Album Review: Dream Child's Until Death Do We Meet Again

Okay, so I'm a couple of years too late on this review. Technically about 18 months. This album came and went rather quickly and I had forgotten about it until recently. I decided to go back and give it a good workout. Ronnie James Dio was a one of a kind performer. In fact the only way to be faithful to his memory is by hologram. That's what Dio's widow is up to these days. She's helped design a show for Dio fans who want the experience of seeing her late husband in his prime.

For those of us who might enjoy something more forward looking, the band Dream Child might be the next chapter in the Dio story. Former Dio band members Craig Goldy (guitar), Rudy Sarzo (bass) and Simon Wright (drums) decided to make some classic music that according to Goldy, was no longer being made. He was urged to capture the spirit of bands like Rainbow, Deep Purple and early Whitesnake. The only ingredient missing was a vocalist. Enter Argentinian singer Diego Valdez. Scary but if you get rid of the e and the g in Diego's name, you get Dio. Coincidence? I think not. Wait 'til you hear the guy. While not a replica of Ronnie, his deep swagger works perfectly for this heavy and sometimes dark classic sound.

"Until Death Do We Meet Again" clocks in at almost 70 minutes of music. In the old days that would constitute a double album. This is hard rock played with the kind of confidence that is surely lacking these days. Craig Goldy's guitar immediately conjures up dark and mysterious spirits. But this is not a tribute band. This is forward looking and fresh with Valdez injecting a new enthusiasm. "Under The Wire" locks into a Deep Purple Highway Star groove with the rhythm section laying down a path for Diego as he growls through the opening verses. You could say that Dio is present as well but he's not always in the room. "You Can't Take Me Down" feels very Ozzy to me. Simon Wright's drum sound is mixed for maximum volume. There's even some Physical Graffiti style tempo changes very similar to "Kashmir". The other vibe is Black Sabbath's "Heaven and Hell". You can check so many classic rock boxes on this thing that you might lose track.

"Game of Shadows" starts with some creepy horror movie sounding vocals. It then breaks into a mid-tempo rocker with Diego growling through a very distinctive refrain. Goldy shreds the lead up to the solo and then takes you for an electrified roller coaster ride. Keyboardist Wayne Findley (MSG) shows up to augment with menacing synth and organ sounds. This is literally perfect music for a slasher movie. But it's not so dark that you can't just sit in awe of it. "It Is What It Is" benefits from some great tempo changes and a guitar riff that will be stuck in your head long after it's gone. More dark and scary but great playing all the way through. "Playing With Fire" has Goldy playing with a fatter guitar tone and Diego singing with a choir of Diegos making some beautiful noise together. The guitar hook is gritty and primal. "Light of The Dark" is a progressive rocker with Findley throwing down all kinds of sounds as Valdez barks over yet another brooding soundscape. Next is "Midnight Song". An instant guitar groove is perfect fodder for Diego as he shouts and hollers above the fray. This music rocks hard but still has enough air in it, allowing the listener to process what they are hearing minus the clutter and compression. There are a lot of great chord changes and solo guitar fills.

The album's title track is an epic progressive hard rock opus. The Sarzo-Wright rhythm section creates a foundation for Goldy and Valdez that recalls both Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin. The 70's are showing up in a really constructive way. Kudos to Alessandro Del Vecchio for making this record accessible to the classic rock fan. "Washed Up On The Shore" is something Yes might do if they were a harder rocking outfit. Lots of progressive chord changes and a long instrumental intro leading to the vocal part. One of my favorite tracks on this record for sure. "In A World So Cold" is more crunchy, gritty hard rock with extra vocal harmonies, psychedelic keys and guitars. More of that Physical Graffiti meets Holy Diver sound.

If there ever was a perfectly written song for this band it's "Weird World". It begins with some news headline commentary and gives way to a mix of Gothic and progressive overtones. Diego Valdez is more than capable in any situation and Craig Goldy stretches his playing beyond expectations. This incredible album finally ends with nearly 9 minutes of progressive hard rocking goodness in form of "One Step Beyond The Grave".

The entire band is hitting on all cylinders as if they are just getting the old buggy cranked up to top speed. There isn't a bad track on this record. Quite honestly I wasn't really sure we'd ever hear this kind of music ever again. And at one point Craig Goldly was thinking the same thing. We should all be grateful that this group gave us at least one more glimpse into the progressive hard rock world of the past. This is one bold piece of classic rock treasure.

Album rating 9.8