The Dio Album

The Dio Album is an affectionate tribute work on which Paul Gilbert boldly reconstructs, as instrumentals, the many classics left by the legendary singer Ronnie James Dio. While treating songs of the three great bands Dio belonged to — Rainbow, Black Sabbath and Dio — it by no means merely replaces the vocal parts with guitar. A record filled throughout with deep respect for Dio and his own playfulness. From the powerful “Neon Knights,” the solemn “Holy Diver” and the majestic classic “Man on the Silver Mountain” to “Heaven and Hell” and “Kill the King,” Gilbert sings the originals’ dramatic melody very expressively on guitar. In every choice — how to sing the main melody, what chord feel to place behind the riffs and how boldly to step in the solos — Gilbert’s own sure sense and deep affection strongly appear. A truly splendid record that delivers, to those who deeply know the originals’ solemn drama, discoveries from a wholly new angle, and to those who hear it as a pure guitar work, a rich, beautiful flow of melody. Highly praised as a heartfelt tribute to heavy metal’s great legacy. Bringing Paul Gilbert’s expression as a guitarist and his love for Dio to fruition, it is a moving, powerful work.