Strange Highways in Bloomington, MN

The final
Warner Bros.
release for
Dio
after an 11-year run of hard-edged post-
Sabbath
recordings,
Strange Highways
is almost a return to early '80s form for a group that hadn't done anything particularly inspiring since 1984's
Last in Line
. Joining the band's namesake vocalist
Ronnie James Dio
on this 1994 release is an all-star lineup, including long-time drumming cohort
Vinny Appice
, bassist
Jeff Pilson
(most notably of
Dokken
, and an nice addition to the group, especially live), and unknown guitarist
Tracy G.
is in fine voice as usual, especially on
"Hollywood Black"
and the emotive opener
"Jesus, Mary & the Holy Ghost."
G.
provides a nice, generally staccato guitar flow that harkens back to the glory days when
Vivian Campbell
filled the six-string slot in the group's finest lineup. Original drummer
Appice
seems to have lost some energy, tone, and sharpness by the time of this release, which is too bad considering that he had formerly personified all those qualities. As a unit, however,
prove they can lay down some deadly riffs, as songs like
"Pain"
and
"Firehead"
keep a nice momentum going throughout this return to solo work for
after a brief second tour of duty with
Black Sabbath
.
is a solid effort with some of
's better late-career material, powerful singing, and strong performances from
Pilson
. ~ Vincent Jeffries