intothewellsabyss

Jul 2, 20232 min read

Dio — The Last In Line

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

39 years ago today, Dio made us ponder whether we we're evil or divine!

On this day (July 2) in 1984, Dio released their second full-length studio album, “The Last In Line” via Warner Bros. Records.

Background:

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 (Sacred Heart would later reach number 4 in the UK as well).

It was certified gold (500,000 units sold) by the The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on September 12, 1984, and was the first Dio album to be certified platinum, achieving the feat on February 3, 1987.

In the UK, it attained Silver certification (60,000 units sold) by the British Phonographic Industry, achieving this in January 1986, at the same time as “Holy Diver”. To date, these are the only two Dio albums to be certified at least platinum.

The Last In Line Tour:

At the start of The Last In Line US tour, The Monstars (feat. Ronnie Montrose), Whitesnake, and Black N' Blue were openers.

Twisted Sister warmed up at least some shows. Also, some sources claim that Keel would've been the warm-up band at some point of the tour, but it hasn't been confirmed yet.

Dio played the Breaking Sounds Festival in France with Tanker, Tokyo Blade, Virgin Steele, and Blue Oyster Cult.

Dio played the Monsters of Rock in Germany with AC/DC, Gary Moore, Van Halen, Motley Crue, Accept, and Ozzy Osbourne.

Queensryche were the supporting act for the remainder of The Last In Line UK and European tours.

Dokken were support for Dio's second leg of the US tour, while Rough Cutt and Autograph each opened for at least one show each, respectively.

Re-issues:

The album, along with “Holy Diver” and “Sacred Heart”, was released in a new two-CD deluxe edition on March 19, 2012 through Universal for worldwide distribution outside the U.S.

Critical Reception:

In 2005, “The Last In Line” was ranked number 372 in Rock Hard magazine's book of “The 500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of All Time”.

Links to Artists, Albums, and Music Videos:

Click this link to listen to “The Last In Line” via Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-last-in-line-remastered/1134745928

Click this link to listen to “The Last In Line” via Spotify: The Last in Line https://open.spotify.com/album/4XAy5hk5sgMdDlORiNrVM9

Click this link to watch the official music video for “The Last In Line”: https://youtu.be/mEV4Tov1GBM

Click this link to follow Ronnie James Dio’s page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialRonnieJamesDio

Note: The reviews shared here are for historical reference. The views and opinions expressed within are not always supported (in full or in part) by Into the Wells. — E.N. Wells

Dio — The Last In Line

Background:

The Last In Line Tour:

Re-issues:

Critical Reception:

Links to Artists, Albums, and Music Videos:

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