DIO — Dream Evil

𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐑𝐘𝐏𝐓𝐒 - 𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐏𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐀𝐋𝐁𝐔𝐌 𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄𝐒 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐑𝐎𝐂𝐊 & 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐘 𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐋…

July 21, 1987 — DIO released their fourth full-length studio album, Dream Evil via Warner Bros. Records (US) and Vertigo Records (UK). (Listen)

Background:

Dream Evil includes the singles All the Fools Sailed Away and I Could Have Been a Dreamer.

It was the last album to feature Murray on the front cover. The albums illustration was done by Steve Huston with the original concept by Wendy Dio.

Overview:

Polished and melodic, songs on Dream Evil, like Time to Burn offered a glimpse at what to expect from the next incarnation of DIO. Dream Evil followed with the distinction of being the only 80’s album to feature former Rough Cutt & Giuffria guitarist Craig Goldy, and the only album to feature former Rough Cutt keyboardist Claude Schnell.

The Wells Perspective:

Dream Evil is the last in the line of classic DIO albums to feature the rhythm section of Jimmy Bain (until the release of 2000's Magica) and Vinny Appice (until the 1993 album Strange Highways). At this point, DIO had now incorporated two members of Rough Cutt into its ranks: Claude Schnell (who wasn’t truly a full-time member on the last outing) and Craig Goldy.

Despite the lineup changes, DIO’s signature sound was too firmly established at this point to allow room for any major change in musical direction. Although, Schnell’s keyboards are given a more prominent role on a few tracks, Goldy is given a lot of room to breathe in the guitar solo department, while Vinny Appice adds in some very interesting and odd tribal beats, but otherwise it’s the usual tales of demons, duality and rainbows in the dark.

I find Dream Evil to be most interesting as it defies expectations. All the Fools Sailed Away, for example, is my favorite song on the album because it sounds least like the songs around it (or any other DIO song for that matter). It’s infused with melody, and dare I say, it teeters ever so slightly on the edge of being a “power ballad”. At the same time, it has an amazing keyboard solo in it, which is so epic that it could almost be considered Progressive Metal.

If asked for more key songs, I would have to first name I Could Have Been a Dreamer (another (hahum… power ballad?), Night People, Sunset Superman and Overlove. Faces in the Window and Naked in the Rain are standard DIO fare, while Dream Evil is a haunting number, and When a Woman Cries switches things up just a tad.

Many people bemoaned and whined about how they didn’t care much for this album, or the previous album (Sacred Heart), or the follow-up to Dream Evil (Lock Up the Wolves). They say that only die-hard fans would claim that they are great releases! I’d say that those people need to have their ears checked, as Dream Evil is awesome, as are the other two aforementioned releases by RJD and Company. — E.N. Wells

After Dream Evil, Goldy, wanting to pursue solo projects, left the band. In June 1989, 18-year-old Rowan Robertson was announced as Goldy's successor.

Commercial Performance:

Dream Evil peaked at No. 43 on the Billboard 200, while also peaking at No. 8 on the UK albums chart.

The albums single I Could Have Been a Dreamer peaked at No. 33 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart, while also peaking at No. 69 on the UK singles chart.

Critical Reception:

Dream Evil received mixed reviews from critics. In a retrospective review at AllMusic, Rob Theakston stated;

"Dream Evil is by no means a departure from the DIO formula that was so successful for his first three solo albums. All of the elements that made them so successful are yet again retained here. However, what makes things different this time around is that DIO has more of a melodious side to him, which he puts use here rather than relying on the riffs and delivery he learned at the school of Sabbath. He even touches on the power ballad (a sure sign that the style had fully infiltrated metal) with All the Fool Sailed Away. The title track and Sunset Superman also proved to be two of DIO's most well-known, and most loved songs in his massive catalog. Not an essential release, but one that diehard fans will be sure to want in their collection.”

Release Information:

Released on LP, cassette and compact disc in the US (Warner Bros., 25612-1/4/2), the UK (Vertigo, VERH/VERHC-46), Greece (Vertigo, 832 530-1), and Mexico (Vertigo, LPR-23055) and on September 5, 1987 in Japan (Vertigo, 25PP-234/25PT-271/32PD-320) with innersleeve.

Reissues:

Re-issued on compact disc in 1996 in Japan (Vertigo, PHCR-4129).

Re-released on remastered compact disc in 2007 in Japan (Universal, UICY-93393).

Re-released on 180g vinyl LP in 2016 in the US (Warner Bros.).

Re-packaged with Holy Diver, The Last in Line, Sacred Heart and Lock Up the Wolves on 5CD set in 2017 in Europe (Spectrum, 00600753785164).