| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Blabbermouth.net | 6.5/10[2] |
Master of the Moon is the tenth and final studio album by the American heavy metal band Dio. The album was released on September 7, 2004 in America through Sanctuary Records and August 30, 2004 in Europe through SPV Records.[3] It was produced by Ronnie James Dio.
Members
Master of the Moon marks the return of guitarist Craig Goldy, who also performed on Dio's Dream Evil (1987) and Magica (2000). It also features Jeff Pilson on bass, Simon Wright on drums and Scott Warren on keyboards.
Song info
One song, "Death by Love", was partly written by former Magica touring bassist Chuck Garric. There are no writing credits provided in the album's liner notes.
Tour
On the supporting tour for this album Dio went on the road with Fireball Ministry and Anthrax opening. As usual, he reached into his catalogue and played songs from various stages of his career, including Rainbow and Black Sabbath songs.
Due to other commitments, Pilson was unable to tour the album and Rudy Sarzo took over the bass guitar duties.
Reissue
In 2019, Master of the Moon was remastered and announced for reissue in 2020. The first disc is identical to the original North American release. The reissue includes a second disc containing four live tracks recorded during the Master of the Moon tour as well as "The Prisoner of Paradise" track originally included on the Japanese pressing of the album.[4]
Track listing
The bonus track "The Prisoner of Paradise" is on the Japanese pressing of the album. The song would later be featured on the compilation The Very Beast of Dio Vol. 2 and included with the 2020 reissue of the album.
All tracks are written by Ronnie James Dio and Craig Goldy except where noted.
| No. | Title | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "One More for the Road" | 3:18 | |
| 2. | "Master of the Moon" | 4:19 | |
| 3. | "The End of the World" | 4:39 | |
| 4. | "Shivers" | 4:15 | |
| 5. | "The Man Who Would Be King" | 4:58 | |
| 6. | "The Eyes" | 6:27 | |
| 7. | "Living the Lie" | Dio, Goldy, Simon Wright | 4:25 |
| 8. | "I Am" | 5:00 | |
| 9. | "Death by Love" | Dio, Goldy, Chuck Garric, Wright | 4:21 |
| 10. | "In Dreams" | 4:26 | |
| 11. | "The Prisoner of Paradise" (Japanese edition bonus track) | 4:01 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Heaven and Hell [Live, Master of the Moon Tour 2004/2005]" | 10:21 |
| 2. | "Rainbow in the Dark [Live, Master of the Moon Tour 2004/2005]" | 5:22 |
| 3. | "Rock and Roll Children [Live, Master of the Moon Tour 2004/2005]" | 4:59 |
| 4. | "The Eyes [Live, Master of the Moon Tour 2004/2005]" | 6:48 |
| 5. | "The Prisoner of Paradise" | 4:00 |
Personnel
- Dio
- Ronnie James Dio – vocals
- Craig Goldy – guitar, keyboards
- Jeff Pilson – bass
- Simon Wright – drums
- Scott Warren – keyboards
- Production
- Recorded at Total Access Recording, Redondo Beach, California, U.S.A.
- Produced by Ronnie James Dio
- Engineered by Wyn Davis
- Brian Daughterty, Michael McMullen - assistant engineers
- Eddy Schreyer - mastering
- Cover illustration by Marc Sasso
Charts
| Chart (2004–2020) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[6] | 16 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[7] | 43 |
| Japanese Albums (Oricon)[8] | 259 |
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[9] | 35 |
| US Billboard 200[10] | 127[11] |
References
- ^ Monger, James. "Master of the Moon - Dio". AllMusic. Retrieved 2012-03-18.
- ^ Daley, Tony. "Master of the Moon - Dio". Blabbermouth.net. Retrieved 2012-03-18.
- ^ "DIO's 'Moon' Set To Rise A Week Later". Blabbermouth.net. August 18, 2004. Retrieved February 1, 2020.
- ^ "Dio's Final Albums to Be Expanded With Previously Unreleased Material". Rolling Stone. 8 November 2019. Retrieved 2020-04-03.
- ^ "DIO: Deluxe Newly Remastered Editions Of Four Albums From 1996-2004 To Be Made Available In February". Blabbermouth.net. 8 November 2019. Retrieved 2020-04-03.
- ^ "Dio: Master of the Moon" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Dio – Master of the Moon" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
- ^ ロニー・ジェームス・ディオのアルバム (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 2013-10-28.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Dio – Master of the Moon". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
- ^ "Dio Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
- ^ "DIO's 1996-2004 Studio Album Collection Lands On Charts Around The Globe". Blabbermouth.net. Retrieved 2020-04-04.