Dio - Holy Diver (1983)

Considered a heavy metal classic in many a circle, and probably a local pub, this is real metal in its purest form and in Ronnie James Dio, a true metal vocalist. This is the stuff which got many a teenager in the '80s into metal, from its typically glorious cover, to the opening drudgery of 'Stand Up And Shout' you just know this is going to be anthemic, fantastic and tight musically. 'Holy Diver' is a mesmerising epic that builds slowly, Dio's voice an immaculate and distinctive yell, where in one instance he's a full blown metal god on 'Gypsy' and the fire flickering 'Rainbow In The Dark', the next a wizard-like storyteller on 'Don't Talk To Strangers', his mellow tones eventually swept up in the stunning solo's.
Whilst the early Dio albums do have that timeless quality, they also bring back a time when trolls lurked outside the window of every inquisitive metal who was eager to search for the monsters in the closet too.
8/10