One of the more infamous metal bands of the 1980s was the outfit lead by former Black Sabbath and Rainbow frontman Ronnie James Dio. The band that adopted his name was formed in 1982, and produced some of the most aggressive hard rock music available at the time. The Last In Line was the second album released by the band and includes some classic metal songs that are still appreciable today.

Tracks:
1. We Rock
2. The Last In Line
3. Breathless
4. I Speed At Might
5. One Night In The City
6. Evil Eyes
7. Mystery
8. Eat Your Heart Out
9. Egypt (The Chains Are On)

Producer: Ronnie James Dio

”Those Who Created”:
Ronnie James Dio – Vocals, Keyboards
Vivian Campbell – Guitar
Jimmy Bain – Bass
Claude Schnell – Keyboards
Vinnie Appice – Drums, Percussion

Breakdown:
One of the ironic things about Dio was that this heavy metal band had a full time keyboardist. Back in the day, my friends and I used to lament the “sell outs” who would start putting keyboards in their songs. Nothing smacked of the desire for commercial acceptance than following the likes of wannabe rockers like Bon Jovi. But following the examples set by such bands as Deep Purple and Rainbow (but I repeat myself), the music of Dio shows that one can utilize keyboards and still rock hard.

The first time I heard Dio was when a metalhead friend of mine played me parts of Holy Diver. I was pretty impressed with the band’s hard metal edge, and Ronnie’s powerhouse vocals that go back and forth between an angry blast and operatic clarity. When I got around to buying one of their albums, The Last In Line was the latest release. To this day, it remains the band’s high-water mark for me. Guitarist Vivian Campbell (who later joined Whitesnake) has got to be one of the most underrated guitarists from 1980s, if not all time. It still pains me that such talent is rotting away as part of the less-than-guitar centered music of Def Leppard. But hey, the man has got to eat. The rhythm section is tighter than the security at Fort Knox. Drummer Vinny Appice (brother of legendary drummer, I’ve-played-with-everyone-under-the sun, Carmine Appice) drives this band forward like a well-tuned Ferrari. The songs are hard hitting metal rockers that include (but is often overlooked) good melodic structure.

Hot Spots:
We Rock - When judging the quality of a rock album, the first track has got to present a strong showing. Indeed, all of the great albums start off with a tune that kicks you in the stomach. This album is no different. Featuring a blistering guitar riff over a battleship anchor rhythm section, and Ronnie James’ belting out the words, this metal anthem lets you know that Dio is not f-cking around.

The Last In Line - The title track begins almost like a ballad. It features a clean guitar line, and Dio singing a sweet melody. The mood abruptly changes when Dio rips out of his cage, and the band launches into a pounding metal groove. Campbell’s solo is one of his more melodic offerings, and shows he can do more than just shred.

I Speed At Night - This is a classic driving song, that is sure to flag you a couple of speeding tickets if you listen to this in your car.

Mystery - Of all the tracks on this disk, this one is the closest the band comes to a “single”. The metal edge is a bit toned down, in favor of a more keyboards-and-bright-vocal-harmonies style. Even still, Dio is able to pull this off in a way that does not sound cheesy, nor like a radio sell-out.

Egypt (The Chains Are On) - The closing track is a plodding tune, that features some very Arabian sounding guitar parts. It is an appropriate album closer, because it has a sort of “fading away and turning off the lights” feel to it.

Overall:
The Last In Line is a heavy metal classic, and remains my first album of choice for Dio. I began to lose interest in Dio when Vivian Campbell left the band after the Sacred Heart album, even though his replacement was an excellent guitarist. But any Dio album with Campbell is worth a listen. I would recommend this album to any one who loves metal. I would also recommend this to any Def Leppard fans who need to be learn to properly respect the talent level that their favorite band is severely underutilizing. Four and three quarter stars.


The Bottom Line
A Metal Classic.