Dio

A real traditionalist, Ronnie James Dio makes heavy-metal albums the old-fashioned way, with plenty of sludgelike guitar, dime-store satanism, and the sort of vocal vibrato usually found in aging Salvation Army workers. Granted, none of that offers enough to distinguish Holy Diver, Last in Line, or Sacred Heart from one another (though Heart was recorded live, and therefore has a somewhat flatter sound), but if foolish consistency is your favorite heavy-metal hobgoblin, the albums should be right up your alley.

Astonishingly, Dream Evil -- recorded after guitarist Vivian Campbell had left to join Whitesnake -- alters the formula, as "Sunset Superman" possesses an almost-catchy melody. But that would soon pass, and Lock Up the Wolves merely reinvents the old sound with (apart from Dio himself) an entirely new cast of players. Apparently having learned his lesson, Dio and crew continue to flog the same old formula -- slow-grinding riffs and howling vocals with occasional spurts of mock-orchestral synths -- for another half-dozen albums. Guess you can't teach an old devil new tricks. (J.D. CONSIDINE)

From 2004's The New Rolling Stone Album Guide