JORN – Dio (2010)
When I first posted the press release about JORN’s new CD Dio, my first thought was, why on earth is JORN trying to cash in on Ronnie James Dio’s death. I thought it was out of character for him, and wondered what was up with that. Then shortly thereafter a video was released, and I knew immediately that this CD was in the works long before Ronnie’s death. Jorn Lande quickly released his own statement and all was well. New visitor’s to Hard Rock Hideout might not be familiar with the powerhouse vocalist Jorn Lande, and if you aren’t, you really ought to take a chance and explore some of JORN’s previous releases. He is a criminally under rated, monster talent that has not gotten the exposure that he has deserved.
I have always described Lande’s voice as a combination of Ronnie James Dio, and David Coverdale. I found it very fitting that he did a tribute to the singer that influenced him so greatly. Very few people could cover the mighty voice of Ronnie James Dio, and Jorn Lande does it with a lot of passion and dignity on this new CD Dio.
The first time I heard “Song For Ronnie James” it put a tear in my eye. It really hit home for me that Dio has passed on. It is a very fitting tribute to RJD. I thought it was cool that the band picked some of the lesser known tunes from Dio and included them here. “Invisible” is a song off of the ultimate DIO album, Holy Diver. Quite honestly, I always thought this song got lost behind the monster tracks “Rainbow in the Dark” and “Stand Up and Shout”. JORN’s version of this song is totally kick ass. “Shame on the Night” is another song from Holy Diver. JORN’s version could easily be released as a single in 2010.
I honestly believe Tore Moren could give Vivian Campbell a run for his money on “Stand Up and Shout” and “Don’t Talk to Strangers”. His guitar work is flawless on these songs. I actually got goose bumps off of “Don’t Talk To Strangers”. What an awesome cover!
“Lord of the Last Day” had me scrambling to find my Magica CD from DIO. I didn’t remember this song being THIS good. The original is great, as is this version.
JORN didn’t just cover the Dream Evil classic “Night People”, they turned the tempo up a notch, and possibly made it even heavier, and added some new guitar licks while doing so. Do I dare say this is better than the original?
JORN ‘s cover of “Lonely is the Word/Letters From Earth” was originally on the JORN cover CD, Unlocking the Past. You get two killer Black Sabbath tunes in one on this version. I loved this first time I heard it, and I still do.
Overall, JORN’s Dio is an incredible collection of covers that pays respect to the legend that is Ronnie James Dio. In my opinion, “Song for Ronnie James” is worth the price of admission by itself, but the cover versions on this album are equally fantastic. If you are a fan of Ronnie James Dio, you need to get this!
Rating: 
Out of 10
Track Listing:
- Song For Ronnie James
- Invisible
- Shame On The Night
- Push
- Stand Up And Shout
- Don’t Talk To Strangers
- Lord Of The Last Day
- Night People
- Sacred Heart
- Sunset Superman
- Lonely Is The Word / Letters From Earth
- Kill The King
- Straight Through The Heart (Live)
JORN is:
Jorn Lande: Lead Vocals
Willy Bendiksen: drums
Tore Moren: guitars
Jgor Gianola: guitars
Tor Erik Myhre: guitars
Nic Angileri: Bass
Leave A Comment ↓
Your right guitar and vocals are amazing! 😉
…mmh, thanx a lot Rob! i appreciate these awesome comments!!!:)) but the guitar work on Vivian’s songs it’s by me, cheers, Jgor G. 😉
You bet this is a MUST CD! Jorn Lande exhibits emotion in his vocals that comes across with not just Metal MIGHT… his vocals come across with the upmost reverence and respect for the ultra legendary Ronnie James Dio. It’s impossible to not hear this! This CD is a can’t pass up listen! Whoa goooood is Jorn Lande – “DIO”.
Agreed… Jorn Lande is “criminally under-rated” and a “monster talent”. I could not have expressed that any better way myself. A Metal kudos to you and HRH for this review!
Stone
A good album but NO ONE can come close to the sound quality of The
great 1 & Only RONNIE JAMES DIO
YOU ROCK…. GOD BLESS YOU FOR PAYING RESPECTS TO
“RONNIE JAMES DIO” …. TOTALLY AWESOME!
PEACE 🙂
ANGEL
Oh Ya, and I think that Tore would kick Vivian Campbell’s ass in a Guitar Wars Battle!!! \m/
Spot On Rob!! I love this CD. Because Ive been a DIO fan since his Rainbow days and a JORN fan for almost 10 years now. Some (those that dont know him) were quick to say JORN was cashing in on the passing of RJD . We (the fans) knew better. We know he doesnt make music for the money. He does it for the love of music.
I was also pleased like you, that he didnt just do all the most popular DIO songs. I hate picking favorites because I enjoy them all so much, but I’ll say “Dont Talk To Strangers”, “Lonely Is The Word/Letters From Earth” and “Kill The King”. And the video/song “Song For Ronnie James” Kicks My Ass. What a great tribute song. I Love It! JORN has such a great Metal/Rock vocal sound. Ballad or Rocker he can do it!!
This will always be one of my favorite CDs!!