BMG and Niji Entertainment Group Inc. have partnered to issue limited-edition deluxe CD and LP box sets of Ronnie James Dio‘s final four studio albums on September 22nd. Titled The Studio Albums: 1996-2004, the set will include Angry Machines (1996),Magica (2000), Killing The Dragon(2002) and Master Of The Moon (2004).
The LP set is housed in a sideloading box with newly created art on five 180g color LPs: Angry Machines on Halloween orange with black marble LP, Killing The Dragon on transparent yellow with black marble LP, Master Of The Moon on electric blue with milky clear marble LP and Magica on transparent blood red and black smoke 2LP, plus the rare single Electra on a cobalt blue 7″.
Ronnie’s widow and longtime manager Wendy Dio says, “I am very excited to be working with BMG, a label that still has a passion for rock music. They will be making the complete Dio catalogue available again with some interesting surprises.”
Angry Machines-CD and LP track listing:
1. Institutional Man
2. Don’t Tell The Kids
3. Black
4. Hunter Of The Heart
5. Stay Out Of My Mind
6. Big Sister
7. Double Monday
8. Golden Rules
9. Dying In America
10. This Is Your Life
Originally released in 1996 and featuring the lineup of Ronnie James Dio(vocals),Tracy G (guitars),Jeff Pilson (bass),Vinny Appice (drums) and Scott Warren (keyboards).
Magica– CD and LP track listing:
1. Discovery
2. Magica Theme
3. Lord Of The Last Day
4. Fever Dreams
5. Turn To Stone
6. Feed My Head
7. Eriel
8. Chalis
9. As Long As It’s Not About Love
10. Losing My Insanity
11. Otherworld
12. Magica (Reprise)
13. Lord Of the Last Day (Reprise)
Originally released in 2000 and featuring the lineup of Ronnie James Dio(vocals), Craig Goldy (guitars),Jimmy Bain (bass),and Simon Wright(drums),the two-LP set includes a bonus 7″ of studio track Electra.
Killing The Dragon– CD and LP track listing:
1. Killing The Dragon
2. Along Comes A Spider
3. Scream
4. Better In The Dark
5. Rock and Roll
6. Push
7. Guilty
8. Throw Away Children
9. Before The Fall
10. Cold Feet
Originally released in 2002 and featuring the lineup of Ronnie James Dio (vocals), Doug Aldrich (guitars), Jimmy Bain (bass) and Simon Wright (drums).
Master Of The Moon– CD and LP track listing:
1. One More For The Road
2. Master Of The Moon
3. The End Of The World
4. Shivers
5. The Man Who Would Be King
6. The Eyes
7. Living The Lie
8. I Am
9. Death By Love
10. In Dreams
Originally released in 2004, Master Of The Moon was the final studio album under the Dio band name and featured the lineup of Ronnie James Dio (vocals), Craig Goldy (guitar), Jeff Pilson (bass) and Simon Wright (drums).
Dio: Dreamers Never Die, the first-ever, career-spanning documentary on the life and times of the late legendary metal icon Ronnie James Dio, will be released worldwide by Mercury Studios on DVD and Blu-ray+4K and as a special deluxe edition featuring the DVD and Blu-ray packaged with exclusive merchandise on September 29th All of these configurations of the film will include a 20-minute selection of deleted and extended scenes restored from the cutting room floor to create a special fan experience.
The limited deluxe edition will be packaged in a two-piece lift-off lid box containing both the DVD and Blu-Ray versions of the film plus branded Dio merchandise that will include logoed trading cards, guitar picks, lapel pin, coasters and a fold out poster from the film.
Additionally, fans will be able to purchase the film along with bundles of exclusive Dreamers Never Die merchandise, including a limited-edition screen print movie poster, Dreamers Never Die t-shirts, hoodies, trucker hats and beanies, etched beer stein, mousepad, tote bag, replica of “Dio Way” street sign, and word magnet set as well as a raglan shirt and dome pin celebrating Dio‘s first band, Elf.
Dio: Dreamers Never Die, which world premiered at the 2022 SXSW Film Festival in Austin, Texas, enjoyed a special event theatrical release in more than 600 cinemas worldwide last fall and is available on Showtime.
Dio‘s autobiography, titled Rainbow In The Dark: The Autobiography, was released in July 2021 through Permuted Press.
Ronnie James Dio passed away of stomach cancer on May 16th, 2010 at the age of 67.
11 Responses
Might pick up the vinyl set depending on price. Eventually I’d love to have all his stuff on vinyl, those would just about cover his solo career for me. Not counting the live albums, though I do have a couple of those too.
Wrecked Neck, my favorite “era” of RJD is his Rainbow era. What’s your favorite era?
I love them all! My favorite album he’s on is Mob Rules, but I’d have to say my overall favorite era would be the first four or five solo albums he put out. Rainbow was amazing too though, definitely some of his best songs there. Love Gates of Babylon, Catch the Rainbow, Greensleeves, and of course Stargazer. Dio deserves so much more credit than he gets. He was a part of three really big bands, and wrote some incredible music. Plus one of the greatest voices and frontmen ever.
WN, “Mob Rules” is a great Sabbath album. “Voodoo” is my favorite song off it. I saw that tour when it came through my area…my first time seeing RJD…and Sabbath. My favorite RJD album is “Long Live Rock and Roll”, with “Heaven and Hell” (IMO, Sabbath’s first heavy metal album) a close second.
I concur RJD deserves more credit. He’s my second favorite heavy metal vocalist (Rob Halford my #1). IMO, Sabbath did not become a heavy metal band until RJD joined them…the power of RJD’s voice, his lyrical content, and the music that supported his voice and lyrics….all lifted Sabbath from “blues based rock band” to heavy metal status.
Rattle,
I agree, “Voodoo” is one of my favorite Dio era songs, as well. I have been trying to get the guys from “Lost In Vegas” to review it.
The whole rainbow rising album was amazing , same with the follow up , my opinion is ..if dio could have found a way to work with blackmore rainbow would have become as big as purple , I think blackmore would have kept Ronnie’s medieval fantasy lyric tendencies in check , and could have eased him into commercial success without losing his gothic edge ~
@Rattlehead, I disagree with you on when Sabbath became a metal band. The first song on the first album cemented them as the originators of heavy metal for me. That riff is as heavy as it gets. The whole album to me is metal, and then Paranoid? Metal! Nah I can’t agree at all. Dio definitely changed the band and they became heavier, but those classic albums are metal to my ears.
Far as my favorite song on Mob Rules goes, it would be Falling off the Edge of the World. The whole album is killer though, Voodoo is definitely my second favorite.
WN, our ears must hear differently cuz I only hear “blues based heavy rock band” on the first Sabbath album. For me, Judas Priest is the first heavy metal band.
Well we will just have to agree to disagree. No worries though, at least you’re not one of those that say Led Zeppelin was the first metal band!
Judas Priest is probably my all time favorite band. Hard to pick between them, Sabbath, Slayer, Pink Floyd, and Mercyful Fate.