DIO - Angry Machines

I think we had some discussion recently about DIO and this one was nearly unanimously hailed as the band's worst.

While I can agree that it may rank near the bottom of the band's catalog, I certainly don't think it's a bad album.

The album has an overall dark, raw feel...almost sounds like a live recording. The instruments are big & clear sounding and RJD's vocals are superb (as always).

I know some have made the statement that they don't think Tracy G was a suitable guitarist for DIO. I definitely don't agree. 'Strange Highways', regarded as an "underrated" album by many DIO fans, was also a Tracy G performance. The songs on that one were very heavy...some of the heaviest in RJD's career next to his work with Black Sabbath...and are also some of DIO's most intense moments.

'Angry Machines' has a little bit of experimentation (most notably the songs "Black" & "Double Monday", which are very unlike past DIO material), but overall continues on that dark, Sabbath-inspired material on 'Strange Highways'. Songs like "Institutional Man", "Hunter Of The Heart", "Stay Out Of My Mind" & "Golden Rule" are certainly on par with DIO's prior level of quality.

Again, I can see it ranking near the bottom of a stellar catalog, but that doesn't make it a bad album by any stretch.

There is no bad Dio album IMO. I guess it's just a matter of which Dio albums you like best. "Angry Machines" has some good material on it, but overall, it's not as solid as "Dream Evil", "Holy Diver", "Last in Line", etc. Still, I agree, it has so good Dio material. "Hunter of the Heart" stands out in my mind as one of the better cuts.

Quote :

There is no bad Dio album IMO

I agree.

I can't listen to this album. It's one of my very least favorite albums released by a popular metal act.

I dunno, this one put me to sleep. It's the only Dio album I've traded away.

Dio is much the same as Motorhead in the sense that the worst song/record Dio ever made is still better than 95% of everything else out there.