«Rising» is the second album by Rainbow, released on 17 May 1976. It is the second record that guitarist Ritchie Blackmore put his name to after his departure from Deep Purple. The line-up features Ronnie James Dio on vocals, Jimmy Bain on bass, Cozy Powell on drums and Tony Carey on keyboards.
“`Country: United Kingdom
Style: Hard Rock
For fans of: Deep Purple, Dio, Black Sabbath
The production is clearly cleaner than on the debut, the line-up tighter and the tempos higher. It is an album built on strong riffs, epic lyrics full of fantasy and orchestral passages, with not a single ballad from start to finish.
«Tarot Woman» opens with a dreamy synthesizer before Blackmore’s guitar comes in and the band picks up speed. «Run With the Wolf» moves at a slower pace, with Cozy Powell filling constantly, while «Starstruck» sounds more bluesy, close to the Deep Purple style. «Do You Close Your Eyes» is built on a simple but catchy riff.
The centrepiece of the album is «Stargazer». It is built on a heavy, slow riff and orchestral passages, and tells the story of a wizard who enslaves a people to build a tower and fly to the stars, until he falls to the ground. «A Light in the Black» closes the album at a very fast pace, with alternating guitar and keyboard solos and double bass drumming.
«Rising» is regarded as one of the most influential hard rock albums. The mix of epic lyrics, classical influences and heavy riffs opened the way for acts that came later, from Yngwie Malmsteen to Stratovarius. The line-up on this record is considered one of the best Blackmore ever assembled, and «Rising» remains a reference point for the epic metal that followed decades later.
See also
«Ride The Rainbow»: The tribute to Ritchie Blackmore and Dio – The Last in Line.
