Holy Diver

Infobox Album
Name = Holy Diver
Type = Album
Artist = Dio


Released = May 25, 1983
Recorded = 1983, Sound City Studios, Fortuna, California
Genre = Heavy metal
Length = 41:29
Label = Warner Bros. Records (US and Canada)
Vertigo Records
Rock Candy Records
Producer = Ronnie James Dio
Reviews = * Allmusic Rating|4.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:5mfozffhehok~T1 link]
* "Mojo" Rating|4|5 [http://www.buy.com/prod/holy-diver/q/loc/109/60146533.html link]
Last album =
This album = "Holy Diver"
(1983)
Next album = "The Last in Line"
(1984)
Misc =

"Holy Diver" is American heavy metal band Dio's debut album.

History

Released on May 25, 1983, it has been hailed by critics as Dio's best work and a classic staple in the heavy metal genre. [cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:5mfozffhehok~T1 |title=Holy Diver > Review |author=Rivadavia, Ed |publisher=All Media Guide |accessdate=2007-03-13] [cite web |url=http://www.dailyvault.com/toc.php5?review=2262 |title=The Daily Vault Album Reviews: Holy Diver |author=McDonald, Riley |accessdate=2007-03-13] The album was eventually certified Gold in the US on September 12, 1984 and Platinum on March 21, 1989. [Statistics compiled by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)] The original vinyl release had a photo-montage LP-liner. Ronnie James Dio himself also made an appearance in the recent film, "Tenacious D in the pick of destiny" 22nd November 2006.

The album was remastered and re-released by Rock Candy Records in 2005. The most notable addition to the original album is an audio interview with Ronnie James Dio. Tracks 10-19 on the 2005 edition are Dio's answers to various questions about the album. The questions are not posed during the interview itself, but can be found inside the CD's booklet instead.

A video game, "Holy Diver", was made and based on the album with Ronnie James Dio as the main character, wearing the same clothes as in the "Holy Diver" music video.

Album art

The cover was controversial, featuring what appears to be a monster killing what appears to be a Catholic priest. Dio was quick to argue that appearances are misleading and it could just as easily be a priest killing a monster. If the Dio logo is held upside down it appears to read "Die", or a stylistically obscured "Devil." It could also mean the devil torturing the priest, but then the chain breaks and he plunges to the depths. It could also mean that priests sometimes get corrupted by evil. cite journal |last=Van Pelt |first=Doug |year=1997 |month=May/June |title=What Dio Sez |journal=HM Magazine |id=ISSN|1066-6923 |issue=65 |pages= |url=http://web.archive.org/web/20001212165000/www.hmmagazine.com/archives/Dio.htm |accessdate=2007-04-30 ]

Reviews

Track listing

# "Stand Up and Shout" (Ronnie James Dio, Jimmy Bain) – 3:06
# "Holy Diver" (Dio) – 5:51
# "Gypsy" (Dio, Vivian Campbell) – 3:39
# "Caught in the Middle" (Dio, Vinny Appice, Campbell) – 4:14
# "Don't Talk to Strangers" (Dio) – 4:53
# "Straight Through the Heart" (Dio, Bain) – 4:31
# "Invisible" (Dio, Appice, Campbell) – 5:24
# "Rainbow in the Dark" (Dio, Appice, Bain, Campbell) – 4:15
# "Shame on the Night" (Dio, Appice, Bain, Campbell) – 5:20

Charts

Album chart positions

Singles charts positions

Trivia

* This song is a playable song in .

Credits

*Ronnie James Dio – Vocals, Keyboards
*Vivian Campbell – Guitar
*Jimmy Bain – Bass, Keyboards
*Vinny Appice – Drums
* Recorded at Sound City, Los Angeles, California, USA
* Produced by Ronnie James Dio
* Engineered by Angelo Arcuri
* Assistant engineered by Ray Leonard
* Originally mastered by George Marino at Sterling Sound, New York, USA
* Illustration by Randy Berrett
* Original art rendering by Gene Hunter
* Original concept by Wendy Dio

References