This week I have a special treat. Well at least for me.
Tonight features what must be the quintessential videos and songs of what was known as "Sword and Sorcerery Rock".
And the lord of all of these was none other than Ronnie James Dio!
He fronted Black Sabbath, Rainbow and his own band Dio. He was a rocker and showman and by all accounts a great guy.
So here we have some of his most "D&D" songs ever. These were huge inspiration to me in the day and then again later one when I was working on newer games.
Man on the Silver Mountain might just be one of the first "Sword and Sorcerery" songs recorded by a "metal" group. Ritchie Blackmore left Deep Purple and after hearing Dio sing wanted him for his new band, Rainbow. Of course the reasons Deep Purple had problems continued to plague Rainbow, but not before we got Man on the Silver Mountain.
Dio left Rainbow and about that time Ozzy
Heaven and Hell is considered to be one of the penultimate Dio-fronted Black Sabbath songs.
Black Sabbath and Dio parted ways, but that gave us one of the best 80s metal bands and early darling of MTV's metal playlist. Many nights when playing D&D we had to stop to watch Holy Diver or The Last in Line.
Rainbow in the Dark became something of a theme during my Buffy playtests.
These are all on my list, especially the Rainbow ones!
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