Album Review: Resurrection Kings - Skygazer

I might be a bit of an odd duck on this, but my favorite Dio albums feature Craig Goldy. It's not that I don't think "Holy Diver" is great, but I have long thought "Dream Evil" is my favorite Dio album of them all, and I have a soft spot for "Master Of The Moon" as a hugely underrated gem, and the best thing Dio did in his later years (I don't get the love for "Magica", which bores me). That being said, I have never heard Goldy do anything outside of his Dio work that interest me in the slightest.

That includes Resurrection Kings, his version of the Dio continuation bands. Like the other band, Last In Line, Goldy's version is a pale imitation of Dio that proves what I always knew; the appeal of Dio was almost entirely Dio himself. Without his charisma, neither Vivian Campbell, Craig Goldy, or Doug Aldritch either, make music that I've ever thought is beyond 'meh'.

Nothing says 'meh' quite like leading off the album with a song called "Skygazer", which only draws the comparison to "Stargazer", and no one is ever going to win that battle. Chas West can't match Ronnie, and he sounds totally strained trying to belt like that, and the song itself lacks any of the epicness or mystical flair that would elevate it. It's an inflated, average song. That's the thing about a lot of bands like this, where 'names' from old bands get put together without much attention being paid to the fact that none of these people were ever the key songwriters, so they don't have the skills to make a great record.

Goldy plays guitar in a simple style, which puts most of the spotlight on the vocalist. That was fine when working with a larger-than-life presence like Dio, but Chas doesn't have the vocal power, charisma, or melodic writing chops to turn these songs into something compelling. They largely feel like they are missing the spark to elevate them. I won't say they sound like demos that would be brought into the studio before a producer polishes them, but they clearly aren't in the same league with any of the records the players made when they were working with Dio.

Albums like this are good reminders that songwriting is what trumps everything. Resurrection Kings features a lineup of talented players, but without great songs to play, that means nothing. Not everyone who is talented with an instrument, or their voice, is also going to be a great songwriter, and far too many bands don't realize that until they've already made a record and put out a poor first impression. This is Resurrection Kings' second impression, and it isn't any better. After now hearing two records that offer only so much, it might be hard to justify giving them another chance.

The thing that does give me a bit of hope is probably not something they would like me to say. The softer material, like the ballad "Don't Blame Our Love', is the best of what they give us. When they try to get heavy, they are seriously outclassed. Chas is trying too hard, and Goldy's guitar tone can't handle it, but their slightly more AOR songs could lead to something good in the future. I don't think they have any intention of going down that road, but if they did, I would be interested. If they want to continue living in Dio's shadow, they will continue to disappoint.