This press release showed up in my email inbox this morning.
Can't wait to get a copy of this album - it should be EPIC.
For Immediate Release
February 6, 2014
New RONNIE JAMES DIO Covers Album “This Is Your Life”
Celebrates the Life and Legacy of a Legend
Available April 1, 2014 via Rhino
This Is Your Life
Pays Tribute To The Late Singer With Covers Of
His Greatest Songs From Rainbow, Black Sabbath, And Dio
Features
Newly Recorded Tracks From Anthrax, Halestorm, Rob Halford, Metallica,
Motörhead, Scorpions, Corey Taylor, And Tenacious D, Among Others
To Benefit The Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund
Ronnie James Dio
is one of the most beloved figures in rock history. His gifts, both as a
singer and songwriter, are instantly recognizable, whether he was with
Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell, or leading Dio. Sadly,
Dio lost his battle with stomach cancer in 2010, but his towering voice and legacy live on.
To
celebrate one of rock’s most powerful voices, an all-star group of his
friends and fans recorded 13 of their favorite tracks for a tribute
album that will raise funds for the
Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund
(diocancerfund.org). Produced by his longtime manager and wife Wendy
Dio, the album includes contributions by such metal heavyweights as
Metallica, Motörhead, Scorpions, Anthrax, and Rob Halford, as well as appearances by many of the musicians who performed with
Dio over the years.
This Is Your Life
will be available from Rhino on April 1, 2014 for a suggested list price of $18.98. A digital version will also be available.
Although the songs featured on the album touch on the different eras of
Dio’s career, several spotlight his time with Rainbow, including
Metallica’s epic, nine-minute “Ronnie Rising Medley,” which combines the Rainbow songs “A Light In The Black,” “Tarot Woman,” “Stargazer,” and “Kill The King.”
Scorpions add a scorching take on “The Temple Of The King” while Motörhead is joined by Biff Byford from
Saxon on “Starstruck.” Rob Halford teams with frequent Dio
collaborators Vinny Appice, Doug Aldrich, Jeff Pilson, and Scott Warren
for “The Man On The Silver Mountain.” The final line-up of
Dio’s solo band – Simon Wright, Craig Goldy, Rudy Sarzo and Scott Warren – are joined by
Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple, Black Sabbath) for “Catch The Rainbow,” a track from
Rainbow’s 1975 debut.
Anthrax and
Adrenaline Mob honor Dio’s memorable stint with Black Sabbath
with their takes on “Neon Knights” and “The Mob Rules” respectively, as
does a group, led by Oni Logan on vocals along with Jimmy Bain, Rowan
Robertson, and Brian Tichy, which
performs “I” from Dehumanizer.
This Is Your Life also includes songs from
Dio’s back-to-back platinum albums Holy Diver (1983) and The Last In Line (1984), with
Doro’s take on “Egypt (The Chains Are On)”, Halestorm tackling “Straight Through The Heart,”
Corey Taylor (Stone Sour, Slipknot) covering the classic “Rainbow In The Dark” and
Tenacious D (Jack Black and Kyle Glass) putting their signature spin on “The Last In Line.”
Killswitch Engage’s cover of “Holy Diver,” a hit in its own right when released in 2006, is also included here.
Fittingly,
Ronnie James Dio provides the finale (and the album’s title) with his moving performance of “This Is Your Life.” Originally released on
Angry Machines (1996), the song’s lyrics explore mortality and are backed by a stark and beautiful arrangement that features
Dio accompanied only by his longtime keyboardist Scott Warren on
piano. The song serves as a poignant reminder that we will never hear a
voice like
Dio’s again.
The Ronnie James Dio
Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund, co-founded by Wendy Dio, is a
non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable fund dedicated to supporting
cancer-prevention research, raising awareness
and educating the public about the vital importance of early detection
and prevention when dealing with this deadly disease.
RONNIE JAMES DIO: This Is Your Life Track Listing:
- “Neon Knights” – Anthrax*
- “The Last In Line” – Tenacious D*
- “The Mob Rules” – Adrenaline Mob
- “Rainbow In The Dark” – Corey Taylor, Roy Mayorga, Satchel, Christian Martucci, Jason Christopher*
- “Straight Through The Heart” – Halestorm*
- “Starstruck” – Motörhead with Biff Byford*
- “The Temple Of The King” – Scorpions*
- “Egypt (The Chains Are On)” – Doro
- “Holy Diver” – Killswitch Engage
- “Catch The Rainbow” – Glenn Hughes, Simon Wright, Craig Goldy, Rudy Sarzo, Scott Warren*
- “I” – Oni Logan, Jimmy Bain, Rowan Robertson, Brian Tichy*
- “Man On The Silver Mountain” – Rob Halford, Vinny Appice, Doug Aldrich, Jeff Pilson, Scott Warren*
- “Ronnie Rising Medley (Featuring A Light In The Black, Tarot Woman, Stargazer, Kill The King)” – Metallica*
- “This Is Your Life” – Dio
* Previously unreleased
To connect with us for press inquiries
and additional information, please contact Adrenaline PR and Maria
Ferrero at 732-462-4262 or maria@adrenalinepr.com.
To connect with Rhino for label inquiries, please contact Jason Elzy at 818-238-6220 or
jason.elzy@rhino.com.
To connect with the SUAS Cancer Fund, please contact Sharon Weisz at 323-934-2700 or
w3pr@yahoo.com.
About The Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund
The
Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund is a privately funded
501(c)(3) charity organization which has already raised more than
$600,000 in its short history.
Monies raised to date have been committed to the cancer research work
of the T. J. Martell Foundation for Cancer, AIDS and Leukemia Research
and the gastric cancer research unit of the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
in Houston, where Ronnie was treated for gastric
cancer during the last six months of his life.
