REVIEW: DIO - KILLING THE DRAGON

 

DIO - KILLING THE DRAGON (Spitfire Records, 2002 )

Produced By: Ronnie James Dio

Tracks: 1- Killing The Dragon, 2- Along Comes a Spider, 3- Scream, 4- Better in the Dark, 5- Rock and Roll, 6- Push, 7- Guilty, 8- Throw Away The Children, 9- Before The Fall, 10- Cold Feet

Cover Art by Marc Sasso

Recorded at Total Access Studios

Here we have in our hands the new album of Ronnie James Dio´s band. This time features new guitarist Doug Aldrich. The music here is not so different from the one in Magica (except because here there is no concept behind the lyrics), and as in that album some of the tracks are not as direct as in albums like "Holy Diver" or "The Last in Line". Here we have Aldrich replacing Craig Goldy´s riffs and solos in a really good way and we have also the rhythmic tandem of Jimmy Bain on bass and Simon Wright on drums that add a lot of power to the songs. And we have the genius Ronnie James Dio whose voice is as wonderful as always and if the other musicians are the skeleton and flesh of the music, then Ronnie is the soul of all the songs here.

Favorite tracks: "Killing the Dragon", "Scream" and "Before the Fall"

Contact: www.spitfirerecords.com