Heavy Metal 101 ought to include due tribute to Ronnie James Dio, the godfather of metal vocals. This man brought all the theatrics and flair and enthusiasm to the metal world, and helped crystalize the basic elements of metal. Similarly, while Ritchie Blackmore certainly owes more of his guitar playing to the blues than he does to shredding, his songwriting and insurmountable skills of riff-crafting provided invaluable direction to guitarists everywhere looking for something fresh and killer to play.

Aside from the obvious anthem "Man on the Silver Mountain," Rainbow gave us gems like the proto-power-metal epic "Stargazer" and more songs than would be useful for me to list.

With MS3 just kicking off, I'd like to open a place to discuss and pay homage to one of the cornerstones of the development of heavy metal. In the middle of a bunch of amazing contemporary bands, it's often a good idea to take a turn back into the CD catalogue of history to pull out some seminal moments that guided the development of the genre to its current place. Any melodic metalhead needs to know a little Rainbow... these guys were just the top shelf when it came to super-solid songwriting, great riffs, inspiring solos, and clever musical concepts.

"Rainbow" might not sound as metal as "Carcass" or "Dragonforce", but nobody can give them crap for anything they ever managed in their career. Even after the departure of the almighty Ronnie James Dio, they produced some killer music ("I Surrender" being a favorite of mine).

Man I dont think its havy metal, its hard rock and I think this band shoud be here
http://www.metalstorm.ee/forum/board.php?board_id=23

Because after Dio leave band start play like popp rock, hard rock who was not heavy metal, and Dio days well it was hard rock

I personaly like only Dio era Rainbow albums, but if in TV, Radio plays other songs its OK, whit out Dio I like only "death Aley Driver"

Only heard "Stargazer", and it's one of the best epics I've heard. Will hear for sure more Rainbow material

I got one of their albums...Long Live Rock 'n' Roll...

ive heard a couple rainbow songs. from what i have heard they are cool. it definetely helps when u are a dio fan to begin with

The thread should be moved, but if anyone who looks in the melodic metal forum often and doesn't have anything to say about or even heard them, shouldn't be in the melodic metal thread in the first place.

I have no doubt in my mind that if they continued on the same path as they were with Dio, that people would be praising Ranbow over Iron Maiden as the kings of metal and not overrating them.

Their first 3 albums are amazing, now I know you have to skip the songs a lot, but traditional metal is very inconsistent in that sense, so there's no use bitching about it. The great songs(which are many, just not in a single album) really outweigh and make you forget about the bad. Songs like Stargazer, Rainbow Eyes, Gates of Babylon, Tarot Woman, Still I'm Sad, and many others really make it a worthwhile purchase even though half the album is filler or so(especially on Rising).

Hell, DIO started out great by himself, and really juiced up Sabbath after the last 2 albums which just flat out sucked, so the man is gold in the heavy metal genre. Blackmore's own ego got way too out of hand and basically started the glam genre, completely weak and shallow music, only listenable for a few times and not possible to hear again.

I think Rainbow must be here in the melodic metal forum, i mean, ritchie blackmore gave to the rock the beginnings of the power metal, neoclassic arpeggios, fast riffs. And dio is the father of the most powerful voices in the metal genre, Rainbow must be here in melodic metal forum!

My favorites, the calssic ones:

Man of the silver mountain
Long live rock and roll
Stargazer
I surrender

I'm gonna sound absolutely absurd to most of you here,but in my opinion Rainbow's best singer is Joe Lynn Turner,in fact hes one of my all time favorite singers. I dont like Dio's stuff with them as much,and i know im gonna sound absurd but thats what I believe

Dio is a very good singer, and his band also. But the heart and the soul of Rainbow was Blackmore. I agree that Blackmore is the father of power metal, cause of the classical music influenses in his songs. Even his nowadays band "Blackmore's Night" is full of epic elements.

Rainbow is greatr band, I dad all album, but moustly I listen only Dio albums.
So Firts RB Rainbow are amazing, epic, medieval influenced whit great lyrics and music and balads, werry great are songs
''Man on the silver mountain'' Its realy great opening guitar riffs, and great lyrics,
Also I like ''tample of the king'' one of my fav ballads of all time and I like this song werry much
''If You Don't Like Rock 'n' Roll'' I like it its like oldies from 50ties an dkeybord section are great
Other songs in album are great to, but those are my fav.

''Rising''

Well all album are great, I hawe no special track here, I dont folow to songs when listening it I just listen, its lil bit heawyer how firts

''Long Live Rock & Roll'' My fav Rainbow album, and almoust all songs are great andspecely ''Long Live Rock & Roll'' lyrics, what a great and epic lyrics of this band, I think best lyric ewer what Dip has writen in Rainbow era. No best Ever!
''LA Conection'' carry home my broen bones lay me down to rest, yes great resting whit Rainbow and banging :banher2:
''Kill The King'' faster and heavyer song in album and heavyer of all Rainbow songs, and such a great song, rmainds me UFO
''Rainbow Eyes'' Great Ballad and I like it, From witch song Doro in Warloc days inspirated song ''For Immer''

Whit out Dio i like only song ''Death Aley Driver''

The only albums I really like are the ones with Ronnie James Dio on vocals (the first 4), they were definitely a mix between Hard Rock, Melodic and Early Metal, hence the confusion on where to place this thread. Regardless, they were a world class band and contributed immensely to what was to come. A Blackmore/Dio reunion in Rainbow would be awesome. Too bad Cozy Powell is not amongst us anymore (R.I.P) . . .

Kill the king is one of the 1st melodic speed metal song !

One of my alltime favourite bands been lintening this band for over 25 years now still kicks my ass
Some of the songs are totally awesome

Old enough to have bought rainbow Rising on Vinyl. I have loved Blackmores stuff all my life. He is an unsung hero to the guitar world .
Without Blackmore theres no Yngwie ....... Withput Yngwie thers no........ well any modern day shredder!!!

Rainbow with Joe Lynn Turner did get a bit more commercial but I believe thats what Ritchie wanted at the time. It was good music if you were
around at the time.

Except for maybe his first effort or last in line Dio never equaled his Rainbow efforts!

Written by Vinnie R. on 26.07.2006 at 03:28


My favorites, the calssic ones:

Man of the silver mountain
Long live rock and roll
Stargazer
I surrender

Yea, Stargazer is one awesome song. Long Live rock and roll or I surrender aren't even close to brilliance of Stargazer.

Written by W-Lash on 27.08.2006 at 15:00

Written by Vinnie R. on 26.07.2006 at 03:28


My favorites, the calssic ones:

Man of the silver mountain
Long live rock and roll
Stargazer
I surrender

Yea, Stargazer is one awesome song. Long Live rock and roll or I surrender aren't even close to brilliance of Stargazer.

last two songs are whit out Dio, I prefere Rainbow in Dio era and whit out it I like , Dead Aley Driver

Written by Bad English on 27.08.2006 at 15:11

Written by W-Lash on 27.08.2006 at 15:00

Written by Vinnie R. on 26.07.2006 at 03:28


My favorites, the calssic ones:

Man of the silver mountain
Long live rock and roll
Stargazer
I surrender

Yea, Stargazer is one awesome song. Long Live rock and roll or I surrender aren't even close to brilliance of Stargazer.

last two songs are whit out Dio, I prefere Rainbow in Dio era and whit out it I like , Dead Aley Driver

But Blackmore WAS there and he's awesome guitar player! Listen at solos in Stargazer and you will understand me.

Written by W-Lash on 27.08.2006 at 23:30

Written by Bad English on 27.08.2006 at 15:11

Written by W-Lash on 27.08.2006 at 15:00

Written by Vinnie R. on 26.07.2006 at 03:28


My favorites, the calssic ones:

Man of the silver mountain
Long live rock and roll
Stargazer
I surrender

Yea, Stargazer is one awesome song. Long Live rock and roll or I surrender aren't even close to brilliance of Stargazer.

last two songs are whit out Dio, I prefere Rainbow in Dio era and whit out it I like , Dead Aley Driver

But Blackmore WAS there and he's awesome guitar player! Listen at solos in Stargazer and you will understand me.

I agree about Richie guitar player talant and solos are great, but tahy need beck Dio, because he was best vocalist in rainbow, ewer had

Yeah, Dio is a king of Rock 'N' Roll!
By the way, who have already heard Live in Munich 1977?

Written by ironman2002 on 28.08.2006 at 08:58

Yeah, Dio is a king of Rock 'N' Roll!
By the way, who have already heard Live in Munich 1977?

I hawnt I had seen track list and dVD track list too and seems tehre are so great guitar solos, all songs of Rainbow live are +++++longer how studio, and its great

Written by Bad English on 28.08.2006 at 12:25

I hawnt I had seen track list and dVD track list too and seems tehre are so great guitar solos

I hope so.

I would like to point out dio brought the 'devil sign' into rock, it is not a sign of the devil at all, it a sign witch has the power to take evil away or give evil to someone - or something like that from some odd aceint superstition \m/

Written by ironman2002 on 28.08.2006 at 08:58

Yeah, Dio is a king of Rock 'N' Roll!
By the way, who have already heard Live in Munich 1977?

I got the dvd and it is totally awesome. Rainbow live after midnight and at the peak of their powers.

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 17.01.2007 at 22:36

Written by ironman2002 on 28.08.2006 at 08:58

Yeah, Dio is a king of Rock 'N' Roll!
By the way, who have already heard Live in Munich 1977?

I got the dvd and it is totally awesome. Rainbow live after midnight and at the peak of their powers.

I hawnt hear it but I know Rainbow live songs whit Dio there was 11+ minutes long guitar solos and 2 songs in one, I like it

Written by ironman2002 on 28.08.2006 at 08:58

Yeah, Dio is a king of Rock 'N' Roll!
By the way, who have already heard Live in Munich 1977?

I got this live album 2 cd set just brilliant
I just made a dvd order about the same concert how fucking cool is that

Live in Munich '77, amazing, still i'm sad is my favorite, i really wanted to listen rainbow eyes in that album, but is truly amazing.

Their first album from -75 is just amazing! Such pure rock can never be made again. Hehe I suppose you would need equipment from the 70's to do that... and there lies the problem. Man on the silver mountain, what a good song that one is!

Their Long Live Rock'n'Roll album from -78 is also super! I'm thinking of songs like Lady of the lake and Kill the King ofcourse.

Rainbow should be in every rock school book

Dio was great from the start.

Children of Bodom owe there lives to Rainbow & Deep Purple. Deny it all you want but you gotta see where im coming from.

Written by Doc G. on 01.02.2007 at 07:27

Children of Bodom owe there lives to Rainbow & Deep Purple. Deny it all you want but you gotta see where im coming from.

what you mean by this