Holy Diver is a Metal album by Dio, originally released in 1983. On Gatefold: 206 pressings tracked, owned by 73 collectors.
About
Dio’s 1983 debut is an immaculate marriage of operatic vocals, fantasy storytelling, and NWOBHM-style energy. Fresh off stints with Rainbow and Black Sabbath, he carries over his obsession with the eternal struggle between good and evil. As “Caught in the Middle” implies, it’s a struggle from which the vocal powerhouse can never escape. And while guitarist Vivian Campbell was still an up-and-comer at the time, he shreds all over the album, especially on the smoking “Don’t Talk to Strangers.”
via Apple Music
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Tracklist
Side A
- A1Stand Up And Shout3:15
- A2Holy Diver5:54
- A3Gypsy3:39
- A4Caught In The Middle4:15
- A5Don't Talk To Strangers4:53
Side B
- B1Straight Through The Heart4:32
- B2Invisible5:26
- B3Rainbow In The Dark4:15
- B4Shame On The Night5:20
Sound DNA
- Metal
- Heavy Metal
- theatrical
Originally released on 25 May 1983.
The original vinyl release included an inner sleeve showing a photo-montage with images from both Rainbow and Black Sabbath days.
The cover, with art by Randy Berrett, features the band mascot "Murray" spinning a priest in chains around waves.
Murray is featured on several other Dio albums.
"Holy Diver" - at its surface, this song is about Satan, and his descent to Hell (his "dive"). But according to Dio the main character isn't really the Devil. "The song 'Holy Diver' is really about a Christ-figure, who on another place, not Earth, has done exactly the same as we've apparently experienced or were supposed to have experienced on Earth: dying for the sins of man so that man can start again and be cleansed and do it properly," he told Sam Dunn for the film Metal: A Headbanger's Journey.
"Caught in the Middle" shares the main guitar riff with Campbell's previous band Sweet Savage's song "Straight Through the Heart" (1983), whose title was used for another song in this album.
In 2005 the album was remastered and re-released by Rock Candy Records.
The album was certified gold in the US on September 12, 1984, and platinum on March 21, 1989.
In the UK it attained Silver certification (60,000 units sold) by the British Phonographic Industry, achieving this in January 1986, at the same time as "The Last in Line".
In 2017, it was ranked 16th on Rolling Stone's list of "100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time"
Credits
The people behind it.
Performers
- Jimmy BainBASS BASS GUITAR, KEYBOARDS BASS, KEYBOARDS
- Ronnie James DioKEYBOARDS VOCALS VOCALS, KEYBOARDS
- Vinny AppiceDRUMS
- Vivian CampbellGUITAR
73 collectors on Gatefold own this · 206 pressings tracked on Gatefold
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