Holy Diver (song)
Encyclopedia
"Holy Diver" is the first single released by heavy metal
band Dio
, taken from the band's debut album of the same name
. Although it only reached #40 on the Mainstream Rock chart at that time, today it is one of Dio's most popular songs.
When played on the radio, many stations cut the extended instrumental intro sequence.
Following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, the song was placed on the list of post-9/11 inappropriate titles distributed by Clear Channel
.
In 2009, Holy Diver placed 43rd on VH1
's Top 100 Hard Rock Songs.
for "Holy Diver", directed and edited by Arthur Ellis, features Dio as a hairy barbarian adventuring through a desolate church. First he strikes a shrouded figure and his hobgoblin
friend with his sword, but instead of killing them he turns them into rat
s. He later visits a blacksmith
who is forging a sword
. He throws his sword
in the trash and deftly catches the newly forged one.
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band Dio
Dio (band)
Dio was an American heavy metal band from Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Formed in 1982 and led by vocalist Ronnie James Dio, after he left Black Sabbath with intentions to form a new band with fellow former Black Sabbath member, drummer Vinny Appice. Naming the band Dio made sense from a commercial...
, taken from the band's debut album of the same name
Holy Diver
Holy Diver is the debut album from American heavy metal band Dio.-History:Released on May 25, 1983, the album has been hailed by critics as Dio's best work and a classic staple in the heavy metal genre. The album was eventually certified Gold in the US on September 12, 1984 and Platinum on March...
. Although it only reached #40 on the Mainstream Rock chart at that time, today it is one of Dio's most popular songs.
When played on the radio, many stations cut the extended instrumental intro sequence.
Following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, the song was placed on the list of post-9/11 inappropriate titles distributed by Clear Channel
Clear channel
A clear-channel station is an AM band Radio station in North America that has the highest protection from interference from other stations, particularly concerning night-time skywave propagation. Usually known as class A stations since 1982, they are occasionally still referred to by their former...
.
In 2009, Holy Diver placed 43rd on VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
's Top 100 Hard Rock Songs.
Music video
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for "Holy Diver", directed and edited by Arthur Ellis, features Dio as a hairy barbarian adventuring through a desolate church. First he strikes a shrouded figure and his hobgoblin
Hobgoblin
Hobgoblin is a term typically applied in folktales to describe a friendly but troublesome creature of the Seelie Court.The most commonly known hobgoblin is the character Puck in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Puck, however, is only another name given to a much older character named Robin...
friend with his sword, but instead of killing them he turns them into rat
Rat
Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents of the superfamily Muroidea. "True rats" are members of the genus Rattus, the most important of which to humans are the black rat, Rattus rattus, and the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus...
s. He later visits a blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
who is forging a sword
Sword
A sword is a bladed weapon used primarily for cutting or thrusting. The precise definition of the term varies with the historical epoch or the geographical region under consideration...
. He throws his sword
Sword
A sword is a bladed weapon used primarily for cutting or thrusting. The precise definition of the term varies with the historical epoch or the geographical region under consideration...
in the trash and deftly catches the newly forged one.
Covers
- Pat BoonePat BooneCharles Eugene "Pat" Boone is an American singer, actor and writer who has been a successful pop singer in the United States during the 1950s and early 1960s. He covered black artists' songs and sold more copies than his black counterparts...
, on his album In a Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice GuyIn a Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice GuyIn a Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice Guy is a 1997 album by Pat Boone in which Boone, after critisizing groups like Duran Duran for their James Bond theme and number one hit A View To A Kill because of their lyric "Dance Into the Fire" being devil worshipping and unholy, covers hard rock and heavy...
, with Ronnie James DioRonnie James DioRonald James Padavona , better known as Ronnie James Dio, was an American heavy metal vocalist and songwriter. He performed with, amongst others, Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell, and his own band Dio, which means God in Italian. Other musical projects include the collective fundraiser...
himself on backing vocals. - MetalcoreMetalcoreMetalcore is a subgenre of heavy metal combining various elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. The name is a portmanteau of the names of the two genres. The term took on its current meaning in the mid-1990s, describing bands such as Earth Crisis, Deadguy and Integrity...
band Killswitch EngageKillswitch EngageKillswitch Engage is an American metalcore band from Westfield, Massachusetts, formed in 1999 after the disbandment of Overcast and Aftershock. Killswitch Engage's current lineup consists of vocalist Howard Jones, bassist Mike D'Antonio, guitarists Joel Stroetzel and Adam Dutkiewicz, and drummer...
covers the song on a compilation album entitled High Voltage!: A Brief History of RockHigh Voltage!: A Brief History of RockHigh Voltage!: A Brief History of Rock is a Kerrang! covermount CD released on May 31, 2006, featuring many older rock songs, covered by newer rock artists.-Track listing:#"Start Today" - Fall Out Boy...
for Kerrang!Kerrang!Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
magazine. The song is also in the re-release of the band's As Daylight DiesAs Daylight DiesAs Daylight Dies is the fourth studio album by American metalcore band Killswitch Engage. It was released on November 21, 2006 through Roadrunner Records. It was produced by Adam Dutkiewicz and Joel Stroetzel.- Background and release :...
album. It is KSE's first top 20 single on Billboard's Mainstream Rock ChartsMainstream Rock TracksHot Mainstream Rock Tracks is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music. Modern rock tracks are counted in the Alternative Songs chart.This chart began with the March 21, 1981, issue...
and also includes a music video which is a slightly comical take on the original Dio version. A live version of the song is also featured on the Special Edition of their 2009 album Killswitch EngageKillswitch Engage (2009 album)Killswitch Engage is the fifth studio album by American metalcore band Killswitch Engage. It was released on June 30, 2009 through Roadrunner Records. It is the band's second album to be self-titled, the first being their debut album of the same name. It was produced by Adam Dutkiewicz and Brendan...
. - Folk metalFolk metalFolk metal is a sub-genre of heavy metal music that developed in Europe during the 1990s. As the name suggests, the genre is a fusion of heavy metal with traditional folk music...
band OtygOtygOtyg was a folk metal band from Sweden, featuring Andreas Hedlund, the frontman for Vintersorg.During their existence, Otyg released two albums with songs written in traditional Scandinavian folk style, featuring traditional Scandinavian instruments not frequently heard in heavy metal, such as the...
recorded a version and have also performed it live. - EläkeläisetEläkeläisetEläkeläiset are a Finnish humppa band founded in 1993. They specialise in humppa and jenkka music and have been successful in Germany, Finland and elsewhere....
(HumppaHumppaHumppa is a type of music from Finland. It is related to jazz and very fast foxtrot, played two beats to a bar . Typical speed is about 220 to 260 beats per minute. Humppa is also the name of a few social dances danced to humppa music. All dances involve bounce that follows the strong bass of the...
band from FinlandFinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
) reinterpret it in their song Humpparaakki on their album Humppamaratooni. - Sum 41Sum 41Sum 41 is a Canadian rock band from Ajax, Ontario. The band was formed in 1996 and currently consists of members Deryck Whibley , Tom Thacker , Jason McCaslin and Steve Jocz .In 1999, the band signed an international record deal with Island Records...
played the song on acoustic guitar for the MTV Show JammedJammedThe is the second The Church recording of improvised jam rock after the 1998 Bastard Universe bonus disc from Hologram of Baal.-Track listing:#"The Sexual Act" - 38:44 #"Interlock" - 20:00...
. - Children of BodomChildren of BodomChildren of Bodom is a Finnish heavy metal band from Espoo. Formed in 1993, the group currently consists of Alexi Laiho , Roope Latvala , Janne Wirman , Henkka Seppälä , and Jaska Raatikainen...
paid homage to this theme including its initial riff in the intro to their song "Downfall" in live shows; this can be heard and seen in the Chaos Ridden Years live album/DVD. - Sons of ButcherSons of Butcher (band)-External links:* * *...
have also performed it live. - Tenacious DTenacious DTenacious D is an American rock band that was formed in Los Angeles, California in 1994. Composed of lead vocalist and guitarist Jack Black and lead guitarist and vocalist Kyle Gass, the band has released two albums – Tenacious D and The Pick of Destiny...
has performed parts of the song live. - HolyHellHolyHellHolyHell is a power metal band, formed in 2005, who are being produced by Joey DeMaio of Manowar. The band has delayed the release of their debut album, choosing instead to tour with Manowar and Rhapsody of Fire....
has done a cover of the song at some live performances. - After All, a Belgian thrash band, covered the song on their 2009 album Cult of Sin.
- Axel Rudi PellAxel Rudi PellAxel Rudi Pell is a German guitar player, playing melodic heavy metal. He started off with the band Steeler before leaving to start his solo career in 1989 with the eponymous band Axel Rudi Pell...
, a good friend of Dio's, recorded a ballad cover on his compilation album, The Ballads IV in 2011. - Holy Mother, played a cover of it in the tribute album Holy Dio.
Appearances
- Cover version is featured in Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80sGuitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80sGuitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s is a music video game and the third installment in the popular Guitar Hero series...
. - It is featured in 2006 video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City StoriesGrand Theft Auto: Vice City StoriesGrand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories is a 2006 sandbox-style action video game developed by Rockstar Leeds in association with Rockstar North. It was published by Rockstar Games for the PlayStation Portable in late 2006 and later for the PlayStation 2 in March 2007. The game is the eighth...
, on the in-game radio station V-Rock. - It is downloadable content for Rock BandRock BandRock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
music video game series since September 14th, 2010. - It is played in the South ParkSouth ParkSouth Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
episode "Hooked on Monkey Fonics". - It is featured in Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny.
- It is the lead-off song in the Matchstick Films "Ski Movie" trilogy.
- San Francisco GiantsSan Francisco GiantsThe San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
slugger Pat BurrellPat BurrellPatrick Brian "Pat" Burrell , nicknamed "Pat the Bat," is a Major League Baseball outfielder who is currently a free agent. He stands tall and weighs . He bats and throws right-handed...
used the song in 2005, 2006, and 2009 as his at-bat music.