well I promised that I will write a review about the tribute album "Magic" which was released some weeks ago. so here comes a short review.

I will start with the part of Manowar - "Heaven and Hell"
The song sounds very similar to the original version from Black Sabbath. Eric sings this song really great and the scream at 2:38 is really amazing and the scream at the end of the song is also very cool. but I think that Dio sang this song better than Eric.

HolyHell - Holy Diver
I'm sure everybody has allready heard Holy Diver performed by HolyHell. I really love this version. I think there is no better Band to perform this song except from Dio himself. but I think a studio record of this song would have been better.

MetalForce - The Last in Line
I hoped that MetalForce would play this song on the MCF. Sadly they didn't. It is a great song and played by such a great band it is a masterpiece. Tarek is one of the greatest singers today and he brought lots of emotion into this song. I think the scream at the end could have been a bit longer and louder but it is great. this version of the song combines lots of classic together with all the power of MetalForce and Tristans solo sounds like a smith would sharpen a sword. totally fantastic.

Magic Circle All Star Band - Long live Rock 'n' Roll
The version of this song is great. I think Dio's voice fits better to this song because it rocks more but Sammy "Shmoulik" Avigal is a realy great singer and he is certainly one of the best ones to sing this song. another special thing about this version is that the two guys on the guitars are Joe Stump and Jack Starr.

Awaken - I speed at Night
It is a melodic power metal version. So everyone who likes the melodic power metal of today will love this one.

Crosswind - A Light in the Black
I think it is a bit to melodic. otherwise it rocks...it is a good version of such a great song.

Dean Cascione - Never More
In the booklet is just one member of this band named...Dean Cascione. so it looks like the plays everything himself. I like this record because it is something slow and somehow romantic on such a rocking album. a good and melodic guitar solo.

Feinstein - Far Beyond
well the song was not written for Dio, like DeMaio announced. It is just taken from the album Third Wish from Feinstein. but the style reminds on Dio and it is a really great and rocking song.

Harlet - Straight through the Heart
The singer of Harlet is the Jack Starr singer Todd Michael Hall. He is really a great singer and so is the cover. but as Sammy Avigal's voice Todd's is a bit to melodic for Dio's style. the chorus really kicks ass.

Jack Starr - Catch the Rainbow
this one is taken from the "Defiance" album from Jack Starr. It is a very slow song. and I think a good and slow song is a good ending for an album.


of course you can't say that this cover-versions are better that the original and maybe the shouldn't be so similar to the original but they are all very great and I think there is no better way to cover the songs on this record except of making something totaly new out of the songs.
For a true metal fan the CD is its money worth. It is 110% heavy metal. and for me a dream came true that MetalForce and Manowar coverd Dio. the only point to critizise the album is the truth about Feinsteins "Far Beyond" and that some great Dio songs are missing.

yes it is better than in the smalltalk area but i thought i put it there because it is not only about metalforce.

well know I finally wrote some lines to the other songs. and I made a mistake last time. I wrote that MetalForce recorded "Long live Rock 'n' Roll" that was wrong. the true metal gods Tarek, Jan and Tristan recorded "The Last in Line". sorry for that mistake.