RAINBOW — Rising (review)

Album · 1976 · Heavy Metal

5/5 · 2010-03-28
Raff

Rainbow's second album, released not even one year after their debut, is widely considered as one of the masterpieces of hard rock, as well as one of the cornerstones on which Symphonic Progressive Metal was founded. Though somewhat short for today's standards (not even 35 minutes long... about half the length of your average Dream Theater CD), it is nevertheless packed with breathtaking performances by a dream-team of musicians such as incomparable guitar wizard Ritchie Blackmore, diminutive yet iron-lunged vocalist Ronnie James Dio, and powerhouse drummer Cozy Powell (RIP - one of the saddest losses for the rock world). Keyboard player Tony Carey and bassist Jimmy Bain (later to join RJ Dio's eponymous band, with which he plays to this day) are no slouches either - the band is incredibly tight, as attested by the numerous live performances recorded at the time.

As in the case of 'mother' band Deep Purple, keyboards play a large role on this album: opener "Tarot Woman" is introduced by atmospheric synths, before the rest of the band kicks in with a crushing mid-tempo above which Dio's vocals soar. "Run with the Wolf" is another mid-paced song, quite a typical example of the Dio-era output; while the dynamic "Starstruck", undoubtedly one of Rainbow's most popular songs, features intriguingly unusual lyrics about a female stalker. The catchy yet undistinguished "Do You Close Your Eyes", possibly the only item on the album to be considered as filler (and the shortest too), closes what on vinyl was the A-side. The best, however, is yet to come...

There are only two tracks on what was the B-side, but what tracks! Accompanied by a full orchestra, the 8-minute-plus epic "Stargazer" is without any doubt the blueprint for all Symphonic Prog Metal bands, a staggering tour de force sprinkled with dazzling guitar work by the Man in Black himself, and a stellar vocal performance by RJ Dio. His delivery of the sword-and-sorcery-themed lyrics is nothing short of amazing, and makes one wonder at the staying power of his lungs (which continues to this day, when he is closer to 70 than 60).

On closing track "A Light in the Black", the fastest song on the album, Tony Carey's keyboards really come into their own. However, this track is also a showcase for Cozy Powell's incredible double-bass drumming, a powerful wall of sound propelling the song along - clearing the ground from any doubts that he was John Bonham's natural heir, the archetypal hard rock drummer. Dio and Blackmore's performances are also immaculate.

Though "Rising" is one of my all-time favourite albums, my five-star rating does not only stem from matters of personal preference. A richly textured, flawlessly performed, album, bombastic, operatic and pretentious enough (in a thoroughly positive sense, of course!) to appeal to lovers of vintage progressive rock as well as metal fans, this is no mind-numbing, bludgeoning, run-of-the-mill metal opus - but rather a genuinely ground-breaking effort that sounds as relevant today as it did 34 years ago.