Dio: Holy Diver Live

With the untimely death in May 2010 of Ronnie James Dio (often credited with creating the “devil horns” salute so common at rock concerts), the heavy metal world lost one of its true legends—a diminutive figure and mighty vocal force whose incredible talent led him to work with the biggest and best in the business, including Rainbow, Black Sabbath, and Sabbath offshoot Heaven and Hell. Luckily, one of his greatest contributions, the brilliant album Holy Diver, can be fully experienced in this excellent live 2005 performance from the Astoria Theatre in London. In fantastic form and even better voice, Dio leads his band though every song—from the title track and seminal “Stand Up and Shout” to the heartbreaking “Rainbow in the Dark”—aided by Doug Aldrich (guitar), Rudy Sarzo (bass), Simon Wright (drums), and Scott Warren (keyboards). Dio bookends the entire Holy Diver album with other songs, including “The Sign of the Southern Cross,” “Man on the Silver Mountain,” and “Long Live Rock and Roll.” Presented in Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS-HD 5.1, and PCM stereo, Blu-ray extras include an interview featurette and a booklet. Highly recommended. (B. Gibron)