Track Listing

1. We Rock
2. Last In Line
3. Breathless
4. I Speed At Night
5. One Night In The City
6. Evil Eyes
7. Mystery
8. Eat Your Heart Out
9. Egypt (The Chains Are On)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #18070 in Music
• Released on: 1994-07-01
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Import

Customer Reviews

one of the great lost metal albums
cliched, yes. dated, yes but so have "Dark Side..", "Stairway " and "Sgt. pepper" and noone cares about that, lyrics about dragons, yes. Brilliant, erm, yes as well.

Ronnie James Dio had learnt from his tenure in Rainbow how to write great songs then allow the musicians to stamp their own identity on it. This album, like its predecessor "Holy Diver" overflows with great riffs, guitar solos, and drum fills, with Dio's powerful vocals always standing tall, even if he didn't.

"From the machine gun drumming and great riff that introduces "We Rock", this is a classic. Guitarist Vivian Campbell, having paid his dues in unknown Irish rockers "Sweet Savage", grabs his chance like a caged tiger finally on the loose, riffing as though his life depended on it and producing blistering solo after blistering solo, particularly fluent on tracks such as "One Night in The City" and "I Speed at Night", whilst blending ferocious riffing with fluent playing on the likes of the awesome title track.

As a footnote, if his playing whets your appetite don't bother investigating further as Campbell seemingly burnt himself out here, now content to tread water with the similarly burnt out Def Leppard. Sell out ? As if.

If you like hard rock, BUY THIS ALBUM.

A Great Follow Up !!
Dio`s Holy Diver was hailed as a master piece but for my money this album had the better songs on it. From the blistering opener "We Rock" this Album never lets up. Vivian Cambells playing on this album is simply flawless. A stunning demonstration of how good British metal guitar players could be. { Yes i no his Irish but he grew up listening to UK Metal/Rock ] He still has for my money one of the best guitar sounds. Dio`s Vocals are there usual brilliant self, actually there isn`t to much of the Dungeons & Dragons type lyrics on this album. [ unlike his later albums ]"The Last In Line" is still regarded as a classic track. "One Night In The City" has one of those great catchy hook filled chorus`s that you`ll find your self walking down the road singing weeks later !!! "Evil Eyes" has for me one of the finest guitar solos in a H/M song anywhere. "I Speed At Night" has a wonderful power filled turn of speed to it. "Mystery" is one of those songs that people tend to overlook but when they hear it fined themselves singing along to it ! "Egypt" [ The Chains Are On] is Dio`s big ending number, reminicent of Rainbows "Stargazer" This is a must have album for my money. It`s one of those rare albums you put on & then leave to play right through to the end again & again !!

Better Than Holy Diver - In my opinion..
A lot of people cite Holy Diver as Dio's post Sabbath masterstroke, and I can kind of understand why. With something to prove, following the acrimonious departure from the Sabbath ranks, it was stunning because it was bright, fresh and brash - devoid of corporate rock baggage, it was not Sabbath, it was not Rainbow - it was simply Dio. However to these ears, at least, it was more of a product of the late 70s than the pop laden early 80's and so enter the Last In Line.

Frenetic opener `We Rock' sets Dio's new agenda for the new decade. Driving drums, stabbing riffs and a simple radio friendly hook - Dio had his first radio single for the 80s - this is a straight forward bona fide and enduring classic.

But this is not an album of radio singles - the grandiose title track `The Last In line' is next up with its rather pompous religious theme (reflected in the cover art) and this possibly stands as Dio's best solo title track - streets ahead of the rather plodding and traded pale imitations of Sacred Heart and Dream Evil that follow it.

Breathless is possibly the throwaway track on the album but the stunningly fast and emphatic `I Speed At Night' puts the ship firmly back on course. I cannot emphasise the influence that Vinnie Appice seems to have on this album (and notably on this track). He is simply on fire - he hits everything that's around him - he is an indefatigable pounding rhythm section that is breathtaking in finessed power and innovation.

`One Night in the City' that follows is another example of how Dio can bring a song to life with a dramatic and flesh tingling melody. And so it goes on - Evil Eyes has Appice hitting drums I didn't know existed, in an order that defies the laws of nature and Eat Your Hear out sees Dio in bitter, vitriolic mood. And to the finale, which is The Chains (Are On). With its Egyptian melodies, it is a nod towards Stargazer from the Rainbow era and it represents a perfect, atmospheric, finale to one of the 80's best metal albums.

I cannot rate this album highly enough. This is not rose tinted nostalgia at play. This is, in my view, Dio's best post Sabbath moment (only surpassed in consistency prior to this by the Behemoth that is Heaven and Hell and the stunning aforementioned Stargazer) - Turn the lights out, crank it up to the maximum that the HiFi and the Neighbours can stomach, have a glass of wine and indulge in metal at its absolute best.