so RJD had already cemented his place as an iconic front man by the early 80's for his work in Rainbow and Black Sabbath. Holy Diver showed how successful he could be on his own. and by his own, i mean as "first among equals." i'm sure RJD would be the first to agree and give 75% credit to the rest of the band.

The Last In Line is a worthy successor to his landmark initial offering, with blistering tracks like "We Rock" and "I Speed At Night", epic tunes such as "The Last In Line" and "Egypt", his sophomore effort was proof positive that Holy Diver was not just a one-hit wonder.

Considering you can find this cd new in the States for under $10, if you live in an industrialized nation you should stop reading right here, run to the local record store and buy this. pronto.

And if my word ain't enough, no less a metal aficionado than Fenriz listed this (and Sabbath's Mob Rules, which also features Dio on vocals) in the liner notes of Circle The Wagons in (another) installment of his "must have" metal albums.

\m/

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: Jeff, Doc G., Deadsoulman, Dane Train, Daniell, fade, Milena, wormdrink414

At the height of Rainbow's powers this album shows Dio's versatile vocals to its fullest effects and in full flight. The pure power and passion delivered here has yet to be equalled.

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: Doc G., Deadsoulman, Jeff, Dane Train, Milena

Released almost exactly a year before his passing, The Devil You Know is a great way to end the legacy of a great man. One of Dio's most haunting and powerful performances of his life combined with that of fellow metal legends Iommi & Butler.

Deceased or not, one hell of a metal classic.

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: Darkside Momo, Jeff, BitterCOld, Milena, X-Ray Rod, ScreamingSteelUS, nikarg

The album, the name, and the last band Ronnie toured with. This album turned 30 years old last month, which is surely testament to the timeless quality of this true heavy metal classic. There's no better time than now to blast it out one more time.

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: Darkside Momo, Doc G., Deadsoulman, Jeff, Promonex, White Winter Sun, BitterCOld, Dane Train, Milena, X-Ray Rod, ScreamingSteelUS

Released exactly 27(!) years ago, this album is regarded as Dio's best work, and an undeniable classic in the heavy metal genre in general. Simple as that.

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: Doc G., Darkside Momo, Marcel Hubregtse, Deadsoulman, BitterCOld, Jeff, White Winter Sun, fade, Milena, X-Ray Rod, ScreamingSteelUS

Pyramids' sound cannot be described with mere words, and especially not in this small textbox. Let the music do the talking. If you need an incentive though, let me give you one:

Pyramids is a massive wall of droning texture, mixing Black metal with Noise and Drone with Psychedelics. In one long entrancing stream, the mood switches from soothing to harrowing within moments, leaving you breathless, speechless and thoughtless all at the same time. Must-check.

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: X-Ray Rod

Sun Of The Blind is a side-project by one of the three Darkspace members. While it shares a few traits with the Swiss three-headed Total Perspective Vortex, most importantly the endless obsession with space and the void. Sun Of The Blind, however, approaches space from a far more melodic angle, being both easier on the ears and having a lot more grandeur. Skullreader thrives on the constant intertwining of melodic leads and majestic synths, pushing each other to astral heights. Eerie, dreamy breathtaker of an album.

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: Deadsoulman, Marcel Hubregtse, Troy Killjoy, Ag Fox, X-Ray Rod

Maiestrit is a re-worked version of 2000's Maiastru Sfetnic and is a stunning and majestic affair, particularly the two "acoustic" tracks. Sadly, the is the last release from the original core of the band before Huppogramos and Sol Faur moved on. Maiestrit is a wonderful, yet bittersweet, album that fans of epic-length should definitely check out.

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: Marcel Hubregtse, Ag Fox, Darkside Momo

1349 return in spectacular form with their fifth album. "Demonoir" is back to blastbeats in the territory that 1349 executed so well with their first three albums. This album doesn't only enjoy the more extreme side of black metal, it makes the band's first three releases seem stiff and rigid in comparison. Dynamic and extreme, "Demonoir" will surely be one of the best of the year.

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: X-Ray Rod

The Maniacal Vale is, in my humble opinion, the single most devastating release ever.

It lures the listener in with "Circle", which has possibly the most emotive opening ever written. Within moments, the mood has shifted completely and you find yourself spiraling downwards a column of fire. There is no escape, there is no return. A hundred minutes later your soul has completely perished and your now lifeless body will crave salvation. Alas, those that have visited the abyss are condemned to dwell in hellfire forever.

It is hellfire.

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: Darkside Momo, Deadsoulman, BitterCOld, Marcel Hubregtse, White Winter Sun, Troy Killjoy, X-Ray Rod, Ag Fox, Nefarious

So, you think Extreme Power metal (CoB, Norther and the likes) has been running out of steam and has nothing new to offer? Try this debut album of Whispered, a Finnish band who decided to bring samurai legends and traditional Japanese instruments to the tired genre. Sounds gimmicky, but the blend works perfectly and is surprisingly effective in its epic scale.

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: Doc G., fade

This is the band's completely new recording of their 2005 album "The White Crematorium", and the five years have shown a big difference in terms of pulling music like this off. Faster, harder, heaver - it is better than the original from one of the top Dutch death metal bands. This is crushingly heavy and highly enjoyable stuff.

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This week we commemorate the passing of The Angelic Process mastermind K. Angylus, who died two years ago. As a tribute, this staff pick is dedicated to one of the most phenomenal albums ever recorded. Weighing Souls With Sand is nothing short of a masterpiece. Period.

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: Lucas, Marcel Hubregtse, Deadsoulman, Troy Killjoy, X-Ray Rod, Ag Fox, !J.O.O.E.!, RaduP

Warning's Watching From A Distance is a Traditional Doom metal album. Correction - Watching From A Distance is one of the best albums Traditional Doom has to offer. Five songs clocking in at nearly fifty minutes of emotionally draining, heartwrenching metal. Grey and bleak and with a devastating vocal performance to boot - a must-check.

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: Marcel Hubregtse, Troy Killjoy, BitterCOld, wormdrink414, X-Ray Rod, Nefarious, ScreamingSteelUS

There's a certain personal subgenre (or more like classification) I like to refer to as "Metal For Punk Rockers". Sitting in this little corner I've created is bands like Toxic Holocaust, Municipal Waste, new Darkthrone and old Motorhead. Crusty, aggressive, no frills or gimmicks with a real punky D.I.Y. feel to it. Top it off with a little Slayer influence and what you've got is a little less conversation, a little more action.

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