Dio - Master of the Moon
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Music CD Cover
Artist: DioBrand: Master
Edition: Music CD
CD Release Date: 2004-09-07
Music Label: Sanctuary Records
Soundtracks:
- One More for the Road
- Master of the Moon
- The End of the World
- Shivers
- The Man Who Would Be King
- The Eyes
- Living the Lie
- I Am
- Death By Love
- In Dreams
Free Music Notes for Master of the Moon
Free Music Review: Sabbath, Rainbow, Dio...it's all Here!
Hit: 5 Stars
Preface: This aint Magica or Killing the Dragon, Dio's two most
recent and rather bland offerings. This is definately a comeback.
If you gloss over most of this review, at least read "Shiver".
Ronnie James Dio is Sixty-Plus years old. His voice was recorded on
Vinyl before the Beatles. With nearly 50 years in the business of
Rock and Roll, Dio has seen it all. Literally.
"Master of the Moon" is his latest studio product. I use the term
"Product" because Ronnie does. I really dislike when muscians speak
of "Product." It hints of silent contempt.
However, if MotM is product, it is skillfully crafted.
"One More for the Road" We begin the album with a Riff that
immediately reminds us of Rainbow, with Blackmore at the helm.
Classic Dio harmonies. RJD's voice is showing only the tiniest signs
of age, and this is evidenced only when he tries to nail the high or
sustainy notes. He seems to do this often on MotM. I'm skipping
ahead now, so I'll sum up OMftR by saying this rocks. It is classic
Rainbow. *****
"Master of the Moon" A real march towards melody. This song seems
theatrical to me, as if I were watching a Rock Opera. This is not a
bad thing at all. Choppy Riffing manages to come off as fresh. Is
RJD's voice showing signs of age? Maybe I'm just obsessed with
finding signs? When I forget to think about it, RJD's voice is
tip-top. ****
"The End of the World" As the album progresses, I am amazed at the
Riffing. There is real creativity back in the Dio camp. I keep
finding myself going "Wow, I haven't heard that before!" I like the
lyrics of this track. It's making fun of me (an admitted conspiracy
theorist with a smattering of Eschatology.) Nothing really great here
though. ***
"Shivers" Hold on to your seats, Dio's going to rock you properly.
Fresh, Fresh Fresh. The title is apt, this song really does give one
the shivers, the kind you get when something you love has returned,
and it is every bit as great as the bits that made you love in the
first place. Sabbathy Riff with lyrics you might imagine Ozzy
singing, actually. There's a really cool keyboard effect in this
song. Pinch-harmonics and flashy playing during the solo remind you
that you're listening to Dio, and not Sabbath. Really clever lyrics
on this track and the vocal melody is interesting. This is the track
that will define this album. "Last in Line" "Rainbow in the Dark" and
"Shiver" ! *****
"The Man Who Would Be King" Dare I say an Elf-ish intro? Piano.
Yep, Piano. Strings. The intro readies us for something
awe-inspiring like "Last in Line." It doesn't deliver. The pacing is
all wrong. Plodding power-chord abuse. Lyrics are good, if you can
handle some Political commentary from RJD. This is ultimately just
too "Magica" for my tastes. The intro really had me geared up for
something extra. **
"The Eyes" More strings back a muted monotone riff. Talk-box effects
decorate the beats between verses. This is starting to remind me of
Kashmir, but without the hypnotic grab that Kashmir can claim. Lyrics
aren't very noteworthy, sort of "What is he talking about?" that we're
used to from RJD filler material. For filler, it's a keeper. At
around 5:00, this song introduces it's hook. Sort of an "Hey Jude"
ending with ooohs instead of naahs. Any song that has this sort of
ending steps itself up a notch. The riff behind this section is
beautifully dark and heavy. ****
"Living the Lie" Fast. "Stand Up and Shout" "We Rock" More shivers
here. This is good. Very melodic. Reaching a break-down, there is a
mis-step lyrically. Just a little akward. Solo smokes, and back to
the rocking. Classic Dio. ****
"I Am" Whitesnake Intro, "Slow and Easy". Another "March" sort of
beat. This is really a re-write of "I" from Dehumanizer. Anthemic
chorus. No really great riff here, unlike "I" which is rifftastic.
This is the type of the song where you wait around for the chorus.
Not that the verses are really bad or dull, just noting special. ***
"Death by Love" Great Riff opens DBL. Stars and gypsy queens
immediately. "Lady Evil" memories here. Perhaps "Tarot Woman." Now
this baffles me, at the chorus the bass drops out totally. It's not
very long, but long enough to be disturbing. There's a really sweet
guitar fill ala "Temple of Syrinx" by Rush, or "Ten Years Gone" by
Zep. I really admire RJD's commitment to staying in a higher-register
key. A lot of older singers will start writing in D and then drop
that down to a F in concert. Not RJD. I'm giving this *** but could
probably pass for a four.
"In Dreams" Blackmore and Iommi enter holy matrimony and create a
real fusion song here. Dio's voice is really outstanding on this
track, not for range, but sustain and vibrato. Ah! They through a
bit of flange on him for a bit which was really cool. ****
In Summary: This album is classic Dio. It is also Classic Dio-Era
Sabbath. It is also Classic Rainbow. Hell, for a minute or two, it's
even Classic Elf. This is a real return to songwriting for Dio and
crew. It's a return to Riff Rock and MELODY for crying out loud.
It's the kind of album I've been silently begging for aging acts to
make for years. It is not boring like many of RJD's solo albums since
Last in Line. It is also not "Just one or two tracks." You can
really sit down and enjoy this album from start to finish.
If this is product, then keep producing and I'll keep consuming. Dio
doesn't "Still know how to rock." He remembered how to rock and
brought it to us once again.
-Greg B.
Master of the Moon Poster
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