Do you like Dio's Sacred Heart?

I used to have it on vinyl. When my vinyl collection was sold, I never replaced it. I never really thought about it much.

Until this morning. I woke up with Vision Quest in my head, and really wanted to hear "Hungry for Heaven". So I just listened on YouTube. Then I was like, I need to hear more, so I listened to some other tracks.

I like this way better than I used to. Are you pro- or anti-Sacred Heart?

I honestly haven't heard it since 1986 or thereabouts. I was bitterly disappointed with that record when it first came out, I've never bothered to revisit it.

S.D. wrote:

I honestly haven't heard it since 1986 or thereabouts. I was bitterly disappointed with that record when it first came out, I've never bothered to revisit it.

Yeah, that's kind of why I started this. I knew it was a bit more divisive of a record than Holy Diver or Last in Line. And until today, I myself hadn't really even been thinking of it.

ZombieHavoc wrote:

S.D. wrote:

I honestly haven't heard it since 1986 or thereabouts. I was bitterly disappointed with that record when it first came out, I've never bothered to revisit it.

Yeah, that's kind of why I started this. I knew it was a bit more divisive of a record than Holy Diver or Last in Line. And until today, I myself hadn't really even been thinking of it.

Honestly, I'm not even that big of a The Last In Line fan, I think side one is good, side two...not so much.

I like Sacred Heart a lot and listen to it from time to time.

ghost wrote:

I like Sacred Heart a lot and listen to it from time to time.

+1

S.D. wrote:

ZombieHavoc wrote:

S.D. wrote:

I honestly haven't heard it since 1986 or thereabouts. I was bitterly disappointed with that record when it first came out, I've never bothered to revisit it.

Yeah, that's kind of why I started this. I knew it was a bit more divisive of a record than Holy Diver or Last in Line. And until today, I myself hadn't really even been thinking of it.

Honestly, I'm not even that big of a The Last In Line fan, I think side one is good, side two...not so much.

Interesting. So as far as Dio's solo output, do you only like HD? Or do you like any of his later albums?

Like s.d. I was disappointed with the album at the time of its release but I did like it and still do but IMO not as strong as the first two Dio platters.

Never heard it. Never heard/owned any DIO albums for that matter, save for a 2 disc comp.

He was the man in Sabbath and Rainbow, but his solo output never did a thing for me. Too much Dungeons & Dragons-fare for my tastes.

ZombieHavoc wrote:

Interesting. So as far as Dio's solo output, do you only like HD? Or do you like any of his later albums?

Holy Diver is the best by far. I also like Dream Evil, Strange Highways and Angry Machines. Those last two I like because they are heavier and also because they have their own specific sound compared to the rest of his discography, I enjoy the change of pace they offer.

manny wrote:

Like s.d. I was disappointed with the album at the time of its release but I did like it and still do but IMO not as strong as the first two Dio platters.

Same here. But Shoot, shoot is unforgiveable

I like it, but it does have one or two songs with filler (specifically Shoot Shoot). The title track is a masterpiece, though.

Olafsto wrote:

manny wrote:

Like s.d. I was disappointed with the album at the time of its release but I did like it and still do but IMO not as strong as the first two Dio platters.

Same here. But Shoot, shoot is unforgiveable

Yea that song sucks

2nd favorite album Dio album, only after "Dream Evil". A couple of meh tracks, but thats what for skip button is. Besides, the rest is killer material.

I don't really care much for Dream Evil, compared to most of his other output, so it's interesting to hear people rank it among their favorites.

Always like Sacred Heart but it's not up to par to what came before it (as stated). The title track, Rock N Roll Children and Hungry For Heaven are all essential Dio songs.

Hey, i'm not the only one that likes Angry Machines. Cool.

I'm more into the Tracy G era of Dio

Dark Horseman wrote:

Hey, i'm not the only one that likes Angry Machines. Cool.

That album is the freshest to me, because I never heard it until a couple years ago. Strange Highways I always dug, but Angry Machines came out during the era when I had stopped paying attention to metal. I was pleasantly surprised how good it was when I finally heard it.

I think "Dying In America" is one of Dio's best songs from his solo career.


Nice to see a couple others also enjoy the Tracy G albums! The live album they released from this lineup is killer as well.

I like it. Of that era of DIO, I prefer Last in Line and Holy Diver, but Sacred Heart has its moments as well.

It was a big letdown at the time and Shoot, Shoot is one of the worst songs in Dio's catalog. Blechh. The album itself is decent with a couple of good tracks.

I own the original pressing and have heard it over the years. It is not bad but as many know, not great either when compared to the first 2 albums. The songwriting is solid but i find the production somewhat uneven. The production attempts to make this album more commercially accessible with the mtv scene. The heavy use of synths is also another pattern of this commercial approach.

Unfortunately, none of the songs really stand out. There are some exceptions but overall this album is easily overshadowed by the earlier Dio releases. Even Dream Evil and Lock Up The Wolves overshadow this album.

King Of Rock And Roll
Sacred Heart
Another Lie
Rock N Roll Children
Hungry For Heaven
Fallen Angels

All killer, IMO...

I like Sacred Heart, but it's stuck between two superior records in Last in Line and Dream Evil.

It has some good songs on it, but it's not really an album I listen to very often. The production kind of holds everything back and the songwriting doesn't feel as inspired as the first two.

It's not an atrocity or anything and I do listen to it occasionally, but there are far better Dio albums that preceded and followed it.