I came of stage in Zagreb with the biggest smile on my face because I/Volbeat had just been playing a great show with Metallica. My drummer Jon Larsen was the first guy in the dressing room after the show, and he looked at me with a very sad face and said : Michael, DIO is dead. And I went into a black empty hole in my mind. WHAT, FUUUUUUUUCK, was the first words. Jon knew I was , and still is a very big Dio fan. It almost felt like the Heavy Metal scene music died that second and everything will be over. Because WHO the hell’s gonna take over the greatest voice of all time in heavy metal music history? HE WAS THE CHOSEN ONE , THE BEST, AND FOR REAL. For me DIO was the greatest songwriter and front man a heavy Rock band could wish for. He sang like he was 20 years old to the end, I was asking myself every time I saw him live, how the hell does he do that? DIO was the was the first Heavy thing I was listening to. His work in Elf, DIO, RANBOW, BLACK SABBATH/HEAVEN AND HELL truly inspired me and will do for the rest of my life. There was only one king of ROCK’N’ROLL = ELVIS PRESLEY. And there was only one KING of heavy Rock Music = Ronnie James Dio.  And there will be no one like him again, his throne will be empty. Dio will be missed forever, may you rest in peace Ronnie, we will all proud keep the horns up and the DIO flag high. I wish you a good and safe journey, follow the rainbow.

With love and respect Michael Schøn Poulsen / Volbeat