Holy Diver (song)
| "Holy Diver" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Dio | ||||
| from the album Holy Diver | ||||
| B-side |
"Evil Eyes" "Don't Talk to Strangers" | |||
| Released | August 1983 | |||
| Format | 7", 12" | |||
| Recorded |
1983 Sound City Studios, Los Angeles, USA | |||
| Genre | Hard rock, heavy metal | |||
| Length | 5:51 | |||
| Label |
Vertigo Mercury Warner Bros. | |||
| Writer(s) | Ronnie James Dio | |||
| Producer(s) | Ronnie James Dio | |||
| Dio singles chronology | ||||
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"Holy Diver" is a song recorded by heavy metal band Dio. It was released in August 1983 as the lead single from the band's debut album of the same name. Although it only reached number 40 on the Mainstream Rock chart at that time, today it is one of Dio's most popular songs. When played on the radio, many stations cut the extended instrumental intro sequence. Following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, the song was placed on the list of post-9/11 inappropriate titles distributed by Clear Channel. In 2009, Holy Diver placed 43rd on VH1's Top 100 Hard Rock Songs.[1]
Music video
The music video for "Holy Diver", directed and edited by Arthur Ellis, features Dio as a hairy barbarian adventuring through a desolate church. First he strikes a shrouded figure and his hobgoblin friend with his sword, but instead of killing them he turns them into rats. He later visits a blacksmith who is forging a sword. He throws his sword in the trash and deftly catches the newly forged one. Walking through a corridor, he encounters three seated hooded figures. As the camera pans across them, the third slowly raises its head to reveal eyes resembling those of a cat. The final shots show Dio exiting the church.
Chart positions
| Chart (1983) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Germany (Official German Charts)[2] | 52 |
| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[3] | 60 |
| UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[4] | 72 |
| US Billboard Rock Tracks | 40 |
Covers
- Pat Boone, on his album In a Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice Guy, with Ronnie James Dio himself on backing vocals.
- Killswitch Engage covers the song on a compilation album entitled High Voltage!: A Brief History of Rock for Kerrang! magazine. The song is also in the re-release of the band's As Daylight Dies album. It is KSE's first top 20 single on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Charts. The song also includes a music video which is a slightly comical take on the original Dio version. A live version of the song is also featured on the Special Edition of their 2009 album Killswitch Engage, then in 2014, the song was re-released on the compilation album entitled Ronnie James Dio This Is Your Life. This version of the song as well as the original composed by Dio are DLC for the guitar video game Rocksmith 2014.
- Otyg recorded a version and have also performed it live.
- Eläkeläiset (Humppa band from Finland) reinterpret it in their song Humpparaakki on their album Humppamaratooni.
- Sum 41 played the song on acoustic guitar for the MTV show Jammed.
- Children of Bodom paid homage to this theme including its initial riff in the intro to their song "Downfall" in live shows; this can be heard and seen in the Chaos Ridden Years live album/DVD.
- Sons of Butcher have also performed it live.
- Tenacious D has performed parts of the song live.
- Nightwish has performed the song during a soundcheck for a live concert.[5]
- HolyHell has done a cover of the song at some live performances.
- Axel Rudi Pell, a good friend of Dio's, recorded a ballad cover on his compilation album, The Ballads IV in 2011 with Johnny Gioeli on vocals.
- Holy Mother, played a cover of it in the tribute album Holy Dio.
- Ryan Adams covered the song live, solo and with just an acoustic guitar on March 3, 2012 at Regent Theatre, Melbourne, Australia.
- Veronica Falls teamed up with Jeremy Warmsley of Summer Camp to cover the song live at a gig in Sheffield, England on 6th February 2013.
- Pain of Salvation play that song on their 2014 album "Falling Home".
- Foo Fighters use the riff from Holy Diver in their song Something From Nothing from their new album Sonic Highways as Dave Grohl's way of paying tribute to Dio.
- Steve 'N' Seagulls play a country-version on their album "Farm Machine".
- Dan Reed covered the song live at The Winchester Music Hall in Lakewood, Ohio. in 2010. [6]
References
- ↑ "spreadit.org music". Retrieved February 7, 2009.
- ↑ "Musicline.de – DIO Single-Chartverfolgung" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH.
- ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – DIO – Holy Diver". Singles Top 100.
- ↑ "Archive Chart: 1983-08-27" UK Singles Chart.
- ↑ Nightwish Soundcheck - Airport + Holy Diver
- ↑ Dan Reed at The Winchester Music Hall in Lakewood, Ohio.
External links
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