When Vivian Campbell left Dio after the first round of Sacred Heart tour dates, I thought the band was going to fold.  While the group was based on Ronnie James Dio’s vocals, Campbell was an integral part of the sound of the band.  In stepped Criag Goldy from L.A. band Rough Cutt and my fears were laid to rest.  There was a new energy that was missing on Sacred Heart, and you can feel the power and passion boiling up on Dream Evil.  The rest of the band stayed on board so there was just one element that changed, but Goldy brought that same fire that was all over the first record.  Often overlooked, this album proves that, while Campbell was an important figure in the band, Goldy brought a new element to the band and rocked just as hard.  This was the last Dio disc of the 80s and closed the chapter on their classic era.  This is a must have for even minor fans of the band.

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Keyboards start off this fast rocker that sets this new line-up as a formidable force.  Goldy makes his mark right off the bat by putting in a frenetic guitar solo that is in contrast to Campbell.  Dio (the band, not the man) always put fast upbeat songs to open up the album, and this is no different.  Clocking in at just over four minutes, this track is over too quickly and is one of many highpoints on the record.

Sticking with tradition, the title track is the second one on the disc.  This thumping rocker continues the same passion from the first tune but has a little bit more commercially accessible melody thrown in during the choruses.  Goldy adds a more melodic solo into this piece giving it a radio friendly aspect, but it’s still very much heavy metal.

The sound of wind and the drone of keyboards give way to another fast rocker.  The pace of this track is faster during the verses but when it comes to the chorus, it changes to a heavy thumping, fist pounding tune.  That heavy pounding continues during the guitar solo section, which gives the overall feel of the tune a certain heaviness.

Starting off as almost a ballad, this cut transforms into an epic piece that is the longest song on the record.  At over seven minutes long, this twists and turns with multiple parts that all fit together nicely.  There is a choir that sings along on the chorus that promotes that epic feel.  On a side note, this was a single with a video but it was edited down to just over four minutes.

This unassuming rocker with a simple guitar intro turns this album back more into the heavy metal side of Dio spectrum.  While it is not as immediate as “Night People” or the title track, it is still worthy of plenty of attention.  The chorus will have you humming it for days, guaranteed.

A weird guitar intro ushers in this fast rock and roll number.  While I like this tune, it does smack a little of filler material but honestly, Dio filler tunes are still better than most bands’ main material.

It’s time for a hit single, and Dio has always tried to put a radio friendly tune on each of their records.  I really like the whole song except the chorus which sounds a little too forced.  Mind you, there is nothing really wrong with it. It just sounds like a band trying too hard to come up with a radio hit while still keeping their metal roots in there.  The keyboards on the chorus don’t help but then again, this was 1987, so this was all the rage.

This galloping metal track is the sleeper on the album.  After the slight sidestep of the previous track, this is a welcome change as the Dio band go for the throat.  Dio’s voice just cuts through like a siren to show just what he is capable of and why he was the premier vocalist at the time.

To close off the album, the band opt for a rocker that contains a swagger that is uncommon for Dio. I used to think this was a throw-away track, but the years have been kind to this particular piece.  This is another song, like the previous one, that Dio fans ignore but they are missing out on one of the great tunes of the early Dio catalogue.