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Holy Diver
Barnes and Noble
Holy Diver
Current price: $7.69
Barnes and Noble
Holy Diver
Current price: $7.69
Size: CD
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After playing a major role in five positively classic heavy metal albums of the late '70s and early '80s (three with
's
and two with
), it seemed that singer
could truly do no wrong. So it wasn't all that surprising -- impressive, but not surprising -- when he struck gold yet again when launching his solo vehicle,
, via 1983's terrific
album. Much like those two, hallowed
LPs,
and
,
opened at full metallic throttle with the frenetic
before settling into a dark, deliberate, and hypnotic groove for the timelessly epic title track -- a worthy successor to glorious triumphs past like
and the
'
But subsequent metal anthems like
and the lycanthrope lullaby
were no less inspired; and by injecting uncommonly catchy melodies into the heavy rock riffery still dominating more accessible numbers such as
and hit single
(where the singer himself played rather spotty keyboards),
proved himself perfectly capable of competing with the increasingly commercial hard rock fashions soon to come. Although most fans would agree that
would arguably never again replicate the simply sublime symbiosis of beauty and brawn achieved by the all-time standout
And, to be fair, aside from
's unquestionably stellar songwriting,
's stunning quality and consistency owed much to his carefully chosen bandmates, including powerhouse drummer (and fellow
survivor)
, veteran bassist
, and a phenomenal find in young Irish guitarist
, whose tastefully pyrotechnic leads helped make this the definitive
lineup. So, too, is
still the undisputed highlight of
's career, and, indeed, one of the finest pure heavy metal albums of the 1980s. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia