DIO / Lock Up the Wolves (1990)

I bought LUtW back in the day but sold it soon afterwards. I don't regret it, because it was on cassette, but the music disappointed almost as much as the format.
Being older now, hearing it again, I can appreciate the mature, retro thinking of RJD. He was attempting a departure, a move forward by looking back - not to his glory years, but to a bluesier, slower, heavy rock sound. There's nothing wrong with that ideal, but it didn't ignite my enthusiasm and it still doesn't today.
Ronnie's voice is as strong as ever, though. He could sing Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star and still sound like he belongs atop Mount Olympus.

Songs of Note: Lock Up The Wolves; My Eyes

3 cracks in the rainbow out of 5

DIO / Holy Diver (1983)

Dio's début album is a masterpiece that's fully deserving of its status among fans. It's without a doubt one of the finest examples of 80s metal ever made. It continued the fascination with high fantasy that Ronnie brought to Black Sabbath: the duality of love and lust, good and evil and the perceptions that are attributed to each are explored time and again. Ronnie delivers his vocals with such power and astounding self-belief that it doesn't matter if half the time his cryptic lyrics appear contradictory and make little sense on the surface. Every self-respecting rock/metal fan should have a copy of Holy Diver in their collection.

Songs of Note: Holy Diver; Don't Talk to Strangers

5 stars of the masquerade out of 5

BLACK SABBATH / Heaven And Hell (1980)

Ronnie James Dio's first album with Black Sabbath gets everything right from beginning to end. The Iommi/Butler/Ward sound is less doomy than the Ozzy era but no less melodic. Ronnie's voice projects more than Ozzy ever could; that opened up new avenues for Sabbath to venture down. Lyrically it's more Dio than Sabbath, but I fail to see that as a criticism. It's produced by master knob-twiddler Martin Birch, who finds the perfect pitch and balance to give everyone equal footing. Albums rarely achieve such perfection. H+H is a classic.

Songs of Note: Children Of The Sea; Heaven And Hell

5 endings are just beginnings out of 5

DIO / Dream Evil (1987)

Ronnie James Dio gets credit for many things, but few people outside of his hardcore fan base can name more than one or two of his solo albums. The Dream Evil album is a popular one. It has some classic Dio-styled rock that follows his usual song structure: they start with a timeless melodic riff and sustain it until the chorus kicks in, then they soar with his voice at the forefront. The keyboards have dated it pretty badly but there's still some fine work herein.
Naysayers claim that he took the Black Sabbath sound with him, but I don't believe that's true. I believe Ronnie kept what he'd brought to Sabbath, and for a time made best use of it, while they spiralled into mediocrity after his departure.

Songs of Note: Night People; Dream Evil

3½ perverts at your bedroom window out of 5

HEAVEN AND HELL / The Devil You Know (2009)

Iommi, Butler, Appice and Dio. Sound familiar? It's Dio-era Black Sabbath in all but name. Geezer Butler brings a lifetime's experience of bass riffs but doesn't dwell on past glories. Sure, there's some of the old Sabbath vibe, but it's not a rehash of old sold as new, it's a lot of new from a bunch of olds.
It's not as good as the Heaven and Hell (1980) album from which they took their name, but I don't think it's possible to ever top that.
It's a lot more doom sounding than I ever imagined it would be, so it took a few listens before I could shake the old expectations and find the stand-out tracks. I expect that may well be a common feeling among fans.

Songs of Note: Follow the Tears; Bible Black

3½ surges of power out of 5

BLACK SABBATH / Dehumanizer (1992)

Sabbath with Ronnie James Dio back on the mic! It's a 90s comeback album that sounds like it was birthed in the 70s. It captures the essence of the old but was modern enough to appeal to new fans, not an easy thing to do. If all you've heard is the Ozzy era Sabbath, then you'll maybe be a little lost here, they're a different entity with Dio (let's never mention Tony Martin, except I just did but let's never do it again). An oft overlooked milestone in the band's history, Dehumanizer is characteristically riff-heavy and a little bit doomy at times but never gloomy.

Songs of Note: TV Crimes; Master of Insanity

4 comeback albums that are worth coming back for out of 5