Dio Killing The Dragon CD

With Killing the Dragon, the majesty and mystery of Dio returns full force. Welcoming new guitarist Doug Aldrich, Dio has crafted yet another timeless and unparalleled gift to the heavy metal lexicon. 2002.

Personnel: Ronnie James Dio (vocals); Doug Aldrich (guitar); Jimmy Bain (keyboards, bass); Scott Warren (keyboards); Simon Wright (drums).
Recorded at Total Access, Redondo Beach, California.
Full title: Killing The Dragon: Special Edition.
This special edition of KILLING THE DRAGON includes rare bonus live tracks with Deep Purple plus a video for "Push".
This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files.
Personnel: Ronnie James Dio (vocals); Doug Aldrich (guitar); Jimmy Bain (keyboards, bass); Scott Warren (keyboards); Simon Wright (drums).
Recorded at Total Access, Redondo Beach, California.
Personnel: Ronnie James Dio (vocals); Doug Aldrich (guitar); Simon Wright (keyboards, drums); Jimmy Bain, Scott Warren (keyboards).
Recording information: total Access, Redondo Beach, CA.
Illustrator: Mark Sasso.
Photographer: John Harrell.
Ronnie James and his latest version of Dio roll out another collection of songs on Killing the Dragon, steeped in the requisite medieval imagery he loves to use. The songs and the sound remain the same throughout, and as far as Dio is concerned this can be both good and bad. From the beginning he takes listeners down a familiar route with "Killing the Dragon," which begins with a sinister intro and quickly kicks in with a classic metal guitar riff -- formulaic yes, but definitely rocking. The song's subject is the computer ("small gods with electrical hearts"), referred to as the dragon, and how it is now "time to be killing the dragon again." Dio's voice is in fine form, as is the musicianship of his current lineup, including the latest addition of Doug Aldrich on guitar, who successfully captures the classic Dio sound. This release occasionally treads in too-shallow water, trying to sustain the magic on songs such as "Push" and "Guilty" with overly simplistic lyrics and hollow melodies. However, with songs such as "Along Comes a Spider," "Before the Fall" (a forceful rocker with great keyboard additions by Scott Warren), and "Rock & Roll" (a melodious ballad inspired by the September 11th tragedy that is very Sabbath-like in its pacing), Dio remains in classic form. "Throw Away Children," a song about runaways and child abuse that includes the requisite children's chorus, tries to mark the same vein as Pat Benatar's "Hell Is for Children," but ultimately is unsuccessful. The song was originally supposed to be used for Children of the Night (an organization that rescues children from street prostitution), but the lyrics were deemed too depressing. One could easily accuse Dio of being formulaic and unchanging, and while that is oftentimes true, it is also his consistency that gives him a quality of sound that fans know they can depend on. At one point he sings, "Kneel and behold your new king" -- same as the old king but still worthy of the metal crown. This is a welcome addition to any fan's collection. ~ Simon Cantlon
Sword-and-sorcery maven Ronnie James Dio keeps trucking in these Lord Of The Rings/Harry Potter times with KILLING THE DRAGON, his ninth studio album. Retaining the same line-up as 2000's MAGICA, the only change comes in the shape of former Hurricane/House Of Lords guitarist Doug Aldrich. Although it's easy to dismiss Dio the lyricist as some guy who tends to write about rainbows, spells and other fantasy-linked matter, this particular outing has him penning allegories firmly rooted in the 21st century. The galloping title track alludes to electronic serfdom and digital dreams while taking aim at the grip computers and the internet have on society. "Rock & Roll" addresses the knee-jerk self-censorship some radio stations perpetuated immediately following 9/11's tragic events.
The longtime support