Register Forgot login?

© 2002-2024
Encyclopaedia Metallum

Privacy Policy

Dio > Sacred Heart > Reviews
Dio - Sacred Heart

You never sing for pleasure, you only make the sounds - 65%

Twisted_Psychology, May 31st, 2023
Written based on this version: 1985, CD, Warner Bros. Records

By the time Sacred Heart came out in 1985, the guys in Dio knew they were hot shit. The group was riding on the wave of two major classics on top of their singer’s deep resume and the pseudo-live “King of Rock and Roll” feels like a reflection of how far they’d come. It may not have the staying power of “Stand Up and Shout” or “We Rock,” but it’s an opener that works great in the heat of the moment, celebratory but still acknowledging the fans who got them there to keep from looking too cocky.

The scale of the spectacle that ol’ Ronnie had in mind is fully revealed as the title track comes stomping in. It’s very much in the mold of title tracks before it with a mid-tempo stadium metal beat, a simple but memorable refrain, and a somehow ominously bright atmosphere that feels like the bridge between Rainbow and Sabbath. However, the song is marred by overproduction as the vocals completely smother the mix and the keyboards come off brassy. It’s still a pretty good song that no doubt sounded awesome when the band was slaying a twenty-foot mechanical dragon on stage, but this sort of arcane escapist metal was more thoroughly explored by groups like Manowar and Queensryche by then.

That loftiness can also be seen through a decidedly cynical lens with “Hungry for Heaven,” originally released on the soundtrack for Vision Quest. The track is essentially a “Mystery” rewrite with similar chords and emphasized keyboards, but you can certainly feel an attempt to be the next “Eye of the Tiger” with its even more motivational lyrics and triumphant aura. However, the execution stifles those aspirations as the rhythm feels too stiff and the chorus isn’t involved enough to take it to the next level.

But once “Another Lie” comes and goes with nary an impression made, the cracks in the facade become impossible to ignore. Much has been made of the band’s conflicts at the time between the musicians’ unstable hierarchy and transparent creative burnout. “Like the Beat of a Heart” and “Another Day” still have an endearing quality to them, but the former is essentially “Straight Through the Heart” with a heavier punch and the latter’s lyrics are this close to admitting that they’re all just so tired of this nonsense. Just imagine if that track had been given the fake-live opener treatment instead of “King of Rock and Roll…”

Fortunately, there are a couple more tracks that manage to fight against the fatigue. Lead single “Rock ‘n Roll Children” (no “and” for this one I guess) incorporates the keys more tastefully and the driving Dokken-esque chug works with the teenage runaway narrative. “Fallen Angels” may be among the more filler tracks but the guitar work has a nice spark to it.

Alas, the album ends on its most sour note as “Shoot Shoot” might be one of the weakest tracks under the Dio banner. The stop-start AOR chug is decent enough to work off of, but the band’s tendency to just recite the title as a chorus falls flat on its face when the words you’re having to repeat over and over are fucking “shoot shoot.” It’s also kinda funny to close out with lyrics that are all but Ronnie literally telling his bandmates to fuck off, especially since guitarist Vivian Campbell took him up on it halfway through the tour.

Sacred Heart has an odd status in Dio’s overall discography. It led to some of the band’s most extravagant shows and some fans even group it in with the classic albums by virtue of it featuring the same lineup, but the release is ultimately colored by mixed writing and tired performances. The band’s formulaic tendencies had come home to roost with trusted templates yielding diminished returns even on the best songs. It isn’t a wild departure like Turbo or Somewhere in Time, but the stagnancy only reinforced them becoming outclassed by their peers. This is still something of a comfort listen for me, but it is an undeniable mixed bag.

Not Enough Heart to be Considered Sacred - 70%

TheHumanChair, November 2nd, 2021

After the release of his first few albums, it seemed like Dio could do no wrong. His third effort "Sacred Heart" would come along to prove that he could take some missteps. It has been well documented by Ronnie himself that when this album was being made, Vivian wanted out. He thought he could go on to "bigger" things than Dio. Due to that, it is my speculation that Dio had to do pretty much all of the songwriting for this one by himself, without having someone to really bounce things off of. Because of that, so many of the tracks on "Sacred Heart" are so heavily focused on keyboard work and sickeningly sweet/catchy choruses that it degrades the entire experience. There is absolutely no doubt that the magic had dulled somewhat, and the band no longer had any heart to it. This album is a direct result of Dio trying to pick up the pieces that Vivian Campbell was leaving for him.

Look no further than "Hungry for Heaven." I certainly don't hate "Hungry for Heaven," and for what it's trying to do, I think it's more successful than "Mystery" was on the prior album. "Hungry for Heaven" is another song that is crying for radio airplay. The keyboard work is over the top happy. It almost makes me full-on eye roll with how deliberately it attempts to be a happy and friendly track. Now...if just one song was like that, that can be understood, but then we can look at "Rock 'n' Roll Children." You have almost the same formula on this track. This one isn't quite as sickeningly happy, but on both tracks, Vivian Campbell should not have even bothered showing up. His guitar work on everything other than the solo is completely phoned in. He physically sounds like he was playing these songs one handed while sitting in a chair yawning with the other. He was never a great riff writer, but here, there's no effort from him on display. Dio is truly giving it his all to salvage things, but there's only so much cheese filled keyboard focused stuff that a Dio album can afford to produce before leaving the audience begging for the end. "Rock 'n' Roll Children" is actually one of the BETTER tracks on this record, and even then, it leaves a lot to be desired.

Truth be told, even when the album attempts to get heavier, and rid itself of being keyboard and cheese focused, it produces some of the worst tracks on the record. "Fallen Angels" greets us with one of the most pathetically generic hard rock tracks you'll ever find. This whole song sounds like something a dime a dozen hard rock act of the time would give us, not Dio. The riff is horribly generic, and Dio has a desperately cliched structure. The verse melodies are only one or two lines and then he quickly shifts focus to the chorus because that's really the only thing he had written for the song. The chorus is repeated so many times in this song, and it isn't even good. An absolutely forgettable experience. And if that wasn't bad enough, "Just Another Day" is absolutely one of the worst and most pathetic songs with Dio's voice on it. Once again, the main riff is just chugging chords with no emotion or energy to them. Jimmy Bain is actually trying really hard with his bass work, but that's the only passable thing about the song. Even Dio himself is just horrible on "Just Another Day." The chorus is...ear-splitting. It's generic, it's sappy, it's cliche, and it goes absolutely nowhere. Dio is desperately throwing in the cliched "It's alright, it's okay" vocal lines that anyone uses when they have no ideas. "Just Another Day" is a laughable attempt to turn out one more song they needed to fill space on this record.

The title track is really the one and only track that I listen to from this record frequently. Every bit of passion, energy, and work went into this title track. "Holy Diver" was a biting, grooving title track. "The Last in Line" was a much more melodically inspired adventure. "Sacred Heart" is honestly a little bit doomy for a Dio song. The main riff is exceptionally heavy and ominous. Dio's vocal lines are magical, and he's really able to give his best because he has something to work with. The keyboards on this song are made to enhance the overall experience. They're there to add some stability, and come in to shine now and then when appropriate. They're not desperate for attention. The chorus is filled with power, and the solo is really fantastic. I honestly might like "Sacred Heart" as a title track more than the other two Vivan-era title tracks. "Like the Beat of the Heart" is the only other really solid track "Sacred Heart" offers. Once again, Vivian is absolutely phoning it in, but the keyboards help hold him up. Dio's story-telling and dynamic, varied voice saves this one from the same fate as most of the rest of the record. It also helps that "Like the Beat of the Heart" never lets one part overstay its welcome, either. The song should have only been a less than 3 minute 30 second song, but they have a quick false finish and than a rambling fade out that wasn't necessary. Again, I don't think this song is one of Dio's career bests, but it definitely is one of the best on this record.

Luckily, I also spared you the effort of the cheese that is "Shoot Shoot," too, which I don't recommend. "Sacred Heart" was far from the ending to the 'classic' Dio lineup both they themselves and fans would have wanted. I honestly think the only reason this album even gets half the notoriety it gets is because people attach it to the coattails of the previous two releases. "Oh yeah! "Holy Diver" and "The Last in Line are amazing! "Sacred Heart" too!" It's a tag-along of an album. The third wheel that you feel obligated to invite to the party even though you really don't want to. "Sacred Heart" isn't a flat out awful release, but I'd hesitate to call it anything more than 'solid' at best. There are a few gems, but you're not missing much if you passed over this one. Luckily, Vivian was out after this record, and Dio would go on to bring in both a new guitarist and a new attitude for the next record.

A Heralded Debacle - 60%

ballcrushingmetal, April 22nd, 2017

Dio's third album is far from the potential that the band showed in previous releases, especially, since they turned the initial signs of creative burnout present in "The Last in Line into a blatant lack of ideas. Even worse, the band had the very brilliant idea of aligning their compositions with some of the trends that invaded the glam scene during the '80s (e.g., uninspired and sentimental synth drunk songs, cheesiness everywhere, and all that crap that fit the standards that MTV tried to impose). All these, in an aim of selling as many copies as a glam band and reaching the audiences that were obsessed with the glam music. Unfortunately, the results were too different from their expectations.

Something was wrong with the band. Campbell and Appice did not sound like themselves, and it seems that they had their hands tied and their brains turned off by the discographic company. What results more unbelievable is to find out that the lyrics of "Just Another Day" describe the band's songwriting work on this album: songs that were not done for pleasure and did not have any magic (perhaps two songs marked an exception). Numbers like "Another Lie" and "Rock 'n' Roll Children" are average Dio numbers with some good moments here and there, but they do not end up providing the riffs and drumming that much of the fanatics of the band were used to enjoy. As mentioned, they are just average.

On the other hand, the album highlights are two. The opening track is pretty much a combination of "I Speed at Night" and "Breathless" from the previous release and is another number that addresses the obsessions that Dio had with rock 'n' roll. But nothing here would be as good as the title song. This epic mid-paced doomish number is a riff-fest. It is precisely the way in which the band should have written the songs. Think about a mid-paced Black Sabbath number from Dio-era and make it more melodic, and what you obtain is this song.

Aside from these songs, in the rest of the album, there is nothing above the average nor even as outstanding as the stuff in earlier efforts, and the songs are rather silly, even though much of the Dio's trademark metaphoric songwriting techniques are present here. They could be comparable to something like Mötley Crüe having a bad day. The album is remembered as the beginning of a debacle from which they were not able to entirely recover. Nonetheless, the next releases would show some improvements (starting with the next release), and at the end, this is not as bad as "Angry Machines", but definitely a step behind.

Better When Not Compared To His First 2 LPs - 87%

YADF, May 24th, 2012

Dio was at the peak of his popularity with the release of "Sacred Heart". Both of his first two LPs had gone platinum in the U.S. (1,000,000 + in sales) and were successful across the globe. Some sort of backlash was inevitable. Many were quick to pounce on the album for being inferior to "Holy Diver" & "The Last In Line". This is true. Whereas, those other albums had no filler "Sacred Heart" had it's share of mediocrity ("Shoot Shoot", "Fallen Angels", etc..). Additionally, the production is slicker and it's obvious the band was gunning for a hit. Most likely it was record company pressure. The Dio band's first two LPs were big sellers- going Gold within a year and eventually certified platinum as already mentioned- so likely record execs though if they could get a mainstream radio hit they could better the numbers. At the time it was in the insipid, sappy power ballad. Well, Dio wasn't going there thank goodness. I wonder if they tried to get him to write one?

The pop metal "Hungry For Heaven" had appeared on a movie soundtrack ("Vision Quest") and achieved heavy airplay on Rock radio. If ever there was a Dio song (along with "Rainbow In The Dark") that should've made the Billboard Pop chart it was this but no dice. It's just appalling that utter crap like Twisted Sister could get a pop hit but Dio couldn't. Actually, it's to Dio's credit- he was just too metal and history now looks back with disdain on TS and bands like Quiet Riot while the Dio albums still get respect.

That's the U.S. In The U.K., Dio was charting but it was a different single, "Rock And Roll Children", that was the hit. It managed a #26 placing on the pop chart. So, yeah, "Sacred Heart" and the following album "Dream Evil" were the closest Dio ever came to the cliche' "selling out". So perhaps there was more keyboard and more melody but that is not selling out. Just think of how nauseating Poison was/is and you'll release that Dio never strayed that far from his signature sound. He always had a sense of melody, not just songs with memorable guitar riffs (like the overly-esteemed "Iron Man" from Ozzy/Sabbath days)

Initially, this slightly more polished strategy worked as this became Dio's biggest selling album worldwide. But, for some reason Dio's fanbase began to dwindle shortly after it exited the charts. It wasn't grunge, which killed metal's popularity years later. It wasn't that Dio's songwriting skills wen't bankrupt ("Dream Evil" was a step up from this album). It's true the EP, "Intermission", wasn't well received but that's not it. What was it then? MTV's parade of photogenic Hair Band "Rock" bands plain and simple. Crappy bands like Poison, Winger, Warrant, Europe took up all the air space until Nirvana put an end to glam metal the way punk crushed disco.

Not their best, not their worst - 74%

evermetal, October 12th, 2009

It was back in 1982 that one of the greatest vocalists and personalities of heavy metal, R.J.Dio, was practically kicked out of Black Sabbath after being their singer for two excellent albums, Heaven and Hell and Mob Rules. Shortly after he formed his own band and his answer to Sabbath were two, also great albums, Holy Diver and The Last in Line.

Having found a steady line-up, Dio released another album in 1985, called Sacred Heart. All the members of Dio, referring to them as a band and not as a single person, were very good musicians with great skills, so this release was awaited by metal fans with big expectation. And even though it did not come-up to the standards of Holy Diver, they were not let down.

Dio’s style hadn’t changed and Sacred Heart followed the footsteps of The Last in Line. Ronnie James’ abilities as a singer were not questionable and indeed, the short man with the magnificent voice is once again in great form. His unique vocals are a match for only a few other singers. He also wrote all the lyrics himself. The only problem of the album is that, not all compositions are of the same quality.

In here there are some heavy metal diamonds such as the opening track, King of Rock and Roll. A perfect introduction to the album that rocks your ass with a beautiful riff line by Vivian Campbell. Many rock fans know him from Def Lepard but his playing in Dio was superb. There is also the, known to all, metal hymn Rock ‘N’ Roll Children. The melodic keyboard lines add a wonderful feeling to the song. They are accompanied by the excellent drums of Appice and the strong bass performance of Bain.

One step below, are the songs Just Another Day and Another Lie. The first one is a fine piece of genuine hard rock/metal. With a little more than three minutes in duration, it is probably the fastest track of the album. The familiar vocals of Dio and the beautiful guitar solo place it among the top moments of the album. Another Lie is somewhat slower in speed but equally good. It has a nice break somewhere in the middle and an exploding finale. These two tracks complete, what we can say, the better half of the album.

The other half is filled with more mediocre though not bad songs. The self-titled song is the longest one, with six and a half minutes of playing time. A typical Dio melody is what you’ll find in this one. It could be useful if you wanted to make a compilation of Dio’s best songs but nothing more.

All the remaining tracks are there to fill the album. Stuff that you have heard in the releases prior to Sacred Heart. They are not horrible but it seems as if they begin to lose their inspiration as time goes by. Especially the last song, Shoot Shoot could have been left out. You can listen to them if you are doing something else at the same time but not if you want to be excited.

In general, Sacred Heart is a good album that has its great, good and bad moments. I was not disappointed but not thrilled either. I am sure that they didn’t make new fans with this one and on the other hand their old dedicated fans did not lose the faith in this great band’s abilities.

Improvement over The Last in Line - 83%

Metalwontdie, July 1st, 2009

Dio’s Sacred Heart is an improvement over The Last in Line in terms of overall album cohesiveness though it does lack as strong standout tracks. Sacred Heart is played in the same manor as Dio’s first two releases containing the more traditional/classic metal vibe, with the occasional more speed metal oriented songs. The reason why I said Sacred Heart is an improvement over the Last in Line is because it’s based more on the album as a whole then the individual songs. Filler is less prevalent but the standouts suffer because of this they are weaker than on Holy Diver and The Last in Line.

The band’s performance is top notch, especially Vivian Campbell’s (this being Vivians last album with Dio). Filler is present but every Dio album has at least some filler present. Keyboard usage is even more prevalent than on previous outings. The choruses are weaker too, and it seems that Ronnie wanted a much more guitar-oriented feel to Sacred Heart and it worked. Sacred Heart could have used a change of style or some new elements added which would have increased the entertainment value of this album. Finally the production is well done as usual, though it would have been nice to hear one of Dio’s semi ballads on Sacred Heart.

Sacred Heart while nothing special is certainly a solid album with some very memorable parts to it. Almost forgot about the lyrical approach is the usual fantasy oriented trademark Dio lyrics with a usage of metaphors. The best songs are King of Rock and Roll, Sacred Heart, Rock ‘N’ Roll Children, and Just Another Day, Hungry For Heaven is also a standout because it has the best chorus of the album. I recommend this album to fans of Dio and traditional metal only.

-6 Some filler is present
-8 Standouts are weaker than usual for Dio
-3 No new elements are added to the album

Between the mundane and the fantastical. - 88%

hells_unicorn, February 23rd, 2006
Written based on this version: 1985, CD, Warner Bros. Records

Expectation can often be the enemy of understanding, and conformity to conventional wisdom is usually the mother of all misunderstanding. For the heavy metal world, even when at its peak of popularity in the mid-1980s, there was always a feeling of going against the grain, despite taking varying degrees of inspiration from the mainstream. These are the circumstances in which an album such as Dio's famed or otherwise infamous third studio outing Sacred Heart is to be considered, an album caught between the worlds of mundane, hard rock living and the otherworldly one of fantastical storytelling, a middle ground that has long been confounded by those seeking to define its place in Ronnie James' auspicious solo career. Alongside a lyrical presentation that is a tad less heavy on grandiose metaphors is a more keyboard-oriented, AOR infused sound that is both appropriate to its 1985 year of release, yet also arguably a logical evolutionary step from the greater degree of pomp and circumstance brought into their sound on The Last In Line.

Suffice it to say, this is a polarizing album within Dio's body of work, but also one where the line that separates the champions from the detractors are a bit less clearly drawn than expected. While definitely heavy on the keyboard presence, a bit more reliant on hook-oriented radio anthems than on adventurous songwriting, and about as close to a full on glam album as anything that Ronnie would ever sign off on, it is still well situated within the riff oriented and heavy-ended character that typifies his post-Rainbow work. Many naysayers have been quick to point out the more commercial character of this album as a whole, no doubt partially influenced by guitarist Vivian Campbell's desire for all the sold out arenas to turn into a correspondingly large cash haul, it is his signature guitar work that keeps this album entrenched within the heavy metal paradigm. Relative to past work either with Dio or prior with Sweet Savage, the flashes of scream-happy lead guitar work and busy rhythmic crunch is on the tame side, but still quite far from slouch territory.

From a qualitative standpoint, Sacred Heart is a slight step down and arguably the weakest of this band's seminal offerings, which is ironic given that it boasts some of the most overtly fantastical imagery of any album ever put forth by the man on the silver mountain. The mighty dragon holding a mystic, heart-shaped charm before his chest amid a Latin inscription that roughly translates to "At the end of dreams, I will prepare the sacred heart, the magic which opens upon the altar" suggests a grand conceptual undertaking that, no doubt, inspired a number of subsequent storybook albums in the European power metal scene after the fact. Yet apart from the riveting title song, which listens like a more keyboard-drenched sequel to "The Last In Line", and the youthful rebellion story trope turned fantasy romp "Rock 'N' Roll Children" that runs along a slightly more Survivor-like AOR road to its otherwise obvious predecessor "One Night In The City", the high fantasy tale-bearing gives way to subjects more typically reserved to mainline hard rock territory.

It isn't so much to say that this album comes off as lacking in magic, but more so that the magic is of a more practical variety. There is no shortage of flash and flair when considering the busy speeder "Just Another Day" that cycles through a number of moments comparable to Sabbath hit "Turn Up The Night" and The Last In Line crusher "Evil Eyes", not to mention the punchy opening anthem "King Of Rock And Roll", featuring one of Vivian's more biting principle riffs and a witty array of lyrical quips out of Ronnie that some have imagined to be retaliatory jabs at his rival and frequently antagonistic Black Sabbath vocal predecessor Ozzy Osbourne. The pounding grooves and infectious goodness of "Like The Beast Of A Heart" listens like a slightly slicker and smoother rendition of "Straight Through The Heart", with Ronnie occasionally adding in his heavy metal rendition of Barry White via a voice modulator at key points. Truth be told, much of this album functions less as a sequel to its predecessor than it does a more streamlined revision of it.

Though the hits outnumber the misses on this somewhat schizophrenic outing, there is some weight to the claim by this album's detractors that it is more a commercial venture than a truly coherent Dio offering. The borderline glam rock anthem "Hungry For Heaven", which secured a slot on the Vision Quest film soundtrack no less, is a case study in how to write a rock radio hit while still maintaining a guitar-heavy presence. It's an unusually happy and upbeat number compared to even the likes of "Caught In The Middle" and "Mystery", but Vivian's wailing guitar and Jimmy Bain's chunky bass lines give it the needed edge to keep things nasty enough, in much the same way that the concurrent offering this outfit made to the Iron Eagle soundtrack "Hide In The Rainbow" did. Sadly, this fairly effective adoption of mid-80s commercial rock is accompanied by a number of less lustrous material. While there is a sort of Deep Purple-infused charm to the rocking riff work on "Fallen Angels" and "Another Lie", they don't really cut as hard as "Breathless" or "Gypsy", and the closer "Shoot Shoot" hits a few solid chords but fails to really deliver a winning hook.

By the standards of an 80s rock/metal affair that's measured against the likes of Twisted Sister's Come Out And Play or Krokus' Change Of Address, this album is a titan among lesser mortals, but it definitely wants for something when compared to the rest of Dio's work from his early days with Rainbow up until Strange Highways. It maintains a strong base of support among the camp of Vivian Campbell loyalists, while those who took to the previous studio albums for their overall musicality and commitment to heavy metal orthodoxy tend to view it as a commercialized blunder that was rectified after Campbell's exodus from the fold. The truth is naturally in the middle, as the song for song results are a bit stylistically inconsistent, though few can deny the efficacy of the subsequent tour that saw this band undertake one of the most ambitious stage shows in metal history. Some may call it a bump on the road due to internal turmoil between the band's front man and its axe man, whereas this writer prefers to see it as a miraculously strong album considering all of the chaos surrounding it.

(Rewritten on March 14th, 2020)

Meh...scrap metal... - 69%

Snxke, July 6th, 2004

Dio really slipped and fell on this one. The production is thin compared to the legendary first two records, the songwriting is entirely hit or miss and the overall feeling is one of a cliched band that just happened to claim an amazing frontman. Needless to say, Dio showed his first-ever signs of weakness on the CD. It's not without it's merits, but compared the storied first-half of his career this record is a shocking dissapointment.

There are at least four killer tracks on this CD. "King of Rock and Roll" has some great riffs and melodies, the title track bears an epic feel, and "Just Another Day" stand out well enough...but the rest sounds weak and uninspired. Dio was often the best of the best, here he represents the most predicatable of the most predictable. Where he should have taken the reigns from Ozzy as the "king of metal" he released a record that put metal back at least five years.

Dio is a great musician but his solo career has been riddled with constant missteps and backslides into being in a total state of befuddlement as to what is his best and what is his worst. Often times he becomes so "out of touch" with his gifts that a record like this will appear and shock the world with how lifeless it is. This also marked the first time that sales for the Dio product would decline, as fans also noticed this lack of quality.

Dio will always be "the man"...but one has to screen his many albums carefully before he invests his hard earned dollar. If you're a Dio fanatic...the few excellent songs will be enough to keep you happy. If you're just a casual fan or a lover of 80's metal this might not do it. I'd even say "skip it" and pick up "Holy Diver" and "Last in Line" as those are vastly superior to this piece of partial-junk.