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Tributee: Ronnie James Dio . Liner Note Authors: Eddie Trunk; Koh Sakai; Malcolm Dome. Recording information: Crownhill Studios, Germany (02/2012-03/2012); HQ, San Rafael, CA (02/2012-03/2012); Maple Studios (02/2012-03/2012); NRG Studios (02/2012-03/2012); OfficeStudios, Van Nuys, CA (02/2012-03/2012); Scorpio Sound Studio (02/2012-03/2012); Sonic Stomp Studios (02/2012-03/2012); Sparky Dark Studio, Calabasas, CA (02/2012-03/2012); The Chanty Shack (02/2012-03/2012); The Loft, Los Angeles, CA (02/2012-03/2012); Total Access Recording, Redondo Beach, CA (02/2012-03/2012); West Valley Studios, Woodland Hills, CA (02/2012-03/2012); Zing Studios, Westfield, MA (02/2012-03/2012); Crownhill Studios, Germany (1999); HQ, San Rafael, CA (1999); Maple Studios (1999); NRG Studios (1999); OfficeStudios, Van Nuys, CA (1999); Scorpio Sound Studio (1999); Sonic Stomp Studios (1999); Sparky Dark Studio, Calabasas, CA (1999); The Chanty Shack (1999); The Loft, Los Angeles, CA (1999); Total Access Recording, Redondo Beach, CA (1999); West Valley Studios, Woodland Hills, CA (1999); Zing Studios, Westfield, MA (1999). Photographers: Mark Weiss ; Daragh McDonagh; P.G. Brunelli; Mary Kusnier; Marc Theis; Kai Swillus; Ethan Miller ; Christie Goodwin; Kenny Gabor; John Harrell; Ross Halfin; Stephanie Cabral; Vincent Hartong; Gene Kirkland; Kevin Estrada; Neil Zlozower; Wendy Dio; Jochen Rolfes; Jeff Yeager; Klaus Meine; David Wolff-Patrick; Alex Kirzhnert; Renato Nunes; Patricia Kibby; Michele Fleischli; Susannah V. Vergau; Rob Fenn; Neil Lupin; Frazer Harrison; Robert John; Rudy Sarzo; Russell Allen; Mike Orlando; Brian Tichy; Adam Berry; Matthew Rodgers. A diminutive yet larger than life and remarkably stalwart knight of the heavy metal round table who could silence a sold-out arena with a single note and then elicit a thunderous roar with the flash of a horned hand, the late Ronnie James Dio is as worthy of veneration as any metal god, and this 2014 tribute album, which was organized by his wife Wendy and raises money for his own Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund, offers up 14 reasons why. Tribute albums can prove problematic, especially when they forgo emotional narrative for name recognition, or when participating artists spend too much time trying (too hard) to subvert the songs, but Ronnie James Dio: This Is Your Life succeeds by remaining true to its source material. This approach can also backfire by descending into karaoke, but each cut here is delivered via the full-blooded ferocity of friends, family, and (famous) fans, so it never feels phoned in. In fact, some of the performances, like Anthrax's ferocious take on Black Sabbath's "Neon Knights" and Metallica's ambitious medley of "A Light in the Black," "Tarot Woman," "Stargazer," and "Kill the Kingare" are so dialed in that they induce whiplash -- even Tenacious D, who built a career (albeit a comedy one) out of unabashed Dio worship, spend less energy debasing "Last in Line" with a "Stairway to Heaven"-insp
