
“Pop Metal”). With its crushing riffs,
pounding drums, and an overall sound that I could enjoy based on my experience
with bands like Aerosmith, KISS, and Van Halen, I think this was the album that
made me realize that metal truly was something special to me. Yes, a bunch of hair metal compilations
helped. Yes, having some GNR and Def
Leppard was fine. Yes, buying both
Disturbed’s Indestructable and
Paramore’s Riot at the same time
helped out with my evolving tastes. But
if it wasn’t for Ronnie, I might not have truly gotten into everything from
Maiden, Priest, Sabbath, Accept, and probably my current favorite subgenre,
power metal. This album was the ultimate
catalyst that drove me into that territory, and, well…
Ronnie James Dio’s
passing does have me a little teary-eyed thinking about it. His age nearly matched my own grandfather;
but his voice was epic. He was a master
of his craft, but growing frail while still being able to provide a strong
vocal performance (check out Heaven & Hell’s The Devil You Know for that).
And the idea that an icon like Dio, who was still around when I got the
album, dying from something like stomach cancer really made me realize just how
mortal even heroes are (and I don’t even think that Michael Jackson’s death
really did any of that). Yes, there have
been more recent passings that confirmed that, such as with Lemmy and David
Bowie, but this is arguably up there with the celebrity deaths that impact me
greatly and I still feel the loss in today’s society, with Carrie Fisher taking
the top recently. And to think, that
what killed him was cancer. That is
scary as it is, and it’s probably a reason where I feel that researching a cure
is almost paramount in the field of medical research, since it can lead to less
deaths from that awful disease. But
sometimes, it’s not worth crying about what could have been. It’s even more worth it to learn from what
Ronnie James Dio contributed to metal, and his first album under the DIO name
is worthy of discussion. Yes, I may
discuss his three albums with Rainbow as well as his work with Black Sabbath,
but we’re starting with this legendary album that’s special to me. Track by track, as usual, and I do feel that
this will be strong.
1. Stand Up And Shout:
Any confusion between
this and the Steel Dragon song “Stand Up” shall be negated before I get to the
actual analysis on why this song works.
Specifically, this was written by metal legend Ronnie James Dio and
Jimmy Bain as a way to start an album.
The song you’re thinking is a cock rock tune written by Sammy Hagar, and
we know his best 3 tunes are “There’s Only One Way To Rock,” “Heavy Metal,” and
“I Can’t Drive 55.” So now that you
know, I feel that I can get to the actual review. And if you’re still confused, well there’s no
turning back now.
With the savage
opening riff by Vivian Campbell, the song begins its musical rampage and you
are brought along for the ride. For the
song itself, the themes of this album deals with the tried-and-true theme of
inspiration and not being kicked to the curb, standing for the right to
rock. And with Dio’s fantasy theme, you
get the sense that he’s singing about how you are effectively the ultimate
badass, ready to take on dragons, vampires, demons, warlocks, and anyone else holding
an iron fist on the kingdom. In short,
this is a song to enter battle with. And
with the opening riff also being accompanied by Jimmy Bain’s thick and thumping
bass line, Vinny Appice’s furious drumwork while also being the main riff by
itself, Dio’s backing band add’s credence to the fact that he’s the anti-Dio
Brando, inspiring you to kick the vampire’s ass to kingdom come. Also included are two shredding solos with
enough bends, pinch harmonics, legato, and fast picking to add to your level
and power in the Hamon. However,
depending on your association with the song’s title to a Mark Wahlberg movie,
your abilities in the Hamon against Brando may be, well:
Against Seitz-voiced
Dio, maybe. Koyasu-voiced Dio, well,
you’d have to have the voice of Sebastian Michaelis to whoop his ass for good
(and survive a steamroller attack).
2. Holy Diver:
That opening keyboard
intro is the ultimate example of how to set up the thematic concept of your
album. Before I explain why it works and
how it sets up the iconic riff, let me point this out. I have played this album when hanging with my
grandfather. He’s super-religious. This song is themed to Satan. And the album features a demonic dog person
killing a Catholic priest with chains. And
he compared the music’s sonic feel to Aerosmith, and I may have gotten him into
said hard rock band. Think about that
while I review this album.
Why the keyboard intro
works is because it relies on synthesizers for atmosphere. Atmosphere, the real reason to use them in
heavy rock and metal. Usually, you can
also use it when you’re adding to the heavy riffs, but to build up to it
requires talent. Here, the song’s intro
creates a sense of dread and terror as if the journey you’re about to embark on
is one that takes you to the realms of darkness and even Hell itself. And after that, you get to the main riff, a
steady, mid-tempo, galloping riff build around triplets to add to the dark
journey you’re experiencing. And the
song’s theme deals more with the adventures of Lucifer, racing through the
wasteland with a tiger and trying to avoid the wrath of god himself. Or the song’s POV character is a massive
sinner whose overall tainted black soul could be compared to Satan himself, and
this is his quest for redemption and salvation, trying to get away from the
influence of evil that corrupted him.
And his path is matched with the heavy guitars, thick bass, pounding but
steady drums, operatic vocals from Ronnie James Dio, and several goblins. And that solo is the work of genius, showing
the talent and skill of Vivian Campbell in a way that could make him easily one
of the coolest Campbells in the world of geek culture, including heavy metal
and hard rock. The coolest is still
Bruce.
And for the video, it’s
just badass with Ronnie traveling the medieval wastelands, slaying monsters and
bad guys (or turning them into rats with his enchanted sword), and being chums
with the blacksmith. However, I can
easily see some of you prefer the story from the Killswitch Engage version’s
video (and the king there).
3. Gypsy:
Speaking of weird
women, this song is arguably one of Dio’s most sensual tracks. Considering the fact that the band focused on
fairy tales and manliness, as well as Ronnie James Dio’s distaste for the glam
metal movement, this is practically the equivalent of finding a unicorn in a maze
and its fur is pink. With its bluesy
guitar work, including a savage riff and shredding solo, the song begins a
heavy metal ode to the alluring gypsy and how she seduces the male figure
singing. Is it me, or do Dio and Frollo
have the same problem? Or is it actually
the opposite as it’s the gypsy who intentionally
seduces Dio rather than accidentally, probably putting her life in danger if it
weren’t for the fact that she got the attention of the captain of the guard or
Quazimodo? Either way, I’m sure Dio’s
version is how we may have gotten Pucci (Giorno was conceived with a Japanese
woman, not a gypsy). As for the song’s
execution, it really works, as the song is mid-tempo, thumping fury that
matches the allure of the siren’s spell (or gypsy’s) and how it drives the
singer insane. The guitars are
excellent, the bass is thick and thumping, the drums are excellent with great
fills and moments, and of course there’s Ronnie. His vocal power is as strong as ever, and
will be, and he sells how this gypsy will mess you up like it did to him. And that second guitar solo is among some of
Vivian Campbell’s best work. In short, this
song is as alluring as the titular gypsy, but not as sanity-draining, which
means this song rocks.
4. Caught In The Middle:
I wonder if this is
how Frankie Muniz feels. If so, I also
wonder where he went off to. It’s as if
he outright disappeared off the face of the earth a while ago. I mean, it was as of after Jason Marsden
replaced him as Chester in The Fairly Odd Parents, his star-power went down
Super Toilet and he had to forfeit his appeal to Bryan Cranston since the famed
actor can play a mastermind better than the young actor can. I mean, what happened to Frankie Muniz?
Alright then, let’s
get to the song. The riff is very catchy
and appealing, outside of a fast palm-muted section during it. I mean, it’s the right kind of commercially
accessible metal you can play. And the
verses are loaded with imagery of dealing with trying to escape from the
darkness, but it’s more honorable when you are confronting them and kicking orc
rear ends. And you get to the chorus,
which is as much of a “Reason You Suck” to the listener as it is a catchy
battle cry to sing along to in concerts and rallies. And that is where Ronnie is at his most
melodic, turning this into probably one of the songs that can be easily seen as
an influence on power metal. Especially
with the catchy guitar riffs, the thumping bass, the pounding, steady drums,
and the melodic guitar solo in the bridge that includes some harmonized lines. In short, this song has a lot going for it,
and while it’s not the most accessible song ever, it’s one that’ll get in your
head definitely.
5. Don’t Talk To Strangers:
For this track, the
band decided to slow things down a little to make a dark, moody ballad that is
meant to serve as a warning to wary souls of the dangers of the world. I’ll get to that, but the song starts with
acoustic guitars from Vivian while Dio croons to the song and telling the
audience not to do certain things. But
for the purposes of this review, let me go line by line.
“Don’t talk to
strangers/’Cause they’re only there to do you harm”
So what you’re saying,
Ronnie, is that the purpose of strangers is to harm people. Depending on the definition, that’s a little
paranoid, but I can take it.
“Don’t write in starlight/’Cause
the words may come out real”
Huh? Let me try this out… I just wrote something
literally in starlight, and I don’t feel all that different. I mean it was saying something basic like
“Give me a way to understand women.”
It’s not as if anything happened as a result. I mean, I just looked down to my feet
wondering how that does anything and…what the…
 |
| DIIIIIIIIIIIIOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! |
For that question, I
was enough to pleasure you’re mother last night. Back to the song before I start burning
vampires.
“Don’t hide in
doorways/You may find the key that opens up your soul.”
Who hides in doorways,
anyway? I usually think they’re either
kids or creeps.
“Don’t go to
Heaven/’Cause it’s really only Hell”
Holy crap, some sort
of double meaning that involves philosophic questioning of religion? To me, it correlates with the idea that
Heaven is what you make it. For this,
the idea is that the traditional concept of Heaven, with its pearly gates and
serene feel, is actually the afterlife you may not to go to when you die, and
that you’re so twisted that you’re equivalent to Heaven is actually in Hell. You could also make the claim that this theme
relates to the idea that paradise is in the eye of the beholder, and that
digging too deep in it will cause the truth to be revealed, and that it becomes
about as savage, if not worse, than the real world. This is the thought that probably led to the
first Matrix to be dismantled by the machines before creating the one that Neo
resided in and has mastery in manipulating.
That and for some, entering paradise might involve entering a form that
you are uncomfortable with.
“Don’t smell the
flowers/They’re an evil drug to make you lose your mind”
I wonder if this is
how John Cena ended up in a Blue Sky picture.
“Don’t dream of
women/’Cause they’ll only bring you down”
Well, that explains my
current predicament. But at least the
song changes tone from soft to heavy with that line. After that, a furious metal riff kicks in and
the song stays in overdrive for a good chunk of the song, while the drums and
bass now have something to do. And this
is where Dio explains why he’s telling you these things: he’s the epitomy of
darkness that you have to overcome; you’re personal Satan, but instead of
telling you to screw up your life, he’s telling you what you should NOT do to
serve as his greatest foe. And unfortunately,
he’s aware of the fact that you may be screwed.
So he’s warning you not to partake in actions that’ll ruin your life and
cheery disposition, causing you to succumb to the darkness, telling you of
their darker motives. All ending with
him screaming “Run away, run away, go!” as the guitar solo kicks in.
And this needs its own
paragraph because of how much ass Vivian Campbell’s song kicks. Starting with some melodic parts, the song
goes from melodic to awesome with his melodic lines. And with this in mind, the use of picking,
legato (bends, hammer-ons, vibrato, and slides), pinch harmonics, double stops,
and speed is paired with a strong sense of tasteful melodies, leading to a very
“Sultan’s of Swing”-ish moment that ends with one hell of a high bend. And during the solo, Dio comes in to add to
the thematic tone of the song. And it
ends, with Dio singing these lines:
“Don’t dance in
darkness/You may stumble and you’re sure to fall”
Thanks, Captain
Obvious.
“Don’t write in
starlight/’Cause the words may come our real”
Due to my happy
accident, I wrote in starlight: “have my appearance and personality, as well as
my gender, match with Ash Williams.”
However, I’m not sure why I’m still like this:
 |
| I really need a boomstick at times like these. |
 |
| "I, Dio, wrote in starlight that you’re first writing would be permanent.” |
 |
| “Damnit, Dio.” |
“Don’t talk to
strangers/’Cause they’re only there to make you sad”
I think you already
mentioned that, Ronnie.
“Don’t dream of
women/’Cause they’ll only bring you down yeah”
Hey, at least I’m
liked among women, and Jotaro for some reason.
 |
| "Hey, wanna meet some time?" |
And the song goes
heavy again, with it ending after Ronnie sings to the listener to perform the
Joestar Secret Technique. In short, this
song is awesome, despite the weird verses, but it fits into a cohesive musical
package, and it just rocks. A true
masterpiece from the famed metal musician, and one that warrants any
philosophical debates. Now for how to
solve what I’m going through.
6. Straight Through The Heart:
I wonder if this is
how Bon Jovi got the idea for the opening for “You Give Love A Bad Name”? Regardless, this song starts off with a drum
fill before kicking into its heavy guitar riff.
If this song hasn’t proved to you this is metal, then the lyrics dealing
with the pains of life should help you understand that. But where most songs would be loaded with
self-loathing, this one is more about acknowledging escapism and fantasy as
outlets to escape the pains of life that hurt the heart. In this case, it also promotes having some
sort of stoic mindset to avoid being hurt even more than you possibly can. And the pre-chorus riff is a great example of
build-up to the chorus, where Dio (not the damn vampire) sings the title with
skill and effort. Plus you get an
awesome guitar solo, another to add to Vivian Campbell’s repritore of awesome
solos. In short this song is great,
catchy, anthemic, and inspiring, and I can’t think of jokes here.
7. Invisible:
I wonder if this song
can involve this cutey:
 |
| This makes sense if you you’re a weeb. |
And yes, despite what
happened in the “Don’t Talk to Strangers” analysis, I’m still into women.
But before I get back
to the song, I need to find a way to give the vampiric Dio a good whack. Now for the track. I really like that this song starts with a
melodic opening with clean guitars and a slower tempo to emphasize the concept
of the song. And it’s matched by the
guitar solo that precedes the first verse, where Dio finally says “Screw it”
and goes for pure fantasy storytelling in this epic. And to match that further, the song enters
the main riff, which channels Rainbow’s “Stargazer” while dealing with the kind
of fantasy imagery that Ronnie James Dio is famous for, especially when he uses
it to compare it real life and real issues.
Here, we have two narratives of a young woman with a sense of despair
and sadness from her isolation leading to her running away and disappear from
society and a confused young man also going that route as well. Then we get lyrics from Ronnie dealing with
his removal from traditional society and into the realm of his fantasies. Included in this is pounding drums, heavy
riffs, thick bass, and a wild, shredding solo, two to be exact not counting the
opening solo. And with it being at least
5 minutes, it does feel epic. As if this
song is the closest this album gets to channeling Dio’s work in Rainbow. No seriously, Vivian Campbell does a great
job channeling Ritchie Blackmore in the riff and melodic department while being
noticeably more metallic with his playing.
It’s a great song to lift the spirits while getting to why we feel like
wanting to disappear from our world and having the determination to actually
do. Regardless, I do feel that it won’t
solve the issue of facing one’s problems to simply go away. Loneliness is something that can break
someone, and it can lead to depression and darkness. Speaking of Rainbow, darkness, and
loneliness…
8. Rainbow In The Dark:
With a weird title
like this, this song doesn’t fit with the whole mega-brutal, mega-manly (that
has nothing to do with Mega Man in any way), and mega-rebellious strands of
metal that are considered legit today by other, more successful metal journalists
and bloggers. And, after enough listens
to this track, and getting a sense of its main metaphor, I feel that those same
journalists and bloggers are full of s***.
This song is arguably one of the manliest tracks to have come out of 80s
metal because it is Dio admitting his depression about being kicked out of
Rainbow and Black Sabbath. The lyrics
are filled with metaphors and symbolism to reflect on the feeling of depression
and loneliness that he felt when he was, first, kicked out of Rainbow so
Ritchie Blackmore can write about booze and tits and, then, Black Sabbath in
favor of Ian Gillian of Deep Purple fame (I’m talking Machine Head-era Deep Purple).
And despite his cries for attention and a better situation, he’s
practically trapped in darkness, with his talents, abilities, and potential
shrouded in the black. Like a Rainbow in
the Dark.
 |
| You get it now, right? |
And to match this, we
get a furious riff paired with a very melodic and catchy keyboard lick that
will be stuck in your head for ages.
Then we also get a thumping bass line and pounding drums. And if you thought it was about Ronnie
himself, the second verse brings us in, and Dio is telling us that he feels
what we’re feeling, and that overcoming the dark as well as fear will be what
will bring us into the light and our collective rainbows to bring awe and
inspire. Speaking of inspiring, that
guitar solo is the work of mad genius, with Vivian Campbell incorporating fast
picking, hammer-ons and pull-offs, sustained notes, bends, vibrato, pinch
harmonics, slides, shifting, and the most important aspect…
In short, he played
what could arguably be his best. And I
know that you’ll probably set up a drinking game everytime I say something
along the lines of “best guitar solo on the album” for every time I say
that. But this song is so inspiring that
I’d recommend finding your rainbow and taking it out of the darkness. You’ll feel really happy when you do so.
That sounded weird,
didn’t it?
9. Shame on the Night:
With the opening,
featuring howling wolves, you enter the realm of darkness and Dio’s distaste
for what it did to him. And adding to
that is some heavy guitars, thick bass, and a steady drum beat to make this a
mid-tempo banger that ends the album.
And continuing the metaphors relating to depression, this song feels
like an indictment towards the darkness for consuming him while showing hate to
the light for abandoning him. It’s as if
this entire album was a metaphor for depression after being kicked out of
another band. But that’s from Dio’s
perspective, and I’m sure you’ll only end up taking from the other, more
awesome aspects from the album overall.
But while this song might be hard to swallow when you realize the
depression angle applies here, this song is still interesting and
engaging. Even without a guitar solo
from Vivian Campbell to bring the thunder.
And you also get even more dark imagery going on to reflect the
blackness of the situations Ronnie has been through. It’s just a dark song, and it’s also a fun
song to listen to when you feel like overcoming depression. Is it just me that sees this? However, I need to address something.
 |
| “Do you seriously think that you can be me? That you can beat I, Dio?” |
 |
| “I bet I can. JOTARO PUNCH!” |
 |
| "AND I NEVER GOT THE CHANCE TO SAY 'WRRRRYY...'" |
Huh, I never would have that my previous form was connected to Dio’s lifeforce.
With that, I’m somehow back to normal. My hair’s different, though.
But getting back to
the album, the more I think about it, the more I feel that this is a
fantastical, hard and heavy metaphor for dealing with and possibly overcoming
depression. The more I dive deeper into
this, the more I realize that this album may have been the most therapeutic
metal album that I could have gotten when I did. Not to say that my interests in heavy rock
were lacking or contributing to depression, but that this music could be badass
and uplifting at the same time while still being very, very heavy. The themes are dark but inspiring, tragic but
uplifting, complex but accessible. With
his use of fantastical imagery, Ronnie James Dio managed to create an album
that is the equivalent to a treatment for depression. Adding to his audial vision was Vivian
Campbell’s near-virtuoso performance on guitar, Jimmy Bain’s understated bass
work, Vinny Appice’s skill behind the drum kit, and excellent production and
keys from Dio himself (not the now dead vampire, but the iconic metal
musician). Yes, the production on this
gives this album a sense of clarity as it does a sense of raw grit, and if you
got this while searching for Poison, Winger, or Warrant on Amazon when I did,
then this will feel like a sonic rush of adrenaline and added testosterone to
your metal (commercial or underground) palette.
And the best part, it just rocks in general, with great riffs, beats,
melodies, and hooks, and it is essential listening for any metalhead,
regardless of your sub-movement. It
doesn’t matter if you’re into traditional metal, hair metal, nu metal,
metalcore, grunge, thrash metal, death metal, black metal, power metal, doom
metal, progressive metal, stoner metal, gothic metal, symphonic metal, sludge
metal, djent, or even a mix of metal, techno, rap, punk, and country, I feel
that this album has something that WILL appeal to you. And if you are dealing with depression, this
is a great album to put on. The themes
of magic, power, strength, and overcoming the darkness will appeal to you and
brighten your day. I can safely say that
this album, with no filler from what I can gather, is easily one of the best
classic metal albums out there, and one to aspire to when making metal of your
own. This music is surprisingly
cathartic, and I feel that it’s essential for all music fans. As someone who’s been dealing with some crap,
both within and outside this, I feel that this album is worth it.
Final Score: 10/10
(Mighty, mythical metal).
RIP Ronnie James Dio
(1942-2010), you shall be honored in Rock N’ Roll Heaven as the God of Metal.
If you agree or
disagree, feel free to leave a comment below telling me what you think. Also, make sure to like my Facebook page
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Next Time on Let Them
Eat Metal: An hour-plus of melodrama from the Far East.
Until
next time, this is the Rock Otaku. Live
Loud, Play Hard, and Eat Metal.
All used references
are done under the rules of fair use and are owned by their original creators.
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