Holy Diver (song)

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"Holy Diver"
Holy Diver Single Cover.jpg
Single by Dio
from the album Holy Diver
B-side
  • "Evil Eyes"
  • "Don't Talk to Strangers"
ReleasedAugust 9, 1983 (1983-08-09)
Recorded1983
Studio Sound City (Los Angeles)
Genre Heavy metal [1] [2]
Length5:51
Label Warner Bros.
Songwriter(s) Ronnie James Dio
Producer(s) Ronnie James Dio
Dio singles chronology
"Holy Diver"
(1983)
"Rainbow in the Dark"
(1983)
Music video
"Holy Diver" on YouTube

"Holy Diver" is a song by American 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, it is one of Dio's most popular songs today.[ citation needed ]

Contents

Reception

Following the September 11 attacks, the song was placed on the list of post-9/11 inappropriate titles distributed by Clear Channel.

In March 2023, Rolling Stone ranked "Holy Diver" as the 9th greatest metal song of all time. [2]

Content

Dio said the lyrics are about a Christ figure on another planet who sacrifices himself to redeem his people. When the people learn that he intends to leave them to save people on other planets, they selfishly ask him to stay. [3]

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 (the then recently burnt-out St Mark's Church, Silvertown in east London, which is now a music venue). 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 old sword away 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
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) [4] 60
UK Singles (OCC) [5] 72
US Mainstream Rock ( Billboard ) [6] 40

Killswitch Engage version

"Holy Diver"
Holy Diver (Killswitch Engage).jpg
Single by Killswitch Engage
from the album As Daylight Dies (Special Edition)
Released17 August 2007 (2007-08-17)
Recorded2006
Genre Metalcore
Length4:10
Label Roadrunner
Songwriter(s) Ronnie James Dio
Producer(s) Adam Dutkiewicz, Joel Stroetzel
Killswitch Engage singles chronology
"The Arms of Sorrow"
(2007)
"Holy Diver"
(2007)
"This Is Absolution"
(2008)
Music video
"Holy Diver" on YouTube

Killswitch Engage covered the song for the compilation High Voltage!: A Brief History of Rock for Kerrang! magazine. The song was later re-released for the special edition of As Daylight Dies . 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.

Music video

The band released a music video for their version. Directed by Brian Thompson, [7] the video features a comical take on Dio's original music video.

Chart positions

Chart (2007)Peak
position
US Mainstream Rock ( Billboard ) [8] 12

Personnel

Killswitch Engage

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [9] Gold500,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ronnie James Dio</span> American heavy metal singer (1942–2010)

Ronald James Padavona, known professionally as Ronnie James Dio, was an American heavy metal singer. He fronted and founded numerous bands throughout his career, including Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Dio and Heaven & Hell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dio (band)</span> American heavy metal band

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<i>Holy Diver</i> 1983 studio album by Dio

Holy Diver is the debut studio album by the American heavy metal band Dio, released in 1983. The album was acclaimed by the music press and is the band's most successful effort.

<i>Hear n Aid</i> 1986 compilation album by various artists

Hear 'n Aid was a charity record recorded by a large ensemble of 40 heavy metal musicians and released in 1986. The project was organized by Ronnie James Dio, Jimmy Bain, and Vivian Campbell, all from the band Dio. Proceeds from the album were used to raise over $3 million for famine relief in Africa.

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The Last In Line is the second studio album by American heavy metal band Dio, released on July 2, 1984. It is the first Dio album to feature former Rough Cutt keyboardist Claude Schnell. It became the band's highest-charting album in both the UK and the U.S., reaching number 4 and number 23, respectively.

<i>Sacred Heart</i> (Dio album) 1985 studio album by Dio

Sacred Heart is the third studio album by American heavy metal band Dio. It was released on August 12, 1985, on Warner Bros. Records in North America, and Vertigo elsewhere. The record peaked at No. 29 on the Billboard 200 chart. It includes the singles "Rock 'n' Roll Children" and "Hungry for Heaven".

<i>Holy Diver – Live</i> 2006 live album by Dio

Holy Diver – Live is a live album by American heavy metal band Dio, recorded on tour in 2005. On disc 1, the band performs Holy Diver in its entirety, while disc 2 contains live versions of other songs from Dio's back catalog. It was released in, CD, DVD and Blu-ray formats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rainbow in the Dark</span> 1983 single by Dio

"Rainbow in the Dark" is a song by heavy metal band Dio. Released from the band's double platinum-selling 1983 debut album, Holy Diver. Assisted by a popular MTV music video, it reached #12 on US Billboard Album Rock Tracks in early October.

<i>As Daylight Dies</i> 2006 studio album by Killswitch Engage

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hungry for Heaven</span> 1985 single by Dio

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References

  1. Runnells, Charles (June 1, 2019). "Review and setlist: Dio hologram tour opens with fire, dragons and rainbows". The News-Press . Retrieved November 2, 2020.
  2. 1 2 "The 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. March 13, 2023. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
  3. "RONNIE JAMES DIO interview on religion and the Devil 2004 | Raw & Uncut". BangerTV . YouTube. December 15, 2015. Archived from the original on December 14, 2021. Retrieved November 22, 2018.
  4. "Dio – Holy Diver". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  5. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  6. "Dio Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  7. "Holy Diver | Killswitch Engage | Music Video". MTV . Viacom Media Networks. August 6, 2007. Retrieved January 3, 2013.
  8. "Killswitch Engage Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard.
  9. "American single certifications – Killswitch Engage – Holy Diver". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved September 10, 2020.