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Rating: In 1985 Ronnie James Dio had fully earned his "moniker": the excellent albums 'Holy Diver' and 'The Last In Line' confirm his image and his role as a "god" of heavy metal, already formed during his time with Rainbow and Black Sabbath. His career seems unstoppable, but before reaching the brilliance of 'Dream Evil' in 1986, he would have to go through this album, 'Sacred Heart', which was viewed quite controversially by both critics and fans.
The cover looks promising: the crystal sphere, the dragon holding the ruby heart in its claws, the mystical Latin inscriptions on the sides ("fini per somnium reperio tibi sacra cor veneficus ostium aurum"), in short, it exudes the usual mysticism. But the music is something else: some claim it's a half misstep and others hail it as one of the most glorious releases ever made by Ronnie and his band. In my opinion, however, this album is mixed because it is a transitional album, with memorable moments and others that leave me with a sense of déjà vu (or in this case, a sense of déjà sentit). There are songs like Hungry For Heaven, Just Another Day, and Fallen Angels in which echoes of 'Heaven and Hell' and the first two solo albums by Dio resonate. Not that these tracks ruin the album, to be clear, but it makes you think: "Wow Ronnie, couldn't you come up with something better and truly new and original?"
And the choice of a live track as the opening song is rather strange (although a dear friend of mine told me that King Of Rock' n' Roll is a track meant to be played and recorded live, and I don't disagree with him!). On the upside, we also find high-level songs: Sacred Heart is epic and still occasionally makes an appearance in Dio's live sets, Another Lie has a remarkable riff and a spectacular chorus, the rhythm of Like The Beat Of A Heart is great as the title rightly says. The two moments that truly stand out are undoubtedly Shoot Shoot, with its unstoppable momentum, but especially Rock’ n’ Roll Children, which also had quite a commercial success (even a funny video clip was made for it).
Rock’ n’ Roll Children is indeed the masterpiece of 'Sacred Heart', with a beautifully recorded sound. And the musicians are top-notch: Vivian Campbell is a technical monster, Vinnie Appice played with Dio in Black Sabbath, Jimmy Bain in Rainbow's Rising and even the mysterious (but more than anything else unrecognized) keyboardist Claude Schnell, whatever little he plays he plays well. And Dio vocally is undisputed.
In essence, I just say this: 'Sacred Heart' is played by a "god" (pardon the pun), but perhaps the only problem is that it occasionally lacks in compositional level. However, overall it is a very enjoyable listen.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
05 Hungry for Heaven (04:11)
You're a dancer
But you're dancing on air
Just a matter of time till you fall
You're a dreamer
One night at the fair
But still you want it all
You're in danger
The last of a line
But the vision lasts forever
So just hold on
You can make it happen for you
Reach for the stars and you will fly
You're Hungry for Heaven
Hungry for Heaven
Hungry for Heaven
But you need a little hell
You're a runner
But you're chasing yourself
Feel the hot breath on your shoulder
You're emotion
Running cold running warm
The young just getting older
We are sunlight
We can sparkle and shine
And our dreams are what we're made of
So just hold on
You can make it happen for you
Reach for the stars and you will fly
You're Hungry for Heaven
Hungry for Heaven
Hungry for Heaven
But you need a little hell
09 Shoot Shoot (04:16)
You know the feeling
All alone you back to the wall
And all the doorways
Are starting to close in front of you
No confusion
Oh no - it came in a spell
Found it in a wishing well
It's a matter of mind
You know you can be free forever
So the next time someone
Points a gun at you
Say Shoot Shoot
I don't care
Shoot Shoot
Hey someone
If your chains are heavy for you
Hey someone
Let it rain
While I show you the way
This could be your lucky day
It's a matter of mind
You know you can be free forever
So the next time someone
Points a gun at you say
Shoot Shoot
I don't care
Shoot Shoot
Shoot Shoot
Anywhere
Shoot Shoot
It's a matter of mind
You know you can be free forever
So the next time someone
Points a gun at you sa
Shoot Shoot
I don't care
Shoot Shoot
Shoot Shoot
Anywhere
Shoot Shoot
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