The Last in Line
The Last In Line is the second studio album by American heavy metal band Dio, released on July 2, 1984. It is the first Dio album to feature keyboardist Claude Schnell as a band member. The album became the band's highest-charting album in both the UK and the U.S., reaching number 4 and number 23, respectively.
It was certified gold by the RIAA on September 12, 1984, and was the first Dio album to be certified platinum, achieving the feat on February 3, 1987. In the UK, The Last in Line attained Silver certification by the British Phonographic Industry, achieving this in January 1986, at the same time as Holy Diver. To date, these are the only two Dio albums to be certified at least platinum.
Reissues
The album, along with Holy Diver and Sacred Heart, was released in a new two-CD deluxe edition on March 19, 2012, through Universal for worldwide distribution outside the U.S.Critical reception
In 2005, The Last In Line was ranked number 372 in Rock Hard magazine's book of The 500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of All Time.Personnel
Dio- Ronnie James Dio – vocals, keyboards
- Vinny Appice – drums
- Jimmy Bain – bass
- Vivian Campbell – guitar
- Claude Schnell – keyboards
- Ronnie James Dio – producer
- Caribou Ranch, Colorado – recorded at
- Angelo Arcuri – audio engineer
- Rich Markowitz – assistant engineer
- Mixed on Westlake Audio BBSM6 monitors
- George Marino – mastering at Sterling Sound, New York
- Andy Pearce – remastering for the 2012 Universal deluxe edition
- Steve Hoffman – remastering for the 2012 Audio Fidelity 24K edition
- Barry Jackson – illustration
Charts
| Chart | Peak position |
| Oricon Japanese Albums Charts | 154 |