Four latter-era Dio albums will be reissued next year with previously unreleased recordings.
Beginning with 1996’s Angry Machines — including 2000’s Magica and 2002’s Killing the Dragon — and ending with 2004’s Master of the Moon, each release will feature remastered audio and a bonus disc of rare content. In addition to CD re-releases, each will be available for the first time as standalone vinyl releases with lenticular covers; the Magica vinyl will include a seven-inch of “Electra,” which the band’s late frontman, Ronnie James Dio, had planned for the sequel Magica 2. Each of the reissues will be available via BMG on physical media and digitally on February 21st.
“I am very excited to be working with BMG, a label that still has a passion for rock music,” the singer’s widow, Wendy, said in a statement. “They will be making the complete Dio catalogue available again with some interesting surprises.”
The CD versions, which feature the bonus material, will come in “mediabook packaging.” The second disc for Angry Machines will include 12 tracks recorded on the tour for that album in 1997. Magica contains live recordings from the 2001 tour in support of that album, as well as “Electra” and an 18-minute, spoken-word recording called “Magica Story.”
Killing the Dragon includes five recordings from 2002 and 2003. And Master of the Moon features four live tracks, recorded in 2004 and 2005, and the previously unreleased studio track “Prisoner of Paradise.” All of the bonus material will be included in the digital releases.
In 2015 —the year Tenacious D won the metal Grammy for a cover of Dio’s “The Last in Line” — actor and Dio fanatic Jack Black paid his respects to Ronnie James Dio in an interview with Rolling Stone. “In this age of electronic music and robotic voice synthesizers, I hope there is a kid out there with the talent and the sense of adventure to follow in Dio’s footsteps,” he said. “Rock & roll could use another Ronnie James Dio right about now.”
Angry Machines bonus disc track list:
All tracks are live recordings.
1. “Jesus Mary and The Holy Ghost”/”Straight Through the Heart”
2. “Don’t Talk to Strangers”
3. “Double Monday”
4. “Hunter of the Heart”
5. “Holy Diver”
6. “Heaven and Hell”
7. “Long Live Rock and Roll”
8. “Man on the Silver Mountain”
9. “Rainbow In The Dark”
10. “The Last in Line”
11. “The Mob Rules”
12. “We Rock”
Magica bonus disc track list:
All tracks are live recordings except where noted.
1. “Discovery”
2. “Magica”
3. “Lord of the Last Day”
4. “Fever Dreams”
5. “Eriel “
6. “Chalis”
7. “Losing My Insanity”
8. “Otherworld”
9. “Electra” (Studio Track)
10. “Magica Story” (spoken word, studio track)
Killing the Dragon bonus disc track list:
All tracks are live recordings.
1. “Holy Diver”
2. “Heaven and Hell”
3. “Rock and Roll”
4. “I Speed at Night”
5. “Killing the Dragon”
6. “Stand Up and Shout”
Master of the Moon bonus disc track list:
All tracks are live recordings except where noted.
1. “Heaven and Hell”
2. “Rainbow in the Dark”
3. “Rock and Roll Children”
4. “The Eyes”
5. “Prisoner of Paradise” (studio recording)