The Last In Line
Dio
The Last in Line is the second studio album by American heavy metal band Dio, released on July 2, 1984, on Warner Bros./Vertigo Records. Produced by Ronnie James Dio himself and engineered by Angelo Arcuri, the record followed the massive commercial and critical success of the band's debut Holy Diver (1983) and featured the same core lineup — Ronnie James Dio on vocals, Vivian Campbell on guitar, Jimmy Bain on bass, and Vinny Appice on drums — with the notable addition of keyboardist Claude Schnell as a full band member. The album proved to be the band's commercial peak, reaching number 4 on the UK Albums Chart and number 23 on the US Billboard 200, and becoming the first Dio album to be certified platinum by the RIAA. As noted by Wikipedia, it was ranked among the 500 greatest rock and metal albums of all time by Rock Hard magazine in 2005.
Across its nine tracks, The Last in Line exemplifies what Progrography describes as "the duality of Dio — that balance of dark and light, hope and despair, melody and metal." The album opens with the anthemic, fist-pumping "We Rock," one of the band's most enduring concert openers, before moving into the brooding, slow-building title track, which became another signature song. The record ranges from the relentlessly driving "I Speed at Night" to the surprisingly melodic "Mystery," and closes with the seven-minute epic "Egypt (The Chains Are On)," a haunting, mythologically tinged closer adorned with synthesizers that mirrors the grand ambition of Holy Diver's "Rainbow in the Dark." The album's artwork — a pseudo-satanic illustration by Barry Jackson — caused considerable controversy upon release, adding to the record's mystique. While debates persist among fans as to whether Holy Diver or The Last in Line represents the band's definitive statement, both are widely considered the twin peaks of Dio's catalog.
The Last In Line
Dio
The Last in Line is the second studio album by American heavy metal band Dio, released on July 2, 1984, on Warner Bros./Vertigo Records. Produced by Ronnie James Dio himself and engineered by Angelo Arcuri, the record followed the massive commercial and critical success of the band's debut Holy Diver (1983) and featured the same core lineup — Ronnie James Dio on vocals, Vivian Campbell on guitar, Jimmy Bain on bass, and Vinny Appice on drums — with the notable addition of keyboardist Claude Schnell as a full band member. The album proved to be the band's commercial peak, reaching number 4 on the UK Albums Chart and number 23 on the US Billboard 200, and becoming the first Dio album to be certified platinum by the RIAA. As noted by Wikipedia, it was ranked among the 500 greatest rock and metal albums of all time by Rock Hard magazine in 2005.
Across its nine tracks, The Last in Line exemplifies what Progrography describes as "the duality of Dio — that balance of dark and light, hope and despair, melody and metal." The album opens with the anthemic, fist-pumping "We Rock," one of the band's most enduring concert openers, before moving into the brooding, slow-building title track, which became another signature song. The record ranges from the relentlessly driving "I Speed at Night" to the surprisingly melodic "Mystery," and closes with the seven-minute epic "Egypt (The Chains Are On)," a haunting, mythologically tinged closer adorned with synthesizers that mirrors the grand ambition of Holy Diver's "Rainbow in the Dark." The album's artwork — a pseudo-satanic illustration by Barry Jackson — caused considerable controversy upon release, adding to the record's mystique. While debates persist among fans as to whether Holy Diver or The Last in Line represents the band's definitive statement, both are widely considered the twin peaks of Dio's catalog.