Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.5

Dio: Holy Diver Live Blu-ray Movie Review

Earlier this year the world lost a man who many considered a living legend – Ronald James Padavona a.k.a Ronnie James Dio. A former vocalist of Elf, Black Sabbath, Dio, Rainbow, and Heaven & Hell, Dio was an inspirational figure for countless singers and musicians around the world.

Recorded live at the legendary Astoria Theatre in London on October 22, 2005, Holy Diver – Live was the final show from Dio’s - Dio, Doug Aldrich (Guitar), Rudy Sarzo (Bass), Simon Wright (Drums), and Scott Warren (Keyboards) - British tour. In front of an overly enthusiastic crowd, Dio performed the entire "Holly Diver" album, selected classic Dio hits, as well as classic Black Sabbath and Rainbow hits.

Holy Diver - Live is a special show for a number of different reasons. First, there are songs in it which prior to this tour Dio never performed live. Considering the classic status the "Holy Diver" album has enjoyed amongst heavy metal fans during the years, it truly is special to hear these songs live for the first time.

Second, Dio was in his 60s when the show was filmed, yet his voice is beyond impressive. I've seen him a number of times performing live and on "Straight Through The Heart", "Rainbow In The Dark" and "Gates Of Babylon" he sounds as good as he ever has.

Third, there is a great chemistry between Dio and the rest of the band members. From "Tarot Woman" to "Stand Up And Shout" to "Heaven And Hell", Doug Aldrich's solos are outstanding, perfectly complimenting Dio's powerful singing. Simon Wright's support is also fantastic (what a great drum solo). Legendary bassist Rudy Sarzo, who was once part of Whitesnake and Quiet Riot, and Scott Warren are also on fire.

With approximately 2000 fans inside the venue, Holy Diver-Live boasts an excellent club atmosphere. The stage is very simple but elegant, and the stage lighting not overwhelming. The fans are as enthusiastic as the band and clearly having a terrific time.

Stand Up And Shout

Dio: Holy Diver Live Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080i "live" transfer, Dio: Holy Diver Live arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Eagle Rock Entertainment.

This is a very strong high-definition transfer. Detail is excellent, clarity pleasing, and contrast levels consistent throughout the entire show. Motion-judder is never an issue of concern. There are no shadow issues either. Generally speaking, the camerawork is very good - the band is captured from a variety of different angles; the enthusiastic crowd could be seen quite often as well. The numerous close-ups of Dio and Doug Aldrich also look excellent. Lastly, I did not see any transfer-specific anomalies to report in this review. All in all, this is yet another very solid release from Eagle Rock Entertainment. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location).

Dio: Holy Diver Live Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are three audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, English Dolby Digital 5.1 and English LPCM 2.0. I opted for the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track and later on did a few random comparisons with the other two tracks for the purpose of this review.

The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is very strong. The bass is potent and punchy, the rear channels intelligently used, and the high-frequencies not overdone. Furthermore, there is excellent separation between the vocals and the music (listen to "Holy Diver", "Gates of Babylon" and "Man on the Silver Mountain"); Doug Aldrich's solos in particular sound outstanding ("Stand Up And Shout"). The crowd noise is prominent, but never overwhelming. Lastly, I did not detect any serious balances issues or dropouts to report in this review.

The LPCM 2.0 brings up some of the guitar solos a bit more, but I prefer the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track because in my opinion it recreates the show's organic qualities better.

The Dolby Digital 5.1 track is disappointing. The strong dynamics heard on the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track are definitely missing, and often times even Ronnie's impressive singing sounds flat ("Don't Talk To Strangers" is a perfect example).

Dio: Holy Diver Live Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Interviews - a collection of interviews with Ronnie and the band discussing their tour, how exciting everyone is to be playing in front of the fans, etc. The guys have some particularly interesting comments about their shows in Eastern Europe and Russia. In English, with optional English, German, Spanish, and French subtitles. (12 min, 480/60i).

Booklet - an illustrated booklet containing an article by Dave Ling (originally published in Classic Rock magazine on February 27th, 2006).

Dio: Holy Diver Live Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

If you ever had any interest in classic rock, do yourself a favor and get a copy of Dio: Holy Diver Live. As someone who was lucky enough to see the late Ronnie James Dio perform live a number of times during the 80s and 90s, I assure you this is a great show, one you will enjoy enormously. As expected, Eagle Rock Entertainment's Blu-ray release looks and sounds terrific. It is also priced right. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.