DIO: The Last In Line (HEAVY METAL): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

Dio marked the spirits with his superb "Holy Diver" in 1983. Here he is again 1 year later with a "The Last In Line" with its visual taking again the famous chained demon already present on the cover. But Dio won't just copy his first masterpiece: he will enriche it and makes this new opus even more unavoidable!

Reinforced by Claude Schnell on keyboards, the dream-team gives us an unstoppable album, composed of 9 nuggets all more brilliant than the others, to the point that "Breathless" appears as the weakest track whereas it is already of a high level. Unfortunately for it, stuck between the majestic and epic "The Last In Line" and the speedy "I Speed At Night", it has difficulty to find its place.

It's hard not to mention all tracks composing this opus as each of them has marked the history of Heavy-Metal. Indeed, Dio excels in all the fields he approaches, whether they are mid-tempo (the brilliant and haunting "One Night In The City"), speed or epic. "We Rock" opens the hostilities on a fast tempo and a powerful riff, propelled by a hyper dynamic rhythmic and endowed with an anthemic chorus. After such an opening track, many would find it hard to keep up. But Dio is one of the greats and nothing will disturb his march towards the top.

Whether it flirts with FM on "Mystery" or crushes everything with the heavy "Eat Your Heart Out", the combo shines with a thousand lights. The performance of its leader is once again exceptional, while Vivian Campbell asserts himself as a great one, proposing effective riffs and releasing some amazing soli. But the quintet remains the best on the epic tracks. Ronnie is each time impressive and captivates us thanks to his talents of storyteller, able to vary his vocals in registers going from the seduction to the rage like on the eponymous track, "Egypt (The Chains Are On)" which leaves us dazed after almost 7 minutes of magicwith its oriental and mystical atmosphere.

"Holy Diver" had affirmed it with force, but "The Last In Line" crushes the least doubts which could remain: Dio is a great band led by an exceptional singer! With this album, the combo imposes itself among the legends of the genre and offers us a treasure in which it is good to regularly dive back to remember that Heavy-Metal can also provoke uncommon emotions. - Official website

DIO

THE LAST IN LINE

VERTIGO

HEAVY METAL