Ronnie James Dio - Holy Diver (1983)

Tracklist: Stand Up And Shout Holy Diver Gypsy Caught In The Middle Don't Talk To Strangers Straight Through The Heart Invisible Rainbow In The Dark Shame On The Night

Ronnie James DIO had a lot to prove with this his first solo offering since departing rather unceremoniously from BLACK SABBATH and prove he did and the rest as they say is history. DIO had salvaged the flagging career of the Ozzy-less SABBATH resulting in two of SABBATH'S finest recordings: "The Mob Rules" and the classic "Heaven And Hell". Portraying a much stronger and consummate singing voice that has since become world renowned DIO was not only a better singer than Ozzy but also an intelligent songwriter and composer who wielded a myriad of thoughts and ideas for Tony Iommi. He was also a man who know that his destiny lay out side of SABBATH so after nursing wounds brought on by his leaving he delivered, some would say his solo bands finest hour - "Holy Diver". Free from the constraints of SABBATH DIO quickly ensconced himself in the fantasy imagery and world that he wanted to bring to the Hard Rock/Heavy Metal playing field. The album cover depicting the malevolent DIO creature attempting to do away with a member of the clergy was an effective image as any one could imagine to the contents of the album. "Stand Up And Shout", "Holy Diver", "Don't Talk To Strangers", "Straight Through The Heart" and "Rainbow In The Dark" all bona fide Rock classics. Masterminded by the voice of DIO the music is a mixture of classy Hard Rock in "Gypsy" and "Caught In The Middle" supplemented with American style Metal with the likes of "Stand Up And Shout", "Straight Through The Heart" and "Shame On The Night", the colossal title track "Holy Diver" complete with an Iommi riff that the Master himself would dearly have loved to have written to the sublime intro of "Don't Talk To Strangers" climaxing in "Rainbow In The Dark". Yes, this is still a very good album and one that deserves to sit proudly in your collection. (Online June 8, 2003)

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SLAYER - South of Heaven(1988 )

Tracklist: South Of Heaven Silent Scream Live Undead Behind The Crooked Cross Mandatory Suicide Ghosts Of War Read Between The Lies Cleanse The Soul Dissident Aggressor Spill The Blood

How does the band that wrote "Reign In Blood" try to top that album? The answer: You don't. You create something different. I'll spare you why "Reign In Blood" was/is so influential and important to the Metal scene in general, and SLAYER wrote whatever they wanted to (I'm assuming), but to re-write its faster, heavier and more extreme version would probably sound forced and unnatural. Enter "South Of Heaven". From the slow, haunting, melodic intro riff that starts off the title track, you can tell that SLAYER has matured. They realized that forcibly going 200+beats per minute for most of an album would make it redundant and boring, due to lack of dynamics (well, most of the time). Heaviness can also be achieved with dissonant melodies or a slower, more chord-based riff, and the band decided to plod into those territories as well. Speed is not altogether gone from this album, though. "Silent Scream", "Ghosts Of War" and "Cleanse The Soul" are all at warp speed, the way that SLAYER showed the Metal world to do. However, being the only 3 songs that are blazing fast, they stand out from the rest (also, each has a different 'style' of riffing and song structure, plus the tempos vary a bit) of the album. Making each song longer also always them to develop better, making each one distinct and memorable in its own right. The riffing has also gotten more technical than before, forgoing the simple tremolo picked chromatic chaos that was featured on "Hell Awaits" and "Reign In Blood", and goes for a more interesting mixture of the aforementioned tremolo picking and down-picked notes, making the music far more interesting than before. I'm not saying that the songs on this album are anything of technical genius of MARTYR's or DEATH's calibre, but the musicianship has improved. Added also is a sense of subtlety present in the melodies (anyone ever notice the SECOND guitar line in the intro of "South Of Heaven"?). Tom Araya has also started to SING, instead of just screaming his lungs out like he used to, adding further dimension to the songs, and making it more memorable. The solos actually start to make some musical quality to them, compared to the random flurry of whammy bar dives and endless notes (I don't want to go on a rant about why SLAYER solos have always fit the music, but that's another topic, and too long to dwell into). Furthermore, the legend of Dave Lombardo was born on this album. The crazy fills he throws in during nearly the entire album (Listen to "Behind A Crooked Cross" and "Silent Screams" for the best examples). He truly starts to shine on this album, moving away from the fast yet rather monotonous drum beats of "Reign In Blood" (in come the flurry of hate mail……). This album has aged truly gracefully, showing a band that has matured both lyrically and musically, and one that is full of unsung classics. (Online October 18, 2003) http://www.mediafire.com/?qgm1lflbd64s1p1

Guns N' Roses ( Appetite for Destruction, 1987 )

Appetite for Destruction' Album Review

One of the most telling marks of an indispensable album is when its lesser-known tracks equal or even exceed the hits. That is certainly the case with this record, a merciless 12-track journey through danger, excess and chaos that never lets up its brutal assault, even for its obligatory power ballad. We all know the famous tunes, as MTV probably burned them into our brains long ago. But the most rewarding aspect of repeated listens is undoubtedly the stunning level of quality from start to finish. "It's So Easy" stands as a particularly strong early highlight, confidently hitting the listener while his or her nose is still bloodied from "Welcome to the Jungle." Then "Nightrain" and "Mr. Brownstone" continue to plumb the seedy depths of modern urban life, supported to perfection by Steven Adler's thunderous drumming and the unbelievably deft, dueling dual-guitar contributions of Slash and Izzy Stradlin. I mean, twin guitars had been used impressively before in rock, but with all due respect, Boston and even Iron Maiden could never muster the raw passion and improvisational feel that these two guitarists deliver here.
Very arguably the best song on the album could be "My Michelle," a blistering and devastating song about doom and lost innocence in the city that contains a lyrical opening that just slams the listener over the head as if with an unidentified blunt object. The ultimate result of listening to this album is the kind of exhilaration that only comes when good parts make up a better whole.

1. Welcome to the Jungle
2. It's So Easy
3. Nightrain
4. Out ta Get Me
5. Mr. Brownstone
6. Paradise City
7. My Michelle
8. Think About You
9. Sweet Child O' Mine
10. You're Crazy
11. Anything Goes
12. Rocket Queen

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