I had to get the late great Ronnie James Dio in at some point, an incredibly powerful singer and legendary good guy of rock.
He spent a couple of years in Black Sabbath after Ozzy was fired from the band. Neon Knights is the first track on Heaven and Hell, his first album with Sabbath. It comes roaring right out of the gates, heavy grungy guitars and thundering drums. But then here comes Dio! Totally amazing voice blended from the finest of the Olympic Gods. Who is the Greek God of metal singing? State your opinion in the comments section! In my mind, Zeus is probably not a very good singer. Maybe Apollo?
Dio is so good at increasing the growl in his voice. Listen to him at 0:16, can't remember when, 0:28, nothing's in the past, etc. Levels of intensity, that's what it's all about. He'll get worked up about the protectors of the realm, captain's at the helm. Face it, Dio is a Viking.
He veers into Lord of the Rings fantasy land at 1:09: Circles and rings, dragons and kings. It's that age old story about good vs evil. Tony Iommi takes the solo at 2:00, blazing a trail across the sky. A fantastic tune that makes it quite easy to forget about Ozzy's absence.
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