There are a couple things that could be better, though: one is the obvious absence of Vivian Campbell. Although the great Dio guitarist is not on the record, his replacement, Craig Goldie, is not half-bad. He actually tears it up pretty well. And the other two original members, Jimmy Bain and the awesome Vinny Appice, are still here of course! The other thing that is not too hot about the album is the production. Unlike the clean, sharp production of his earlier albums like Holy Diver and Last In Line, this one tries to go for a "heavier" type sound. Unfortunately, it is more muddled, and the bass at times is almost completely lost. Also, his voice sounds strange and distorted; that is one of the first things I noticed when I got it.

But, all in all, Dream Evil is a very strong record, with some amazing material. Even the filler is saved by a good hook here and there, and ALWAYS a great guitar solo!


Dio is Dio   November 14, 2000
 7 out of 10 found this review helpful

Hey man I dig Dio. Loved him in Sabbath, loved him in Rainbow, and loved him on his own. This album goes a little overboard though. Last in Line and Holy Diver were great albums, but this one doesn't quite stand up to those two. Most Dio fans will agree that Ronnie James has a one track mind. Very few of his songs DON'T contain the following words - Magic, Rainbow, Dark, Heart, or Evil. But hey, that's why we listen to him.

Best tunes are 'Fools sailed Away' and 'Could of been a Dreamer'. The guitar riff on 'Sunset SuperMan' is amazing, but the lyrics are so stupid they take away from it. I could see the idea behind the tune, but I think he should have reworked it before releasing it as it was.


Dreams...   July 20, 2002
 5 out of 6 found this review helpful

Released in 1987, *Dream Evil* showcases new guitarist Craig Goldy. This is probably the most melodic of the DIO "solo" albums...an extremely tight production, rich keyboards are plentiful.

I interviewed Ronnie recently and he said that every album he writes and records reflects where he was at, at that stage of his life. This album has several references
to "Dreams"...perhaps an acknowledgement to dreams he had then realized having finally made it "on his own" after a successful run with Rainbow & Black Sabbath.

As a lyricist, imagery is Ronnie Dio's strongpoint...*Dream Evil* is abundant with it...and the music compliments those words perfectly.

One of Dio's finest works.

-Dan
07-20-02


Dio's last strong album   November 7, 2003
 5 out of 7 found this review helpful

Dream Evil is argueably Dio's last strong album until Magica was released in 2001. Every album after until then just didn't measure up. Dream Evil is more reminesent of Dio's first two albums Holy Diver and The Last IN Line ratehr than Sacred Heart. There's less keyboards and more guitars. Like previous albums, Dream Evil kicks off with a fast track entitled Night People (one of the best tracks on the CD) and is followed by the solid title track. Sunset Superman has good guitars but suffers from a somewhat awkward chours (sunset superman?). The fouth track All the Fools Sailed Away si one of the best songs Dio has ever wrote. Other than an awkward keybord towars teh end of the song, it is nearly perfect. The rest of the CD is solid Dio metal music. Dio fans will be pleased and so will metal fans in general. Check out the awsome cover art. Gives new meaning to "Sleep Tight."