Dio -

Dio was an American metal band that Ronnie James Dio formed in 1982 after his split from Black Sabbath.

The first lineup with guitarist Vivian Campbell, bassist Jimmy Bain, and drummer Vinny Appice produced the Warner Bros. albums Holy Diver, The Last in Line, Sacred Heart, and Dream Evil between 1983 and 1987.

A rebuilt band carried the catalog into the 1990s with Lock Up the Wolves, Strange Highways, and Angry Machines, then returned again during the 2000s for Magica, Killing the Dragon, and Master of the Moon.

Across those three decades, Dio remained the constant voice, principal lyricist, and visual center of the band while the lineup shifted around him.

Members: Ronnie James Dio (vocals), Vivian Campbell (guitar, 1982-86), Jimmy Bain (bass, 1982-89, 1992-93, 1999-2004), Vinny Appice (drums, 1982-89, 1992-98), Claude Schnell (keyboards, 1983-89), Craig Goldy (guitar, 1986-88, 1999-2001, 2003-10), Rowan Robertson (guitar, 1988-91), Teddy Cook (bass, 1989-91), Jens Johansson (keyboards, 1989-91), Simon Wright (drums, 1990-91)

Background

Ronnie James Dio came out of Cortland, N.Y., where formal trumpet study began at age five and rock-band work began in 1957 with the Vegas Kings, later Ronnie and the Rumblers and Ronnie and the Red Caps. He formed Elf in 1967, moved from bass to a full-time frontman role, and took that band into a regular opening slot for Deep Purple. Elf’s rise then led directly to Rainbow, when Ritchie Blackmore recruited Dio for the new group during 1975.

Dio’s Rainbow span covered their first three studio albums —Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow, Rising, Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll — and their 1977 live doube-LP On Stage. In 1979, he entered Black Sabbath after their split with Ozzy Osbourne. His first Sabbath collaboration with Tony Iommi produced “Children of the Sea” on the first day, which set the course for Heaven and Hell and the follow-up Mob Rules. That run ended in 1982 when conflict over Live Evil pushed Dio and drummer Vinny Appice out of the band.

Dio and Appice chose to stay together and formed Dio in Los Angeles during October 1982. Dio brought in former Rainbow bassist Jimmy Bain, first hired Jake E. Lee for guitar, then replaced him with Vivian Campbell after the break with Lee. Campbell arrived from Belfast band Sweet Savage, and by early 1983 the Ronnie James Dio, Vivian Campbell, Jimmy Bain, and Vinny Appice lineup had most of the material in place for Holy Diver.

Holy Diver

Dio released their debut album, Holy Diver, on May 25, 1983, on Warner Bros.

The record locks onto direct song forms and a hard, uncluttered attack. Ronnie James Dio holds the center with a high, commanding vocal line, and Vivian Campbell cuts the arrangements with sharp riff figures, bright lead breaks, and quick melodic turns while Jimmy Bain and Vinny Appice drive a strong backbeat under the guitar front. Dio wrote all lyrics; the music credits split track by track between Dio, Bain, Campbell, and Appice.

“Stand Up and Shout” opens with the album’s fastest charge and sets the guitar attack at once. “Holy Diver” drops to a heavier stride and builds its refrain on a slower, more deliberate pull, while “Don’t Talk to Strangers” starts with acoustic guitar and a quieter vocal entry before the full band breaks in at higher force. “Straight Through the Heart” and “Rainbow in the Dark” tighten the second side through firmer hooks, prominent keyboard color, and brighter chorus lift, and “Shame on the Night” closes the record on a darker, slower line with a heavier bass presence.

A1. “Stand Up and Shout” (3:15) — Dio, Bain
A2. “Holy Diver” (5:54) — Dio
A3. “Gypsy” (3:39) — Dio, Campbell
A4. “Caught in the Middle” (4:15) — Dio, Appice, Campbell
A5. “Don’t Talk to Strangers” (4:53) — Dio

B1. “Straight Through the Heart” (4:32) — Dio, Bain
B2. “Invisible” (5:26) — Dio, Appice, Campbell
B3. “Rainbow in the Dark” (4:15) — Dio, Appice, Bain, Campbell
B4. “Shame on the Night” (5:20) — Dio, Appice, Bain, Campbell

Dio recorded Holy Diver at Sound City in Van Nuys, Calif., with engineer Angelo Arcuri, assistant engineer Ray Leonard, and mastering engineer George Marino at Sterling Sound in New York. Ronnie James Dio produced the album.

Randy Berrett illustrated the cover, Gene Hunter handled the original art rendering, and Wendy Dio supplied the original concept. The original vinyl package also carried a photomontage inner sleeve with images from Ronnie’s Rainbow and Black Sabbath years.

Warner Bros. issued “Holy Diver” (b/w “Evil Eyes”) as a single on August 12, 1983. The song reached No. 40 on the U.S. Mainstream Rock chart and No. 72 in the UK.

On October 21, 1983, “Rainbow in the Dark” became the second single from Holy Diver. Its 12-inch single added live “Stand Up and Shout” and live “Straight Through the Heart,” and the song reached No. 12 on the U.S. Album Rock chart and No. 46 in the UK. Holy Diver reached No. 56 on the Billboard 200, No. 13 in the UK, and later earned double-platinum certification in the United States and silver certification in the United Kingdom.

The Last in Line

Dio released their second album, The Last in Line, on July 2, 1984, on Warner Bros. and Vertigo. It was the first Dio album to feature keyboardist Claude Schnell as a full band member.

The Last in Line tightens the band’s attack and gives the keyboards a clearer role inside the arrangements. Claude Schnell adds sustained pads, stabbing accents, and brief atmospheric links around the guitar front, while Ronnie James Dio keeps the vocal line high and forceful across a set of shorter, more direct songs than the longest pieces on Holy Diver. Dio wrote all lyrics; the music credits divide track by track.

“We Rock” opens with a hard sprint and a chant-built refrain that lands at once. “The Last in Line” slows the pull, widens the chorus, and gives the vocal line a larger dramatic rise, while “One Night in the City” stretches the first side through a heavier crawl and a darker narrative turn. “Mystery” cuts the pressure into a brighter, more compact single frame, “Eat Your Heart Out” drives harder through a short, blunt attack, and “Egypt (The Chains Are On)” closes the album with a slower ascent, a broader chorus, and one of the record’s most expansive final passages.

A1. “We Rock” (4:36) — Dio
A2. “The Last in Line” (5:40) — Dio, Bain, Campbell
A3. “Breathless” (4:04) — Dio, Campbell
A4. “I Speed at Night” (3:22) — Dio, Appice, Bain, Campbell
A5. “One Night in the City” (5:15) — Dio, Appice, Bain, Campbell

B1. “Evil Eyes” (3:38) — Dio
B2. “Mystery” (3:46) — Dio, Bain
B3. “Eat Your Heart Out” (3:49) — Dio, Appice, Bain, Campbell
B4. “Egypt (The Chains Are On)” (6:57) — Dio, Appice, Bain, Campbell

Dio recorded The Last in Line at Caribou Ranch in Colorado with engineer Angelo Arcuri, assistant engineer Rich Markowitz, and mastering engineer George Marino at Sterling Sound in New York. Ronnie James Dio produced the album. Barry Jackson supplied the cover illustration.

Vertigo issued “The Last in Line” as a single in Europe on June 11, 1984. The song became Dio’s best-performing U.S. rock single and reached No. 10 on the U.S. Mainstream Rock chart.

On August 3, 1984, “We Rock” became the follow-up single and reached No. 42 in the UK.

“Mystery” appeared as the third single on September 21, 1984. It reached No. 20 on the U.S. Mainstream Rock chart, while The Last in Line reached No. 23 on the Billboard 200, No. 4 in the UK, and later received platinum certification in the United States and silver certification in the United Kingdom.

Sacred Heart

Dio released their third album, Sacred Heart, on August 12, 1985, on Warner Bros. in North America and Vertigo elsewhere.

Sacred Heart trims the song lengths and pushes the choruses closer to the front. Keyboards sit deeper inside the guitar lines than on the prior record, and the arrangements favor direct verse patterns, hard mid-tempo strides, and shorter lead breaks across most of the album. Ronnie James Dio wrote all lyrics, and the music credits divide track by track. The album also closed Vivian Campbell’s studio run with the band.

“King of Rock and Roll” opens with simulated crowd noise and a brisk charge. “Sacred Heart” drops into a heavier, more ominous riff shape with keyboards tucked behind the main figure, while “Another Lie” drives on a stronger chorus and a more open riff frame. “Rock ’n’ Roll Children” stretches the album’s grandest narrative line across a broader rise, and “Like the Beat of a Heart” lands with a firmer rhythmic pull on side two.

A1. “King of Rock and Roll” (3:49) — Dio, Appice, Bain, Campbell
A2. “Sacred Heart” (6:27) — Dio, Appice, Bain, Campbell
A3. “Another Lie” (3:48) — Dio
A4. “Rock ’n’ Roll Children” (4:32) — Dio

B1. “Hungry for Heaven” (4:10) — Dio, Bain
B2. “Like the Beat of a Heart” (4:24) — Dio, Bain
B3. “Just Another Day” (3:23) — Dio, Campbell
B4. “Fallen Angels” (3:57) — Dio, Appice, Bain, Campbell
B5. “Shoot Shoot” (4:20) — Dio, Appice, Bain, Campbell

Dio recorded Sacred Heart at Rumbo Recorders in Los Angeles with producer Ronnie James Dio, engineer Angelo Arcuri, assistant engineer Gary McGachan, and mastering engineer Greg Fulginiti at Artisan Sound Recorders.

Robert Florczak supplied the cover art. The border carries a Latin inscription that frames the sleeve’s fantasy image.

Vertigo issued “Rock ’n’ Roll Children” (b/w live “We Rock” and live “The Last in Line”) as a single in July 1985. The song reached No. 26 on the U.S. Mainstream Rock chart and No. 26 in the UK.

On October 4, 1985, “Hungry for Heaven” became the second single from Sacred Heart. UK copies paired it with “King of Rock and Roll” and live “Like the Beat of a Heart,” while international pressings used live “Holy Diver” and live “Rainbow in the Dark.” The song reached No. 30 on the U.S. Mainstream Rock chart and No. 72 in the UK.

Sacred Heart reached No. 29 on the Billboard 200, No. 4 in the UK, and received a U.S. gold certification on October 15, 1985.

Dream Evil

Dio released their fourth album, Dream Evil, in July 1987 on Warner Bros. in North America and Vertigo elsewhere.

Craig Goldy changes the guitar voice at once. The album leans toward darker mid-tempo writing, gives the keyboards a larger role in the transitions, and lets the riffs breathe inside broader chord shapes than the prior record. Ronnie James Dio wrote all lyrics, and the music credits divide track by track.

“Night People” opens the record with a quick, direct charge. “Dream Evil” drops into a heavier stride and darkens the vocal line, while “Sunset Superman” pushes brighter keyboard color into a faster anthem frame. “All the Fools Sailed Away” stretches the first side through a slow dramatic build, a broader chorus, and choir-backed uplift, then “Overlove” snaps the pace back with a blues-toned intro and a harder run once the full band enters. “I Could Have Been a Dreamer” softens the attack through a more open chorus and stronger keyboard support, and “When a Woman Cries” closes the album on a slower, weightier line.

A1. “Night People” (4:06) — Appice/Bain/Dio/Goldy/Schnell
A2. “Dream Evil” (4:26) — Dio/Goldy
A3. “Sunset Superman” (5:45) — Appice/Bain/Dio/Goldy/Schnell
A4. “All the Fools Sailed Away” (7:10) — Dio/Goldy

B1. “Naked in the Rain” (5:09) — Dio
B2. “Overlove” (3:49) — Appice/Dio/Goldy
B3. “I Could Have Been a Dreamer” (4:42) — Dio/Goldy
B4. “Faces in the Window” (3:53) — Appice/Bain/Dio/Goldy/Schnell
B5. “When a Woman Cries” (4:43) — Appice/Bain/Dio/Goldy/Schnell

Dio recorded Dream Evil at Village Recorder in Los Angeles from March through May 1987 with producer Ronnie James Dio, engineer Angelo Arcuri, assistant engineers Charlie Brocco, Tom Biener, and Allen Abrahamson, then mixed the album at Record Plant and mastered it at Sterling Sound with George Marino.

Steve Huston supplied the cover illustration, Amanda Schendel appeared as the cover model, and the sleeve marked the last Dio studio album to place Murray on the front cover.

Vertigo issued “I Could Have Been a Dreamer” (b/w “Night People”) as a single on July 6, 1987. It reached No. 33 on the U.S. Mainstream Rock chart and No. 69 in the UK, and it also received a video.

“All the Fools Sailed Away” appeared as a European single in 1987 with “Overlove” on the reverse.

Dream Evil reached No. 43 on the Billboard 200 and No. 8 in the UK.

Lock Up the Wolves

Dio released their fifth album, Lock Up the Wolves, on May 15, 1990, on Reprise in North America and Vertigo elsewhere.

A full lineup reset reshaped the band for this record. New guitarist Rowan Robertson drives much of the album through sharper riff changes, blues-toned lead work, and longer solo passages, while new drummer Simon Wright adds a harder snap and new keyboardist Jens Johansson places restrained atmospheric lines behind the guitar frame. Ronnie James Dio wrote all lyrics, and the music credits divide track by track.

“Wild One” opens the album with one of the fastest attacks in Dio’s catalog and puts Robertson’s lead work in view at once. “Hey Angel” thickens the texture through a denser vocal stack and driving power-chord weight, while “Born on the Sun” stretches into a broader rise with a more anthemic pull. “Between Two Hearts” drops into acoustic guitar and a slower blues drag, the title track builds a darker atmosphere through keyboard haze and a longer dramatic ascent, and “Walk on Water” snaps the second side back to a brisk charge. “My Eyes” closes the album in an extended final arc.

A1. “Wild One” (4:02) — Dio, Robertson
A2. “Hey Angel” (4:59) — Dio, Robertson
A3. “Between Two Hearts” (6:27) — Dio, Robertson
A4. “Night Music” (5:05) — Dio, Robertson, Bain
A5. “Lock Up the Wolves” (8:30) — Dio, Robertson, Bain

B1. “Evil on Queen Street” (6:01) — Dio, Robertson, Cook
B2. “Walk on Water” (3:42) — Dio, Robertson, Johansson
B3. “Born on the Sun” (5:39) — Dio, Robertson, Bain, Appice
B4. “Twisted” (4:44) — Dio, Robertson, Bain, Appice
B5. “My Eyes” (6:34) — Dio, Robertson, Johansson

Dio recorded Lock Up the Wolves at Granny’s House in Reno with co-producer and engineer Tony Platt, assistant engineer Don Evans, mixers Tony Platt and Nigel Green at Battery Studios in London, and mastering engineer George Marino at Sterling Sound in New York.

Wil Rees supplied the cover art, Janet Levinson handled art direction, and Mark Weiss shot the photography. Early U.S. vinyl copies carried a black-and-white printed inner sleeve with a band photo on one side and lyrics and credits on the other. Some cassette and vinyl editions omitted “Why Are They Watching Me” because of running-time limits.

Vertigo issued “Hey Angel” (b/w “Walk on Water”) as a 7-inch on August 13, 1990.

Lock Up the Wolves reached No. 61 on the Billboard 200 and No. 28 in the UK.

Discography: