Sacred Heart

Death by stagnation is the best way to describe Dio's disappointing third release, Sacred Heart. If only writer's block had been the problem, but the cheesy live sounds that introduce the obviously self-referential "King of Rock and Roll" clearly point to a clueless, egotistical leader instead. Throughout most of the album, singer Ronnie James Dio seems intent on strangling every last creative spark out of his backing musicians in an attempt to score an MTV pop-metal hit. The faceless but effective "Rock 'N' Roll Children" may have done the job, but Dio's lack of sex appeal (not to mention the fact that he was over 40 at the time) killed any possibility of crossover success in image-conscious America. In the end, selling out cost him his hardcore metal following to boot. Oh yeah, and the album's title track is a cliché-ridden mess, while the dire filler material on side two is simply embarrassing.