One of heavy metal's major icons will be celebrated with a new U.K. vinyl collection. UMR will release Dio's The Complete Albums 1983-1993, chronicling the seven original studio and live releases from the legendary heavy metal vocalist and his band. (Vertigo/Mercury distributed all the albums overseas, while Warner Music continues to handle this portion of the catalogue today.) The box, available March 28, offers new pressings of Holy Diver (1983), The Last in Line (1984), Sacred Heart
For heavy metal fans, the legacy of singer Ronnie James Dio long outlasts his presence on this mortal plane. Next month, a pair of releases will celebrate his final works as the frontman of the band that bore his last name. Niji Entertainment and BMG will release The Studio Albums 1996-2004 on September 22, featuring the final recordings Dio made before the singer's passing in 2010. It'll be available on CD as well as a limited edition vinyl set featuring color variations for each album:
Like all good demons, Black Sabbath proved they could rise from the dead - or, at the very least, the loss of their iconic frontman - with the recruitment of Ronnie James Dio as lead singer in the early '80s. Now, the live document they issued chronicling this era will get a new look for its 40th anniversary. Live Evil, the 1983 double album that followed Dio, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Vinny Appice as they toured in support of Mob Rules and Heaven and Hell the
Whether performing with Elf, Black Sabbath, Rainbow, Heaven and Hell, or his own band, Dio, Ronnie James Dio (1942-2010) thrilled with his powerful voice and indomitable spirit. One of the most influential hard rock and metal singers of all time, Dio would have turned 80 years old on July 10. Rhino is remembering him with a 4-CD super deluxe edition of the band Dio's debut, 1983's Holy Diver. The box arrives in stores on July 8, just two days before Dio's 80th. Holy Diver united Ronnie, on
Ozzy Osbourne was a tough act to follow, but Ronnie James Dio more than filled his shoes when he took over the frontman role in Black Sabbath for the metal pioneers' 1979 album Heaven and Hell. On March 5, Rhino will salute the Dio era with deluxe 2-CD or 2-LP reissues of both Heaven and Hell and its 1981 follow-up, Mob Rules. When it became clear that Black Sabbath couldn't proceed with its original lead vocalist, Ozzy Osbourne, Ronnie James Dio (Elf, Rainbow) was paged. Dio was introduced
A poem written for children in 1802 would not have been the most obvious subject for Deep Purple bassist Roger Glover for tackle, but that's precisely what he did in 1974 with The Butterfly Ball and the Grasshopper's Feast. Glover wrote, produced, and played on the pop/rock opera concept album which yielded the hit "Love Is All," sung by Ronnie James Dio. Now, that original album has been expanded to 3 CDs for a new box set from Cherry Red's newly-reactivated Purple Records imprint. In
"We played it hot, hard and heavy at the Carolina County ball/And we sang 'Ooooo'/On a boogie-woogie Friday night..." Ronnie James Dio's early band Elf played it hot, hard and (pretty) heavy throughout its relatively short lifespan. Elf released three studio albums between 1972 and 1975 before going to superstardom with Rainbow (the core of which was actually built from Elf), Black Sabbath, and Dio. Last year, Cherry Red released a reissue of 1972's debut Elf; now, the label has turned its
Who’s that gleefully malevolent-looking elf? Why, it’s none other than the late Ronnie James Dio, legendary frontman of Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Heaven and Hell and of course, Dio. Between 1972 and 1975, Dio (under his real name of Ronald Padavona) led the band Elf for three albums. The first of those LPs, the eponymous Elf, has just been reissued by Cherry Red’s Hear No Evil imprint in a newly-remastered edition. Singer/bassist Dio founded Elf in 1967 as The Electric Elves, alongside
Our Black Friday Record Store Day shopping list has just gotten a little longer! Following our recent announcement of Legacy Recordings’ slate for November 28, we have news of the offerings coming your way from Omnivore Recordings, Rhino and Varese Sarabande! For the gang at Omnivore, it’s all about amazing indie pop! The label recently reissued Game Theory’s debut album Blaze of Glory, and on November 24, the Omnivores will unveil the first U.S. release of the band’s compilation Dead Center.
One of the top labels in straight-up rock and heavy metal, Roadrunner Records, will celebrate their more than 30 years in the business with a new box set, XXX: Three Decades of Roadrunner Records, in October. From its inception in 1980, Roadrunner was often toward the forefront of metal, from traditional heavy and thrash metal in the 1980s and early 1990s to the fast-paced tracks and nu metal stylings of the late '90s. Along the way, they've opened up their roster to all kinds of hard rock,
Metal will never die - and neither will the memory of Ronnie James Dio. The late singer will be celebrated with no less than three catalogue projects between now and October. First up, from Universal U.K. comes the Dio Singles Box Set, released last week in the U.K. and available as an import starting this week. The 15-disc set features replicas of all of Dio's Vertigo-era 12" singles, including the Dutch-only "The Last in Line" and French-exclusive Dio Live single, as well as classics like
Smash! Boom! Bang! The ace compilation experts at, well, Ace Records are offering up plenty of Smash, Boom and Bang (both in impact and in label name!) for your buck with their diverse slate of February releases. You'll find top-drawer pop, rock and soul for connoisseurs and beginners alike among the label's latest. Perhaps the most unexpected is the new entry in the label's long-running Songwriters and Producers series. Smash Boom Bang! The Songs and Productions of