Cover Wars: "Holy Diver"

VS.

 

Greetings, loyal readers, all…maybe 10 of you…and welcome back to Rave Up Music! As always, I am the man known as Barius, and judging by my imaginary wrist watch that is going off (or is it coming on?), it is time once again for “Cover Wars!”

For today’s edition of “Cover Wars,” we are playing homage to one of the legends of heavy metal, who would have been 71 years old today (which today also happens to be my birthday as well. Yay!). Today, we are looking at one of the biggest hits from the man who is credit with giving us the “metal horns.” That is correct; we are looking at the late, great Ronnie James Dio, and his well known hit, “Holy Diver.”

True fact: Dio adapted the metal horns from his grandmother.

For those of you reading this blog that are not familiar with Ronnie James Dio, he was considered to be one of the founding fathers of heavy metal music. Dio, born July 10^th, 1942 as Ronald James Padavona, spent much of his formal years studying opera and brass music. Like many young musicians of the time, Ronnie was inspired by rock ‘n’ roll, which he eventually decided to pursue as a career.

True fact: Dio was offered a scholarship to attend the Juilliard School of Music before pursuing a career in rock music.

Due to his love of opera and his studied of proper breathing techniques from playing brass instrument, Ronnie developed one of the most powerful singing voices ever, and made him an in-demand vocalist for many rock and heavy metal bands. Many of the bands that Dio performed in included Elf, the Richie Blackmore-led Rainbow, and even a stint in the original heavy metal band Black Sabbath, replacing Ozzy Osbourne. Dio would even reform with the members of Black Sabbath in 2006 under the name “Heaven & Hell,” a name that came from the first Sabbath album with Dio on vocals. Dio also formed his own band in 1982, simply called “Dio,” and released their first album Holy Diver one year later, which featured the title track, a down-to-earth, yet grand sounding song grounded in the realm of fantasy, a common theme found in many of Dio’s albums.

Sadly, in November of 2009, Ronnie James Dio was diagnosed with stomach cancer, and Dio eventually succumbed to the disease, passing away on May 16^th, 2010 at age 67, leaving behind a fifty three-year career, and millions of fans around the world. The legacy of Ronnie James Dio and his contribution to heavy metal continues to be felt today, as well as before his passing, with several bands paying tribute to the metal legend, including today’s rival in “Cover Wars.” The song “Holy Diver” has become a standard for many metal bands to cover, and one notable covers from the metalcore band Killswitch Engage.

Killswitch Engage with former singer Howard Jones (center)

Formed in 1999, Killswitch Engage, also known as KSE, combines elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk in a genre commonly referred to as “metalcore.” This genre of metal utilizes what is known as “breakdown” sections, which are slow, yet intense musical moments designed for hardcore moshing. Many metalcore band singers use a growl vocal throughout the verses, but use a clean, more understandable chorus/slight bridge section. If there is one band I feel performs the metalcore genre the best, it is Killswitch Engage, particularly the albums that feature vocalist Howard Jones. Their contribution to the metal msuic has made them one of the notable bands in the New Wave of American Heavy Metal Music movement.

Sad Fact: Singer Howard Jones had to leave the Killswitch Engage in 2012 due to declining health issues with type-2 diabetes.

The band has sited many classic metal bands as their inspiration for playing music, and one of those inspirations was Ronnie James Dio. To play homage to the metal legend, KSE recorded a version of “Holy Diver” for the High Voltage!: A Brief History of Rock compilation disc from Kerrang! Magazine, and was later released on their special edition released of their 2006 studio album, As Daylight Dies. While there have been many cover version of “Holy Diver” before they covered it, the version by KSE was the band’s first single to enter the Top 20 Billboard Mainstream Rock Charts.

With two successful, well-known versions of the same song, it begs the question: which one is the best? That is what we are going to try and find out today. So, get your moshpit boots on, as we dive on in and compare the legendary Dio to one of the founding members of metalcore Killswitch Engage in this edition of “Cover Wars!”

The Original Version:

Right off the bat, Dio’s version of the song creates an atmosphere of mystery and intrigue thanks to the use of synthesizers. However, that atmosphere dissipates as the main guitar riff of the song kicks in. The beat of the song is one that is down to Earth, and just makes you bob your head up and down.

Even Arnold can groove to this one…

The music and lyrics create this fantasy world that is not much different than one you would find playing a game of Dungeons & Dragons. Or, if  you are a bit too young for that, than it is like being swept away into world of Azeroth from World of Warcraft. Wow, I never thought I would make a WOW reference on this blog. Although, I guess Dio could pull off being a character from that game…

Well, maybe a character from Diablo II or Dark Souls…

The meaning of the lyrics has been up to debate for many years. Some people argue it is in reference to Jesus Christ while other debates it as the struggles between God and Satan. Some say it is the story of a tiger being pursued by the holy diver, a man who has been betrayed by religion. Whatever the true meaning of the lyrics is, they do paint a picture of a man being a quest to defeat his enemy. Dio’s vocal performance really helps sell the song’s story, and gives the feelings of grandeur and triumph.

If I do have to give some criticism to the song, it would be its repetitive nature. Though the song has a great, steady beat, there is little variation in the song. It has the common heavy metal song structure of intro-verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge (guitar solo)-verse-chorus-outro. Though this is a nice rock formula, it is a very safe formula. However, this is not necessarily a bad thing. Honest, if I were to going to select songs to someone new to heavy metal music, “Holy Diver” would be one of the first songs I would have them listen to. The song has that right amount of heavy metal edge that it is not too harsh for someone listening to it for the first time. I mean, it is not like I am having them listen to Cradle of Filth…

True Fact: NEVER LISTEN TO THIS BAND LATE AT NIGHT IN THE DARK! You will have nightmares for weeks…or, maybe that was just my experience…

Overall, Dio’s version of “Holy Diver” has memorable riffs, epic vocals from Ronnie himself, and sense that by the song ends, you will be riding the tiger.

The Cover Version:

Right out of the gate, KSE takes the steady beat of Dio’s “Holy Diver” and cranks up the intensity up to 11!

A classic mockumentary…

Killswitch takes the original main guitar riff, and adds a bit of an edge to it. The song as a whole has more rough edges to it, and it even feels like at times to be a bit faster on certain sections, like the chorus sections. The band takes the basic rock formula and adds a lot of guitar and drum fills that gives the feeling that this “quest” the Holy Diver is on is a matter of life or death, and that you want to see what happens to him.

There are two parts of the instrumental component of the song that really stand out for me. One of these parts is the overall drum work of KSE drummer Justin Foley. Foley’s drumming on “Holy Diver” in very percussive, but also melodic, which complements the guitar work of guitarists Adam Dutkiewicz and Joel Stroetzel.

True Fact: Foley has a Master’s Degree in Percussion from the Hartt School of Music of the University of Hartford

The other instrumental part of this version of “Holy Diver” that really stands out is the bridge breakdown section. It has so much raw energy to it that it makes me want to slam into the closest living thing near me. Of course, the only closest living thing I can see at the moment is a twenty-foot tall tree and I am not going to go running into that thing…again…

However, the highlight of this cover of “Holy Diver” is the vocal abilities of Howard Jones. Every time I hear Jones sing this song, I get goose bumps. There is so much strength, power, and energy in his voice that I get really into it. With that said though, sections in his voice where the growly, screaming vocals can be a bit grating on my ears. However, it is not as bad as some other KSE songs.

Overall, there are a lot of good things about the Killswitch Engage version of “Holy Diver.” It is intense, the drumming is very musical and complements the guitar work, and the vocals are so powerful that it sends shivers down your spine.

The Winner:

To be honest with all of you, I was a bit hesitant to do this “Cover Wars” review. Sometimes, it can be difficult comparing two versions of a song if they both come from the same genre of music. It is usually easily to compare versions if they are from two separate genres, such as pop version of a country song. Heck, maybe it would have been easier to compare Dio’s version to the Pat Boone version…

…On second thought, I might have to look at that whole album at a later time…

When it comes to the two versions of “Holy Diver,” both of them have their strengths and their weaknesses. The original version by Dio is an epic song with a memorable main riff, a nice, steady beat, and the great voice of Ronnie James Dio. However, the song does stick to a basic rock song for structure, and has very little various to it.

At the same time, the Killswitch Engage version takes the elements of the original and gives it a bit more intensity. The riffs are heavier, the tempo is a bit faster, and Howard Jones’ vocals are quite powerful. However, those same vocals can be a bit rough on the ears when Jones screams or growls in his singing. Also, for the casual listener, the metalcore style might be too much to take in right away. But still, it is a very hard rockin’ song.

Overall, both versions have their pros and cons about them that make them almost equal in their heavy metal awesomeness. And, I know some of you may not like my decision, but I cannot decide which version is better. Therefore, I declare this edition of “Cover Wars,” to be a TIE. Both versions are really great in their own right, and I recommend it for all metalheads and even your casual music listeners out there.

WINNER: IT IS A TIE! BOTH VERSIONS ARE GREAT!

If you have enjoyed the Killswitch Engage version of “Holy Diver” and want to listen to more, I encourage you to check out their albums, and if you want to go see them live, check out their website http://www.killswitchengage.com/ for recent news and tour dates. And although Dio has passed on, his legend continues through the Dio tribute band, Dio Disciples, which can find more information on at http://www.ronniejamesdio.com  and if you want to join the fight against stomach cancer, look up the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund (the current link to www.diocancerfund.org is currently inactive) for more information.

Well, that brings us to the end of another edition of “Cover Wars,” and another blog post here on Rave Up Music. Come join again next time for our first edition of “Musical Media” as we take on one of the juggernauts of entertainment: The Walt Disney Company! Until then, I am Barius, and as always, keep on rockin’!

Fun Fact: This is the end of this blog post. That is all.

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For Ronnie...