Dio

About Dio

Ronnie James Dio and Vinny Appice built Dio with intention to continue the sonic direction they'd developed during their Black Sabbath tenure. The band's self-titled strategy proved commercially smart, and their debut Holy Diver arrived in 1983 with immediate impact. That first five-year span saw three albums - Holy Diver, The Last in Line, and Sacred Heart - that cemented their place in the metal hierarchy. The early lineup featured Vivian Campbell on guitar, though the band cycled through a succession of fretboard players including Craig Goldy, Doug Aldrich, Warren DeMartini, Tracy G, Jake E. Lee, and Rowan Robertson across their run.

Dio's output remained steady through the 1990s and 2000s despite lineup flux. Lock Up the Wolves followed in 1990, and the band continued releasing material on a regular schedule with Strange Highways in 1993, Angry Machines in 1996, and continuing through Magica, Killing the Dragon, and Master of the Moon into the mid-2000s. The band disbanded in 2010 following Ronnie James Dio's death from stomach cancer at age 67, leaving behind a catalog that shifted between sonic approaches while maintaining the vocalist's distinctive delivery and the band's commitment to traditional metal values.

The Groove Hunter tracks 12 editions across Dio's discography, including multiple pressings of Holy Diver, Lock Up the Wolves, Strange Highways, The Studio Albums 1996-2004 boxset, and live recordings like Evil Or Divine: Live In New York City.