«Holy Diver» is Dio’s first record and is considered one of the greatest albums in the history of heavy metal. It came out in 1983, a year after Ronnie James Dio’s departure from Black Sabbath, and showed that the singer could stand on his own and do exactly what he wanted.
With him he had the Irish guitarist Vivian Campbell, bassist Jimmy Bain (his old collaborator from Rainbow) and drummer Vinny Appice, who had played in Black Sabbath. This lineup made a record that became a guide for many bands that followed, with heavy riffs and Dio’s amazing voice dominating everywhere.
The title track «Holy Diver» is the most famous track on the record, with the famous mysterious opening and one of the best performances of his career. «Don’t Talk to Strangers» shows the full range of his voice, from whisper to loud singing, while «Rainbow in the Dark» also became a classic — even though Dio himself did not want to put it on the record initially.
«Stand Up and Shout» opens the record strongly, with Bain’s contribution, and «Gypsy» and «Caught in the Middle» show Campbell’s talent for songwriting. «Holy Diver» received a perfect rating of 5 out of 5 from Sputnikmusic and remains to this day the album everyone associates with the name of Ronnie James Dio.
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