It is difficult to contest that Ronnie James Dio is one of the most powerful voices in Heavy Metal history. A man not opposing in stature, Dio had the heart of a lion, singing with passion and energy like no other. These factors made him one of the most sought-after vocalists in Rock-n-Roll. First, he led Elf for nearly a decade and Rainbow for four years before going on Black Sabbath to make a significant impact.
With an extremely impressive resume, the boldest move of all came in 1983 when he formed his own band named Dio. The next step in his evolution, Ronnie James Dio, would go on to cement himself as a Heavy Metal icon with such albums as Holy Diver in 1983, The Last in Line in 1984, and Sacred Heart in 1985. A trio of albums that found him and his band (featuring such prominent names through decades, such as Vinny Appice, Jimmy Bain, Vivian Campbell, Craig Goldy, Jeff Pilson, Rudy Sarzo, and Doug Aldrich) reaching new heights. Between Holy Diver, The Last in Line, and Sacred Heart, there were peak chart positions all over the world accompanied by double platinum, platinum, and gold-selling records.
Amazingly, some thought a shift toward starting his own band would fail, but Dio defied everything and became bigger than ever. Sustaining a level of excellence through the years, historically, many celebrate the ‘80s era of Dio but then short-sightedly overlook the material released in the later years. A rather unfortunate casualty of circumstance, the exciting part is that after a period of time in the mid-90s when Heavy Metal had taken a back seat to Grunge Rock and Dio was releasing records on smaller record labels, he and the band never wavered and had a huge resurgence in the early 2000s once again.
Returning with 2000’s Magica, to follow was 2002’s Killing the Dragon and what would be the final studio album, 2004’s Master of the Moon. With the ‘90s period acknowledged on the 2000 compilation The Very Beast of Dio, several other collections emerged in the decade to follow with different shuffling of classic Dio tracks. However, the official The Very Beast of Dio Vol. 2 would not arrive until 2012. Chapter two to the hits album from twelve years earlier, The Very Beast of Dio Vol. 2, also came two years after Ronnie James Dio’s tragic passing due to stomach cancer. Leaving many fans feeling somber about the loss, The Very Best of Dio Vol. 2 acted as a reminder of just how strong Dio’s music was even in those later years.
A release that picked up where The Very Beast of Dio left off, on Vol. 2, you received a heavy hand of tracks from both Killing the Dragon and Master of the Moon, but also “Black” from Angry Machine, a live cut of “Hunter of the Heart,” some from Magica, plus bonuses like “The Prisoner of Paradise” and Dio’s final single, “Electra.” It was a very cool collection that was released worldwide, but within a couple of years, the CD edition was all but out of print. Something you might likely find used on eBay or in a local record shop, in 2025, BMG reissued The Very Beast of Dio Vol. 2 in physical format once again.
Arriving as a single CD digipak or a limited edition Dragon’s Fire colored 2LP set on January 31, 2025, it offers everything from the original release in a very high-quality format. Put together with thought; it is another great way to honor Dio’s legacy and give those who missed out on picking up the CD Digipak from 2012 a chance once more.
Moreover, it is the first time the set has ever been available on vinyl, and it must be said that the wax’s coloring is quite beautiful. So, if you are a fan or simply someone who recognizes ’80s-era Dio but wants to dig into other material, this reissue is a great chance to do so. That is why Cryptic Rock gives The Very Beast of Dio Vol. 2 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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