I don’t ever recall Dio saying anything that could even accidentally suggest an allegiance to dark forces of any kind but his album covers weren’t helping me convince my mother of that. In fact, I think she might even have thrown away my Dio concert shirt.
The Last In Line may not have recognizable songs like Holy Diver did but it builds the same formula. It also introduced my ears to some guitar techniques that would become staples in the heavy metal diet. Listen to the solo in The Last In Line and focus on the guitar. That style and effect would start to pop out in a lot of metal music of the era. As I play back songs in my mind, I think it seems like a Randy Rhoades influence that seems to have caught on.
Egypt (The Chains Are On) was my favorite at the time, the intro appealed to my love for eerie instrumental stuff even though it is brief.
I’m getting a little bit ahead but we saw Dio at the Coliseum in January of 1985. His stage was all decked out in an ancient Egyptian them with Sphynx [what is the plural for Sphinx?] a pyramid and such. The Last In Line came out a couple months before Iron Maiden’s Powerslave. Do you think that they planned that? Anywas Dokken was the opening act. Dokken is OK but never been a big favorite of mine. Dio was very good live. I should check to see if that tour is avalable on DVD someplace.
We Rock
The Last In Line
Breathless
One Night In The City
Mystery
Egypt (The Chains Are On)