It's incredibly difficult for a musician to receive a single opportunity at mainstream success, let alone several, during their entire career. It takes drive, talent, and a lot of luck.

Ronnie James Dio cut his teeth fronting groups like Elf, Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow, and Black Sabbath during the first half of his career. His fantastical lyrics and powerful vocal delivery were like a breath of fresh air, bringing in a much needed creative energy into the fold.

After his eventual departure from Sabbath in the early '80s, the now 40-year-old singer found himself at square one again. No longer a hired gun in someone else's band, however, he sought to start a new project that would directly reflect his own name and vision.

With this self-produced solo effort, Dio recruited his former bandmates in Rainbow and Sabbath as well as a 19-year-old Irish guitar hero to help create a riff-packed adventure into a mythical heavy metal world. This week on Riff Worship, Austin & Dylan are rejoined by Justin Swindle to discuss the 1983 debut Dio album Holy Diver.

Recommendations:

• Baroness - "Beneath the Rose"
• Poison Ruïn - Härvest
• Snõõper - Super Snõõper
• Agriculture - Agriculture
• Outer Heaven - Infinite Psychic Depths
• Hayden Pedigo - The Happiest Times I Ever Ignored
• Monolord - It's All The Same
• Mizmor - Prosaic
• The Dream Academy - The Dream Academy

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