Ronnie Dio "The Voice Of Metal" Dies

Metal Master Singer Ronnie James Dio is dead, The voice of Metal has vanished.

Inspiration for hundreds of Musicians around the World and once front man for such influential Classic Heavy Metal/Hard Rock Bands; Black Sabbath and Rainbow has left this world early morning today Sunday May 16th 2010 at age 67 from Cancer.

Born in New Hampshire, USA, early in his life Ronnie played Bass and fronted several Rock and Roll Bands between 1957 and 1969, while in Elf on 1972 he was discovered by members of Deep Purple and consequently asked to tour in support of the British veterans through the US.

In 1974 his voice was featured on Purple's Bass guitarist solo project entitled, The Butterfly Ball and The Grasshopper's Feast, soon after he went to be part of Power Metal Pioneers, Rainbow along Guitarist extraordinaire Ritchie Blackmore in which was to be known as one of the most influential groups of the genre and the stronger incarnation of that band between 1975 and 1978 putting out the Classic albums; the self titled Blackmore's Rainbow, Long Live Rock and Roll and Rising besides Live in Germany 1976 and On Stage 1977.

Dio took the front man position in Black Sabbath between 1980 and 1982 releasing the classics Heaven and Hell, Mob Rules and the eponymous double album Live Evil.

Launching his solo career with Holy Diver and popularizing the Hand Horns sign, Dio stayed in top form for years and never sold out to media. Also he was the man behind the 1985 "We Stars" Hear 'n Aid project which was a joint effort from the Heavy Metal scene of the 1980s to raise money for famine relief in Africa (and a response to the pop version "We are the World") the song which featured 40 Heavy Metal artists raised $1 million within a year.

Dio re united with Black Sabbath for Dehumanizer in 1990, released 10 albums from 1982 to 2004 as solo artist. He also recorded and toured with Heaven and Hell which portrayed Black Sabbath's classic line up of his tenure with the Heavy Metal outfit until 2009 when diagnosed of the terminal disease.

His voice will be missed as one of the most charismatic, stronger and technical vocal talents of all time in Heavy Metal Music history, rest in peace Dio, because of you we cry today but also We Rock!

Rodrigo Trupp

Remembering Mike Baker (09-02-63 / 10-29-08)

One of the few inspiring and original Progressive Metal Bands around with a true innovative and unique style is Shadow Gallery. Their Music has immensely contributed to the modern-metal genre. Wondering what they were up to lately, last night before going to sleep I hooked on the net
and found out very sadly that their main singer Mike Baker had died exactly one year back this day.

Shadow Gallery is an active American Band from Pennsylvania compromising a group of talented multi- instrumentalists and Sound Engineers who formed in the early eighties.

They went under the name of Sorcerer until they came up with their actual moniker. The band recorded their first 8 track demo and were signed shortly after by the specialized New York based label “Magna Carta”. Their rendition of Pink Floyd’s “Time” featured on “Moon Revisited” which contains many of the musicians signed by Magna Carta to tribute the legendary British Progressive pioneers, stands for one of the best covers I have ever heard. Their Music is as intricate as any of Dream Theater’s effort or just as powerful as any Symphony X tune, yet S G’s approach stands high in musicianship and sound. I’ve never been a big fan of either both Bands I cited before, I think of them as parodies of themselves, instead Shadow Gallery’s own characteristic sound set them apart from their peers.

With five albums: Shadow Gallery (1992), Carved in Stone (1995), Tyranny (1998), Legacy (2001), Room V (2005) a compilation; Prime Cuts (2007) and Digital Ghosts which as seen their release in Europe (Magna Carta paradoxically distributes first mostly in Europe due to the lack o interest for the Progressive movement in the US), Digital Ghosts will se the light on November 3, 2009 in America and features new singer Brian Ashland. Combining the sound of Steve Vai, the technical and classical approach of Ingwie Malmsteen and the forceful power of Iron Maiden and Queensr¥che, Shadow Gallery’s Music is such a piece of jewelry not to be missed, long songs, complex structures and conceptual story lines are given a fair treat on each of their works, Tyranny specifically its the origin of an amazing journey which was followed later in Room V.


Mike Baker died of heart failure on October 29 2008 just when the band had demoed a few tracks which were the Embryo to their recent release not yet out in the United States, his voice will be long remembered as he will be missed, another strange fact of the US Music Industry poorly distributed and handled is that despite each member have appeared on different collaborations, they are normal human beings, paying houses, attending family matters, facts in life that are good enough reason to understand why they had never performed live for a period of about 15 years until when the “Room five” album was released in 2005. I have no idea if they have after that album, consequently then, they are a “Studio Band” current original members: Gary Wehrkamp - Piano, guitars, keyboards, vocals, Brendt Allman - Guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals, Carl Cadden-James - Bass, vocals, flute, fretless bass, Joe Nevolo – Drums and Brian Ashland – Vocals hopefully will continue to make more soulful albums, we still have Carl Cadden James as a side main singer but Mike Baker shone at his own, versatile powerful and original in all senses, there’s no doubt his spirit will live on forever. Rest In Peace Mike.






Previous Album's Songs Recommended: War for Sale (Tyranny), Hope for us (Tyranny), Christmas Song (Tyranny), Destination Unknown (Legacy), Society of the Mind (Legacy), Legacy, Comfort Me (Room V), Torn (Room V), The Andromeda Strain (Room V).






Rodrigo Trupp