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May 25th, 1983.
After fronting Rainbow and Black Sabbath during the 70’s and early 80’s, it was time for RONNIE JAMES DIO to assemble his own band of genius musicians to forge and unleash upon the world one of the greatest debut albums in all of metal (if not in all of existence): the seminal masterpiece known throughout the metal realm as HOLY DIVER.
Check out RJD on the Interwebs:
https://www.ronniejamesdio.com/
https://officialronniejamesdiowebstore.com/
It’s the end of the year. Time to raise your T-Rex arms and lift your swords (if you’re able), begin “rubbing the top” and prepare to be “totally stretched out” (yeah, it’s about to get super weird!) as you JOIN US for the Metal Nerdery Podcast New Year’s Eve Eve celebration (from deep within our luxurious, 33rd Floor I.U.B.P. Studios) as we dive into DIO’s HOLY DIVER.
STAND UP AND SHOUT:
What a killer way to open the album! Ronnie James Dio (RJD) has one of the most profoundly visual lyrical styles in all of metal, with an abundance of vivid, descriptive metaphors. Strangely, this song almost has a slight Deep Purple vibe (which is due to RJD’s tangentional connection with Ritchie Blackmore from Rainbow and Deep Purple as well, btw). Think “Highway Star” or “Speed King.”
“You are the strongest chain, and you’re not just some reflection, so never hide again.”
HOLY DIVER:
One of the most vivid and mysterious soft intros in all of metal! The keyboards really give it that dark, ominous, creepy feel which perfectly complements the dark, ominous, creepy album art.
A simple yet brutally heavy riff! (Sometimes, less really is more.) All I know is that this song is about three things: clean tigers, shiny diamonds and fucking SWORDS!!! (Go watch the music video!)
“Between the velvet lies, there’s a truth as hard as steel.”
GYPSY:
And to think, all this time I thought he was saying “Yay! JUICY!!,” which “technically” applies to at least “some” gypsies. Let the record show, when I first heard this, I knew absolutely nothing about relaxers, nor had I ever dabbled in relaxers. Sometimes I just hear things wrong.
Like being asked “You want a beer?” and answering with “Nahhh, I just haven’t shaved in a few days.” Wait…what?
“And it’s a given rule, that we’re all fools, but need to have a little sin…”
CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE:
Definitely more “hooky” and/or more “poppy,” written with a bit of “hit single” mojo and mainstream accessibility in mind.
Fun fact: Murray actually helped co-write this one and did some of the backing vocals, but he wasn’t credited on the album since he was already the album’s cover model. (That Murray is a blessing.)
“And finding your way in the dark, like some poor forgotten soul…”
DON’T TALK TO STRANGERS:
One of the most perfect DIO songs ever! The soft intro section has that deceptively gentle “Sign of the Southern Cross” acoustic build to it that escalates and crashes like a sonic tsunami into what could only be described as “early” thrash metal!!! (No!? How about early power metal then?). The message is simple: Be very careful who you trust in this world. And also, be sure to read those lyrics.
“Don’t let them in your mind. Protect your soul!”
STRAIGHT THROUGH THE HEART:
Killer Side Two opener! (If you’re following along on cassette and/or vinyl, that is). Heavy swagger and a sick, slow groove, courtesy of the Vinny, the Jimmy, and the Vivian (or the drummer, the bassist, and the guitarist, if you’re unclear). Seems pretty clear that RJD hit the jackpot of musicians to help co-create this sublime metal masterpiece.
“Tell a little truth with many lies, it’s the only way I’ve found.”
INVISIBLE:
This song has a strange disjointedness to it; like two completely different songs blended together. The beginning (soft intro) part has that darker, Rainbow/Sabbath feel, but when the verse comes in it’s a completely different vibe altogether. Not being negative (particularly since bolth parts kick equal ass!), just making an observation.
“The only way to really stay is to walk right out the door.”
RAINBOW IN THE DARK:
What a jarring way to open a song! Followed up by one of the most iconic, memorable (and hooky) keyboard melodies in all of metal. This video is also rad as well. Just once, I’d love to see a rainbow in the dark…it’d be surreal. Especially with relaxers.
“We’re a lie, you and I, we’re words without a rhyme.”
SHAME ON THE NIGHT:
Initially, for whatever reason, it just didn’t “feel” the same as the rest of the songs. But over time, especially after going back and listening to Dio-era Black Sabbath and Rainbow, it’s grown on me. Now I appreciate it more for the heaviness and the simplicity. That laughter at the end though…priceless!!!
“Well, I’ve lost my hold on the magic flame, but now I know your name.”
Show Notes
(00:01): #educationalASMR #noteven #foodcountries #dontdenythepowerof #NewYearsEveEve #fuckedupfuckedupness #editingnightmare #rightthere #swallow #andbegin ***WELCOME BACK TO THE METAL NERDERY PODCAST***#HappyNewYearsEveEve from #MetalNerderyPodcast33rdFloorInvertedUndergroundBunkerpoonStudios / #HallelujahASMR /The power of incredible #comedytiming / #trexclinkymoment brought to you by #Smirnoff #PeppermintTwist #vodka #peppermintflavored #italwaysdoes and the #difficult part of #duality #itsawfullyhard #ijustcantstop #sick #thisisntabouthim / The #priorepisodesbeerofthepisode #priortothe #ingestment and THIS Episode’s BEER of the episode #thisone #thisbeeroftheepisode #ThinLizzyDualMicrophoneHarmonySweaterASMR #thisepisodesbeeroftheepisode #rubbingthetop #broughttoyouby #MagnanimousBrewingTampa (Tampa: See also The Capital of #Deathmetal!) #LordOfLightning #looksmetalasfuck #elffarts #hoppedupdrugbarista #possibly #eightpointfiveabv #verygreen #verygood #takeitslowly #easydrinking #hesgotthekeys #beerclinky #bongbeercore #thenewecore #nailedit/ ***LEAVE US A VOICEMAIL AT 980-666-8182!!!*** #tangentionalburpcore #doublethecore ***EMAIL US at metalnerdery@gmail.com!!! *** #oversegued #andnow #thevoicemailsegment #request #inslomo #manyrelaxers #manycrickets #redlobstersaladbartour2022 #hahahaha #itried and the #flashlightchallenge #relaxered #waymorerelaxed vs #notasrelaxed #thisepisodesmomentoftheepisode
(12:43): It’s the #MetalNerderyPodcastNewYearsEveEve #spectacular / ***But first…a moment of #terror and potential #existentialcrisis (#tangentional to a #Foghat show!) #thirteenthanniversary #superstition #growlmetal #aboutlastnight #poorlytimedimpression #abusiveredneckcunt #fuckbag #itsstillvegan #becarefuloutthere #smileyoureoncamera #bonelessbeer #wrongpipe #swallowedwrongASMR #beardhairball use a #fakename #amomentofeternity #theentiretyofmostofmankind / ***If you’re with an #abusive #asshole, please #exit #immediately.*** #cuntcounterASMR #DomesticViolence #GetOut #NoContact #JusticeWillPrevail #RealBravery / #seekcounselingifneeded #mortalitystaringyouintheface #blackoutmurderrageASMR / #sharingiscaring #worknoisesforsome #howaboutthat #firearmfellatio #IDGAF #SickFuck #giveusacall #9806668182 #darkness and #light
(27:00): #RJD (check out our #InsideTheMetal #RonnieJamesDio episode!) metalnerdery.com/archives / #bakedpotatoASMR #sourcreamrules #mayosucks / #MetalNerderyHolyAlbumDiverCore #itsalot #itsamouthful #markthetime #totallystretchedout #sometimes / #NoFalseMemories The very #firstnewalbum by the #DIO band, HOLY DIVER #totally #markthetime #implied / #MandelaEffect #onmicburp / One of THE best #albumcovers ever in #metal!!! ***Does anyone have the #blacklightposter of #thealbumcover for #HolyDiver? *** And remembering when HOLY DIVER came out in the early 80’s and digging backwards to Rainbow and Sabbath / #CableTelevision was an #indulgence for #richfolks! / Early memories of #musicvideos and #MTV and the #metallandscape in 1983 and #NWOBHM and the gradual move towards heavier, darker, more #metal #fuckingA #albumorgy #orgyofmetal / ***Remember the #musicvideos for #HolyDiver and #RainbowInTheDark!?*** #swords #notacircusfreak / #memories #notthatmany #notallme but #balancing #karma and #redemption #LGB #deeplytangentional #perfect #motivationalselfstarterASMR
(38:38): #Debut #SoloAlbum for #RJD after departing #BlackSabbath (the BAND was called “DIO”, kind of like how Ozzy’s solo band was called the “Blizzard of Ozz”) #giftfromGod / #lounge is not the same as #doowop #lovepains (and a brief summary of the #Dio #resume up to this point) / #MurrayTheDioMascotDude / #turnthelogoupsidedown and it spells #Devil / #backmasking #planning or #geniusmarketing / #someonekeeptrackofthecuntcounter #tinklebreak #pissfilledballs #justgoman #itsfine #canyouhearitnow #okayturnitoffnow #andwereback / #myballsarenowempty #killeropener (***go check out our Killer Opener episode and our #ThunderGodsAndBassWizards episode!!!) / STAND UP AND SHOUT #cble #cantbeloudenough / The strange dichotomy between the faster Dio songs vs the slower, heavier songs… / Review of the #Personnel on #HolyDiver #noteven #awwman
(46:30): ***Get your swords ready!!!*** #soeighties #gowatchthatvideo HOLY DIVER #timeless #slowandheavy #swordvision #cleantigers and #shinydiamonds #andnow a #bettersword #fuckingedited / #Fun with #misheardlyrics #allegedly #allegedcrickets #waitforit #juicy #noteven GYPSY #unstoppablepower #killermashup #thewhatifguy #dontdenythepowerof #RonnieJamesDio / CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE (and the #culmulation of everything great DIO learned and brought with him from Rainbow and Black Sabbath) / DON’T TALK TO STRANGERS #cantbeloudenough #thatsmetal #metalfaces and thinking back to the #rift between Ronnie and Vivian Campbell #totallyofftopic but still slightly #tangentional / #shitty to #notgetpaid #your #royalties #duetoyou #whereareweonthecuntcounter?
(1:01:00): #thatswhatsimportant #side2 #hatredismypeace STRAIGHT THROUGH THE HEART / #mouthimpediment caused by #relaxers and/or #LordOfLightning #PerfectDioBeer / INVISIBLE #verymetal #NWOBHMASMR / A moment of #tangentionalality with #RJD and #JakeELee (can you imagine the possibility?) #allyoupeople #whooo #comingsoon / #prepareyourswords RAINBOW IN THE DARK #gowatchthisvideo #recordscratch #wheresthelightning and #handcuffkeys? (NOTE: #melody and #medley are NOT the same thing!) #notheydonot #demonsarepersistantfuckbags #comeon #doglove
(1:12:41): #killercloser SHAME ON THE NIGHT #killergrower vs #killershower #dontbeweird #shameonthenightASMR / The placement of “outside the box” style tracks at the end of a record / #onandon #heavy #killeroutro #doyourememberlaughter #allofyou #hahahahahaha #allblessings and #sources of #joy / #ItalianNames and #Pasta #thatsnotracistright #noteven #cuisinist #associast #tease/ #ThePreNewYearsEveEveSpecial ***THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AND CONTINUING TO SUPPORT METAL NERDERY PODCAST!!!*** / #rimshot #waitwhat #censored #happyendingto2021 #MetalNerderyPodcastASMR #leavingallthehatein2021 #comingcancellation / #AlterEgo I spell it with a Q… / #GodIHopeSo #threeyearthreesome / #outstandingoutroreel #pigmoment #alookback #rearviewof2021 (***special thanks to #Billiam and his #tentacles for all #MetalNerderyProductionExcellence***)