"HOLEE DIVAH!" Okay, I got that out of my system. For those of you who don't know by now, Mr Dio is coming to town tomorrow with Deep Purple and the Scorpions no less! Ever since he released "Holy Diver" in '83 and "The Last in Line" in '84, Dio has been known as a solo metal artist extrordinaire. However, let us not forget his work with Sabbath and Rainbow (or even Elf). The man simply has a classic voice that is known around the world, and it'll stay that way for a long time. So, being the legend that he is, Ronnie James could easily rest on his laurels and bask in his glory. But, his last two albums, the concept "Magica" two years ago, and now "Killing the Dragon" show that he is still in top form. "Rock and Roll" (an inventive title if I ever heard one :) ) is a classic Dio tune, and will be sung by us hard rock heroes for years to come. Based on the events of last September, or more precisely our reaction to them, Dio rejects the notion that we needed to not play "certain" songs as to not offend anyone or make people more jittery. In my humble opinion, this may be true in hindsight, but at the time it was our natural reaction to want to stop violence and violent thoughts. However, all good ideas can go awry at times. Anyway, another of Dio's passions is put forth on this record, which is his favourite charity, Children of the Night. This organization seeks to resue children from the ravages of street prostitution. "Throw Away Children" is a somber song that at times is hard to listen to, but will stay with you after you the cd stops spinning.

In all, this is a classic album that has many moments. Check him out along with the Scorpions tomorrow at the Post Gazzette Pavillion.

Al