For the record, no, I don't believe Jorn Lande released this album to capitalize on the death of Ronnie James Dio. I want to give everyone involved the benefit of the doubt, considering this album has reportedly been in the works for over a year now, and since it would take a cold vicious bastard to try and make extra money off the passing of his hero. While Lande's vocals may come off as an aggressive David Coverdale clone, his stylings and indeed self-professed influence was RJD.

And so, a tribute album. A review of Jorn performing Dio could be dragged out indefinitely, but the quick version is, if you are a fan of Lande or Dio in any of his incarnations, this is a great addition to your collection. Everything from Holy Diver back through the Sabbath and Rainbow eras are re-created with the distinct sound and style of Jorn's solo albums -- lots of hooks, crunchy riffage (thanks to no less than three guitarists), and a great deal of concert-hall reverb. It must be said, however, if you're looking for the heavy intensity of, say, Worldchanger, you won't find it here.

It's difficult to quantify exactly what this album represents. Dio was such a major influence on heavy metal, it would be a nearly insurmountable task to try and express that through only 13 songs. Jorn gives it a go, however, and brings home another winner. Lande is one of the most in-demand vocalists these days in the hard rock/metal scene, and for good reason. His raw, powerful delivery not only exudes emotion and pure talent, but also an interesting scatter of extra fills and expressions. A good example is the opener Song For Ronnie James.

The gentle, crooning intro almost sounds like a different person for those used to the Masterplan side of Lande. Give it about a minute and a half, and he abruptly transforms into his usual self, bringing the fire and giving the fans a send-up from one giant of rock/metal to another. In fact, if I may be so bold, one may almost consider this to be a "passing of the torch", from the era of RJD to the new era of JL. If that is somehow sacrilege in your mind, please feel free to email us at: writersfreedomofspeech@metalreviews.com.

Oh, look how clever, a great deal of Dio album and song titles are worked into the lyrics. No matter, the opening track remains a moving and heartfelt outpouring. Despite the rumblings of massive cheesiness heard in the peanut gallery, this is an interesting track. Following, of course, are a great selection of mostly solo-era tunes, some classics and some less well-known. Some may notice their favorite track missing (for me it was Holy Diver), but there is only room for so much. Numerous other artists and bands have covered Dio over the years (Kill The King, for example, has been remade enough times to fill an entire album on its own), so Lande picked out his favorites and went with those.

It would be a bit pointless to try and review each individual track. It's Lande covering Dio, which some may feel is the epicenter of awesomeness. Stand Up And Shout is every bit as fun as it should be, as is Kill The King. The rolling, midpaced rhythm of Sunset Superman is nearly hypnotic, and a live version of Straight Through The Heart rounds out the album. For those out there thinking, "Yeah, but it's not the same", you're right. It's not. But it is difficult to think of anyone out there who could have pulled this off better.

Dio is without a doubt not only one of the most prolific and influential artists in the history of metal, he also had an extremely long career span. His dedication, energy, and enjoyment of his craft as well as the obvious talent will be sorely missed in the future, but as Jorn sings, "The Legend Lives!"