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Ronnie James Diospawned countless imitatorsmusically, vocally and lyrically. And if imitationis, indeed, the sincerest form of flattery, then Pittsburgh’s Icarus Witchaveteran under-the-radar metal band that opened for the Dio-fronted Heaven &Hell last yearmay have unwittingly released one of the finest tributes to thelate “Godfather of Metal.”
Recorded beforeDio’s death from stomach cancer in May, DrawDown the Moon summons mystical imagery and muscular melodies, while alsoalluding to Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. No wonder Icarus Witch has beenplaced at the forefront of the so-called New Wave of Traditional Heavy Metalmovement. Vocalist Matthew Bizilia’s register is a little too high to matchthat of Dio, but he sings about “Black Candles,” “Funeral Wine” and a “Serpentin the Garden” with similar gusto and spirit. A cover of Priest’s “The Ripper”concludes this intense, concise slab o’ trad metal.
