Magic: A Tribute to Ronnie James Dio was released rather quickly after the singer’s passing.  Manowar caught a lof of flack for “cashing in” causing the band to actually have to defend their professional and personal relationship with the late singer.  After all, both Joey DeMaio and Manowar’s current sound engineer Dawk Stillwell were part of Black Sabbath’s 1980 tour crew. Dio is on Manowar’s Hell on Earth III DVD and DeMaio stated it was Dio who introduced him to Ross the Boss, thus creating Manowar.  But, even that didn’t cut it with some fans and critics. But as always, the music does the talking.

          Kicking off the tribute album is undoubtedly one of the strongest tracks on the disc.  By this point, “Heaven and Hell” has reached the stratosphere of classic Metal anthems and Manowar does a bang up job on the song.  The song remains strikingly true to the original, with even Karl Logan’s solo totally channeling Tony Iommi.  DeMaio bass drives the song and Eric Adams delivers the usualy goods.  It’s Manowar doing an essential Black Sabbath song like only Manowar would. 

          Gothic Metallers HolyHell deliver a live version of “Holy Diver” that is surprisingly sterile. The keyboards are beefed up and the song sounds like it was studio produced.  The band sounds tight but vocalist Maria Breon comes off rather flat in several sections.  Perhaps the song is played too close to the chest or Breon didn’t know how to handle the subtle Dio-isms (her “jump, jump” is painfully off) in the song.  While not bad, it just sounds strained in spots where it should not. 

          Germany’s Metalforce cranks out an innocuous and straight-forward version of “The Last In Line.” while the Magic Circle All-Star Band (promo materials do not identify the All-Stars) grinds out Rainbow’s “Long Live Rock ‘n Roll.”  It’s a strong version of a classic song with the only update being slightly more beefy keyboards.  Awaken cranks out a slightly faster version of “I Speed at Night” that allows the twin guitars to actually sweeten up the riffs.   Crosswind unloads a Power Metal version of “A Light in the Black.” Perhaps the most unexpected cover on the disc, the band does a great job with nice shredding, juicing up the Blackmore trademark melodies and a slightly faster pace. The track is a spectacular cover and the best one of the album.

          Two originals come from Dean Cascione and Feinstein.  Cascione’s “Never More” is a brooding instrumental. The neoclassical guitarist channels the best of Malmsteen and crafts are rather striking and subtle, yet ultimately somber track.  Feinstein appears with “Far Beyond,” which originally appeared on the 2004 album, Third Wish. The song is derived from riffs that Vivian Campbell or Iommi would have possibly crafted in 80s and a bass groove that totally apes “Heaven and Hell.”  Considering all the commotion about the song’s inclusion on the album from David Feinstein, one would think it was something special or controversial.  Rather, it’s a very tepid piece of Metal, clearly derivative of Dio’s music and the worst track on the disc.

          Harlet does a grinding version of “Straight Through the Heart” and Jack Starr’s Burning Starr does a marvelous job with “Catch the Rainbow.” The song originally appeared on the band’s 2009 album, Defiance. Its inclusion here might be a bit of a double dip, but it’s a great cover and the second essential track on the tribute.

          The tracks from Crosswind, Jack Starr’s Burning Starr and Manowar as well as Cascione’s instrumental are the most essential pieces form the album.  Overall the production is spectacular and artist Ken Kelly’s ramp on the Rainbow Rising is phenomenal.  Is Magic - A Tribute to Ronnie James Dio are cash grab?  No.  Manowar was clearly influenced by Ronnie James Dio.  And it’s clear Magic Circle Music’s roster is rife with bands were also influenced by the legend.  Yes, the release timing does appear suspect. But the quality of Magic - A Tribute to Ronnie James Dio proves the project wasn’t tossed together and that Manowar and others wanted to crank out a Dio-helmed tune in honor of the great vocalist. 

          While Century Media’s 1999 Dio tribute Holy Dio - A Tribute to the Voice of Metal may have a better roster and more songs, Magic: A Tribute to Ronnie James Dio is clearly meant for not only Dio fans, but most importantly fans of the Magic Circle Music stable.  Fans of Manowar, Crosswind and Jack Starr will not want to miss these versions while general Dio fans will really only find the Manowar and Crosswind tracks interesting. But whether you are a Manowar fan or not, Magic: A Tribute to Ronnie James Dio is vastly superior to the spotty Dwell Record’s 1999 Dio tribute disc, Awaken the Demon.