Dio - The Last In Line (Rhino Reserve)

Ronnie James Dio's second album with his own band, The Last In Line, returns here as a Rhino Reserve edition of a 1984 heavy metal landmark.

After Holy Diver established Dio as a solo force, the band came back with Vivian Campbell, Jimmy Bain and Vinny Appice, adding Claude Schnell on keyboards for a fuller, more dramatic sound. Dio produced the album himself, and his love of fantasy, good-versus-evil storytelling and operatic delivery runs all the way through it.

We Rock is a fist-raising opener built for arenas, while the title track starts with a gentle, eerie intro before exploding into one of Dio's most powerful vocal performances. Mystery adds a melodic, keyboard-touched sheen that shows the band's catchier side, and the closing epic Egypt (The Chains Are On) stretches out with slow, crushing grandeur.

Campbell's guitar work is sharp and fiery throughout, full of squealing harmonics and fast, precise runs, and Appice's drums hit with real weight, giving even the more radio-friendly moments a hard edge. Bain's bass keeps everything locked tight underneath.

Dio's voice remains the main event, though, commanding every line as if the fate of the kingdom depended on it. For metal collectors, this is a record that has earned its place right next to Holy Diver.