Look up
heavy metal
vocalist and you'll probably find a picture of
Ronnie James Dio
. Few vocalists in the history of
rock
have been as closely linked to the aforementioned style as
Dio
(OK, besides
Rob Halford
), as his operatic vocals obviously paved the way for a legion of
metal
singers to follow in the '80s. And with a sudden nostalgia rush for all things '80s in the early 21st century, what better time to issue yet another compilation of solo-era
-- 2003's
The Collection
. If you're looking for a single-disc overview of
, then this 18-track set certainly fits the bill, as such selections as
"Holy Diver,"
"Rainbow in the Dark,"
"The Last in Line,"
and
"Sacred Heart"
would serve as the perfect soundtrack while playing Dungeons & Dragons. While latter-day era tracks (
"Dream Evil,"
"Wild One,"
etc.) are included, it's the earlier rockers that prove to be
's finest. The only thing preventing
from being a definitive
collection is that no tracks from the singer's
Rainbow
or
Black Sabbath
eras are included (both bands that he briefly fronted). If you're a newcomer to
's metallic tales of swords and sorcery, then
is an adequate starting point. ~ Greg Prato