Ronnie James Dio needs no introduction in the metal universe. He’s known for his performances with Black Sabbath,Rainbow and this, his solo project. This was released in 1987, and thereby part of a very successful decade for both this band and metal in general.

It is not without a reason Dio is successful. This is a killer album which continues in the same manner as its predecessors, with bluesy and sometimes feelgood classic heavy metal. The creepy opener, Night People sets the standard with atmospheric keys, Dio’s signature vocals and the retro, thick guitar-sound. The title-track carries on with a groovy, bluesy riff, and a sing-along chorus. Next up is the anthemic Sunset Superman, which reminds me of Accept’s London Leatherboys. It’s followed by the mellow All the fools sailed away. This song sounds like a slower version of Iron Maiden’s Children of the Damned, probably because of the Maidenesque chord progression. The calm intro, the keys and the slow and slightly heavy riffing that follows sets a great mood. Definitely a highlight. Oh, and there’s a synth-solo! Everyone appreciates retro synth-solos.

This album flows so naturally and is melted together in a great way. One quality song is followed by another. The groovy Naked in the Rain leads into the energetic Over Love. The exciting intro ends in an ûbercool bluesy solo, and the actual song is simply awesome. Cool bass-lines, fast and creative riffing and catchy vocal melodies easily makes it one of the best tracks on the album. The album ends with a strong trio. The main riff off I could have been a dreamer sounds like something AC/DC could do mixed with an atmospheric and dreamy chorus. Faces in the window is typical, straight to the bone classic heavy metal, with galloping riffs and catchy chorus. When a woman cries, uses organs to create a nice atmosphere, and quite nicely sums up my feelings about this album. It makes me feel good.

This is simply, another masterpiece by Dio. This is straight up ear-pleasing, oldschool heavy metal. It contains simple and catchy rythms, great riffs and solos, cool and crafty bass lines, and most important an excellent vocal performance by the metal chief himself. There is not one bad song here, and this, such as the three previous albums, is truly worthy the expression “all killers, no fillers.”