Opener "Stand Up and Shout" is like a ballsier and thicker take on the Rainbow sound that Dio spent so much time honing with Ritchie Blackmore. Moving away from the chugging riffs Iommi usually provided Dio, Ronnie sounds in top form here, at his most comfortable at either very slow or very fast speeds. Amazing vocals. Northern Irish guitarist and then wunderkind "Vivian Campbell" provides some scorching guitars that even give Iommi and Blackmore a run for their money, excellent guitars. Great song. The title track "Holy Diver" is perhaps the most famous song ever recorded by the Dio solo band. An amazing riff, killer bass from Jimmy Bain, solid drumming from Sabbath stable-mate Vinny Appice, and of course soaring vocals and fantastical lyrics, a great f-ing song, any metal-head that does not like Dio and this song especially has something seriously wrong with them, and could only be described as a poseur.
The albums rolls along with the very Rainbow-sounding "Gypsy", but Rainbow taken to "11". Dio's voice sounds like its about to give during this song, absolutely screeching and gritty, an amazing sound from him. The rest of the song is fairly standard, a solid riff and great drumming. A good song, but not a stronger song on the album for me. "Caught in the Middle" is the most contemporary sounding song on the album, very 1980s sounding. The song has inspired many metal fans, a tale of rising above the alienation and hardships that many attracted to our brand of music so often have to deal with. Very inspiring and uplifting, and very good singing from Dio, as usual. "Don't Talk to Strangers" is the most Sabbath-like song on the album. Featuring an acoustic intro a la "Children of the Sea", it starts off slow, then builds with a riff that clearly echoes the massive songwriting influence that Iommi and Geezer Butler had on Dio. A great song, but I somewhat miss the presence of the other members of Sabbath, and always wonder what the song would have sounded like with Tony and Geezer. Still a very good song, but a look to the past for me, rather than ahead.
"Straight Through the Heart" is the heaviest song on the album. The riff is stellar, very influential on generations of metal guitarists (Zakk Wylde?). Appice is a monster on the skins, beating them like a New York street-tough laying punches, very violent sounding drumming, tasty. Dio's lyrics are great, very theatrical and dramatic, as par for the Dio course. Excellent. "Invisible" is a lesser-known song on the album.Not a big fan of the intro, the effects aren't really necessary. But a sick riff kicks in, and saves the song. Campbell is a genius, somewhere between Iommi and Randy Rhoads, a perfect fit for Dio's very big voice. Appice struggles a bit during the breakdown, but his aggression and power have always made up for any timing limitations that he has. So who gives a s*** about timing. "Lighting Strikes Again" kicks your ass next. Besides the stupid and cheesy keyboards (but it was the 80s, give Dio some slack), the song is very heavy, powerful, and catchy. An obvious reference to problems with both Sabbath and Rainbow, the song reflects Dio's feelings of isolation after those break-ups. A classic Dio song. Last up is "Shame on the Night". The wolf samples are kind of silly, but Dio's snarl and howl is amazing here, great vocals. A good song, a nice creepy closer to a stellar album.
Holy Diver is a great album, a true masterpiece of metal. Not as good as the Sabbath albums released with Dio, nonetheless, a great work on its own accord. If you haven't heard this album and you like metal, WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU? Pick it up!
RIP RJD
Rating-9.5/10
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