Dream Evil

Performer: Dio
Distributor: WEA (Distributor)

Notes: Dio: Ronnie James Dio (vocals); Craig Goldy (guitar); Claude Shnell (keyboards); Jimmy Bain (bass); Vinny Appice (drums). Additional personnel: The Mitchell Singing Boys (background vocals). Recorded at Village Recorder, Los Angeles, California. By the mid-'80s Dio had become one of heavy metal's biggest concert draws. While such albums as HOLY DIVER and THE LAST IN LINE sold well (both were certified gold), it was Dio's bombastic and highly theatrical stage show that drew the attention of metalheads worldwide. For their fourth full-length release, 1987's DREAM EVIL, original guitarist Vivian Campbell had been replaced by Craig Goldie (Campbell would return as a hired gun in both Whitesnake and Def Leppard), signaling the band's first line-up change. While the album wasn't as stellar as the two aforementioned titles, such metallic dungeons and dragons epics as "All the Fools Sailed Away" and "Sunset Superman" are standouts.

After fronting Elf, Rainbow (featuring Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore), and Black Sabbath (after Ozzy Osbourne's departure), legendary vocalist Ronnie James Dio formed a band bearing his own name in 1983. Dio quickly became one of the world's top heavy-metal acts. In the late '80s, lineup changes unsettled the group, but the tenacious frontman persevered, leading Dio into the 21st century still waving its classic headbanging devil flag high.

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