Best known for his work with Racer X and Mr. Big, there’s no denying that Paul Gilbert is a phenomenally talented guitarist, but he’s had a shocker here.
The Dio Album features 12 covers of some of the late legend Ronnie James Dio's most iconic works with a certain twist: Gilbert has replaced the would-be vocals with verbatim lead guitar parts.
Credit where it’s due for the technical and no-doubt painstaking precision, but lacking the guiding nuance of a voice, classics like Neon Knights and Starstruck are reduced to jarring, overplayed jumbles.
By track two’s annihilation of Kill The King, any novelty has ejected itself from the solar system. This labour of love sadly misses the mark.
