The Dio Years (CD)

Ah, the almighty Black Sabbath: originators of the heavy metal art form. There is simply no metal band on the planet that is better or more historically significant to the evolution of rock 'n roll as we know it. Originally formed in 1968 and taking on the name of the classic Mario Bava film that inspired them to take a darker approach to their musical stylings, Sabbath brought gloom and doom, shock and awe, and the heaviest sound ever heard by human ears to the masses during their decade with Ozzy Osbourne as their frontman. When Ozzy was fired in 1979, they lost perhaps the greatest frontman ever. Where to go from there? Ronnie James Dio had made a name for himself in bands like Elf and with classic rock giants Rainbow thanks to his unique vocal delivery and penchant for lyrics about the fantastic and supernatural. His voice is now considered the definitive standard of the metal genre, copied by everyone from Iron Maiden to Dragonforce . As if that doesn't cement his legacy, he is also the original giver of the most iconic of metal gestures, The Horns. Add that together with the unbelievable talents of guitarist Tony Iommi , bassist Geezer Butler , and the massive drums of Bill Ward and you've got a true clash of the titans on your hands. "The Dio Years" collects the best of Black Sabbath's output from the few years they played together and adds three newly-recorded tracks that prove that no member of this band has lost anything between 1982 and now, though Ward has had to bow out due to health issues. "The Devil Cried" is an amusing tale of the damned in Hell holding a contest to see who's story could make Satan weep for them. What could be so awful that the source of all evil would pity you? Let's just say that it's the best break-up song ever and leave it at that. "Heaven and Hell" is their best-revered classic from this era and with good reason. "The Mob Rules" was prominently featured in the 80's animation classic Heavy Metal and still rocks like a mutha. As if all of this wasn't intimidating enough for aspiring metal bands, songs like "Falling off the Edge of the World" and "Children of the Sea" are epic enough to make any legendary band jealous. My personal favorites have to be "Turn Up the Night" with it's trilling and thrilling guitar solos and the impending-doom dirge of "After All". Here's the opening lines: "What do you say to the dead Will you forgive me for living Can't believe the things that they said Wonderful day for a killing" The music for this is amazingly dark, even more so than the words. "I" is among my personal anthems; an a$zicking thrasher celebrating the power of individuality and force of will. "I am anger under pressure Lost it cages, a prisoner The first to escape I am wicked I am legion Strength in numbers, a lie The number is one." If that doesn't pump you up, nothing will. There is not a bad song on this album or any other Sabbath CD that I've heard. Tony Iommi is one of my all-time favorite guitarists. Nobody is even in the same room as him when it comes to proficiency with writing dark, powerful, and memorable riffs that can be played and enjoyed by anyone. His guitar tone is instantly recognizable and is the absolute sound of electric doom with solos that will melt your face if you are not careful. Iommi may not have the flawless virtuoso technique of an Yngwie Malmsteen or a Steve Vai, but considering he's missing the tips of two of the fingers on his fretting hand, I think we can cut him some slack there. Besides, how many Malmsteen riffs can you really bang your head to? Nobody touches Iommi in that department. Geezer Butler is right behind The Who's John Entwhistle (RIP) in terms of sheer finger-picking ability on the bass guitar. Amazing musician. Bill Ward was more of a percussionist than a standard time-keeping classic rock drummer. His power and rhythmic embellishments help set the tone for many a classic. With Dio's classic vocals, stage presence, and dark fantasy and occult-inspired lyrics, these guys were a perfect storm of metal brilliance together. "The Dio Years" is a great album for any fan of rock music, new to the art form or old-school to the bone. Black Sabbath is the greatest metal band of all time and whether fronted by a legend like Ozzy or a legend like Dio the result was always amazing music that delved deep into the underworld where few bands of the time dared go. The three new songs are as good as the thirteen old ones and I can't wait for the rumored new studio album. Either fearing the wrath of one Sharon Osbourne (DIE!) or wishing to be freed of expectations, the band has taken on the name "Heaven and Hell" and toured together the past few years. If you're looking to add some serious gloom, doom, and boom to your Halloween playlist then look no further. This is top-shelf hard rock/heavy metal music no matter what your standard.

Fast service, good price , legendary Music . Can only recommend this album and the seller .

Top und super Music

Like many who have reviewed this album, I think the absence of The Sign of the Southern Cross is a serious flaw in an otherwise respectable collection. That said, this is still a good compilation for anyone getting acquainted with the Dio led version of Black Sabbath, and perhaps that omission is meant to encourage a newcomer to seek out what's missing. It is, after all, called The Dio Years, not The Best of the Dio Years. In any case the only reason for a serious fan to own this instead of the individual albums from which most of the tracks are culled, is for the three new songs at the end. They aren't necessarily for completists only, but I don't think these songs offer much in the way of new ground or a fresh start. After this many years the Iommi/Dio approach is pretty well cemented, so the new songs fit comfortably with material written decades ago. Only a noticeable improvement in sound quality distinguishes them from the rest. They're also represented in the album notes as the preview to a forthcoming Sabbath album. Given their history, I'm inclined to think that's all they could crank out before they folded up yet again.

It works and my dad enjoyed the album.

I recently purchased Black Sabbath's The Dio Years and I am quite astounded. The quality of the old songs is quite nice, in my opinion, considering I have the first remasters of the Dio albums. Quite frankly, the three new songs really impressed me. I was expecting another Psycho Man disaster. Psycho Man was terrible, in my opinion. Iommi's riffs in the new songs are incredible. They reminded me a little of Fused in their heaviness. The Devil Cried gave me goosebumps when I first heard it. Shadow of the Wind was a good slow, headbanging jam. Ear in the Wall, though the guitar parts really caught my ear (no pun intended), the lyrics were very strange. I was still quite amazed by the new songs. I am more than satisfied and really hope that there is a new Sabbath/Dio album in the works within the next couple years. A new original Sabbath album would be nice too, for that matter.

I've had this in the car for 2 weeks now - "over and over and over again"! Of course being a HUGE Sabbath and Sabbath w. Dio fan, I already had ALL the releases with Dio, but the extra tracks and the re-mastering drew me to this. I had a burned-copy off a buddy but I wore it out. It was time to purchase the REAL article. Thanks Rhino for picking the VERY best tracks and including the gloomy but wonderful "Falling Off the Edge of The World". This RULES for this MOB! Great A+++

What was expected.

Buon greatest hits dei Sabbath dell'era Dio con ben 3 inediti.

It's Sabbath, with RJD. Epic music.

parfait comme d'habitude, Black Sabbath c'est toute ma jeunesse et j'aime beaucoup la voie de DIO, à recommander pour un beau cadeau nostalgique

Kanonpris och snabb leverans.

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