Lock Up the Wolves

Lock Up the Wolves
Lock Up the Wolves
Studio album by Dio
Released	May 15, 1990
Recorded	Granny's House (Reno, Nevada)
Genre	Heavy metal
Length	60:43
Label	Reprise; Vertigo;
Producer	Tony Platt; Ronnie James Dio;
Dio chronology
Ronnie James Dio chronology
Singles from Lock Up the Wolves
	"Hey Angel"; Released: August 13, 1990;

Lock Up the Wolves is the fifth studio album by American heavy metal band Dio, released on May 15, 1990, through Reprise Records in North America, and through Vertigo Records elsewhere. The album displayed a complete line-up change over the previous album, Dream Evil, including then 18-year-old guitarist Rowan Robertson, former AC/DC drummer Simon Wright, keyboardist Jens Johansson, and bassist Teddy Cook, who was in the band Hotshot, which morphed into Danger Danger. Rod Simpkins, from Riken and Jungle Alley, would replace Cook as bassist for several tour dates in 1990.

Lock Up the Wolves would mark a drop-off in Dio's popularity, being less commercially and critically successful than the band’s previous four studio albums. Los Angeles Times stated in September 1990 that the album "died a quick death on the charts" and "half-empty houses are not uncommon" on the ongoing tour.^[2]

Background and recording

In 1987, Dio would record and release Dream Evil, under Warner Bros. and Vertigo records. The album was a minor hit, reaching No. 8 in the U.K, and No. 43 in the U.S, despite selling less copies than their previous album, Sacred Heart.^[3] The band would also launch a tour to support the album.^[4] Shortly thereafter, Craig Goldy, with an intent to pursue a solo project, would leave the band.^[5] As a result of this, the band would recruit 18-year-old guitarist Rowan Robertson to replace Goldy.

Later on, Appice, Bain, and Schnell would be replaced by Simon Wright, Teddy Cook, and Jens Johansson respectively. Ronnie James Dio stated that the reason for the change was that it became apparent that the former band members had "lost interest" when compared to Robertson, who was the first member of the new line-up.^[2] Robertson states that he was playing with the original band for around ten months while the album was being written, and that Jimmy Bain and Claude Schnell were replaced "along the way". Vinny Appice was in the band until two weeks before entering the studio to record the album.^[6] Appice confirms that he was there until the album was written, and left because he felt "This is not Dio" with "all these young guys in the band".

Songs

The album only had one single, “Hey Angel,”^[2] which had an accompanying music video, alongside “Wild One.” Guitarist Rowan Robertson would state that two more songs, "Hell Wouldn't Take Her" and "The River Between Us," were written and demoed for the album but were left off at the decision of their manager Wendy Dio.^[7] The song "Evil on Queen Street" takes its title from a deli in Toronto which had a sandwich with that name—per Dio on Much Music in 1990.^[8]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[9]
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal	5/10^[10]

Lock Up the Wolves received generally mixed reception among critics. Writing for Allmusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote that the band’s status in the Metal community was “beginning to slip”, despite the band’s sound having “no apparent changes”.^[11]

Track listing

All lyrics and melodies by Ronnie James Dio, music as stated

Side one
No.	Title	Music	Length
1.	"Wild One"	Dio, Rowan Robertson	4:05
2.	"Born on the Sun" (track 8 between "Walk on Water" and "Twisted" on cassette and vinyl versions)	Dio, Robertson, Jimmy Bain, Vinny Appice	5:36
3.	"Hey Angel"	Dio, Robertson	5:00
4.	"Between Two Hearts"	Dio, Robertson	6:30
5.	"Night Music"	Dio, Robertson, Bain	5:05
6.	"Lock Up the Wolves"	Dio, Robertson, Bain	8:33

Side two
No.	Title	Music	Length
7.	"Evil on Queen Street"	Dio, Robertson, Teddy Cook	6:04
8.	"Walk on Water"	Dio, Robertson, Jens Johansson	3:44
9.	"Twisted"	Dio, Robertson, Bain, Appice	4:45
10.	"Why Are They Watching Me" (omitted from cassette and vinyl releases)	Dio, Robertson	5:04
11.	"My Eyes"	Dio, Robertson, Johansson	6:36

Personnel

Dio

Ronnie James Dio – vocals
Rowan Robertson – guitars
Jens Johansson – keyboards
Teddy Cook – bass
Simon Wright – drums, percussion

Production

Executive producer – Ronnie James Dio
Arranged by Dio
Produced by Tony Platt and Ronnie James Dio
Recorded by Tony Platt (at Granny's House in Reno, Nevada); assisted by Don Evans
Mixed by Tony Platt and Nigel Green (at Battery Studios in London)
Originally mastered by George Marino

Charts

Chart (1990)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)^[12]	80
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)^[13]	76
Finnish Albums (The Official Finnish Charts)^[14]	9
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)^[15]	16
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)^[16]	23
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)^[17]	25
UK Albums (OCC)^[18]	28
US Billboard 200^[19]	61

Chart (2012)	Peak position
Oricon Japanese Albums Charts^[20]	70

References

^ "Music Week" (PDF). p. 27.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Hard Road Back to Top : Rock: Dio struggles to regain popularity among the heavy metal set". Los Angeles Times. September 21, 1990.
^ Billboard Staff (August 27, 2003). "Ask Billboard". Billboard. Retrieved June 9, 2025.
^ "Tapio's Ronnie James Dio Pages: Dream Evil tour dates". Dio.net. Retrieved June 9, 2025.
^ "Dio, Giuffria, Craig Goldy, Rough Cutt, History, Bio, Guiffria - full in bloom Music". www.fullinbloommusic.com. Archived from the original on October 14, 2008. Retrieved June 9, 2025.
^ "Ulv på rømmen". May 13, 2020.
^ bravewords.com. "ROWAN ROBERTSON - "Unreleased RONNIE JAMES DIO Songs Might Not See The Light Of Day"". bravewords.com. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
^ MaSSa Power (October 13, 2022). Ronnie James Dio - Much Music 1990 Interview with "Dan Gallagher:. Retrieved June 9, 2025 – via YouTube.
^ Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "Lock up the Wolves - Dio". AllMusic. Retrieved March 18, 2012.
^ Popoff, Martin (August 1, 2007). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 3: The Nineties. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. p. 121. ISBN 978-1-894959-62-9.
^ Thomas Erlewine, Steven. "Lock Up the Wolves Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine". Allmusic. Retrieved March 18, 2012.
^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (pdf ed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 82.
^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Dio – Lock Up the Wolves" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
^ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Dio – Lock Up the Wolves" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
^ "Swedishcharts.com – Dio – Lock Up the Wolves". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
^ "Swisscharts.com – Dio – Lock Up the Wolves". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
^ "Dio Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
^ ロニー・ジェームス・ディオのアルバム (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved October 28, 2013.

External links

[1] "Music Week" (PDF). p. 27.

[:0-2] "Hard Road Back to Top : Rock: Dio struggles to regain popularity among the heavy metal set". Los Angeles Times. September 21, 1990.

[3] Billboard Staff (August 27, 2003). "Ask Billboard". Billboard. Retrieved June 9, 2025.

[4] "Tapio's Ronnie James Dio Pages: Dream Evil tour dates". Dio.net. Retrieved June 9, 2025.

[5] "Dio, Giuffria, Craig Goldy, Rough Cutt, History, Bio, Guiffria - full in bloom Music". www.fullinbloommusic.com. Archived from the original on October 14, 2008. Retrieved June 9, 2025.

[6] "Ulv på rømmen". May 13, 2020.

[7] ravewords.com. "ROWAN ROBERTSON - "Unreleased RONNIE JAMES DIO Songs Might Not See The Light Of Day"". bravewords.com. Retrieved January 15, 2018.

[8] MaSSa Power (October 13, 2022). Ronnie James Dio - Much Music 1990 Interview with "Dan Gallagher:. Retrieved June 9, 2025 – via YouTube.

[AM-9] Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "Lock up the Wolves - Dio". AllMusic. Retrieved March 18, 2012.

[martin-10] Popoff, Martin (August 1, 2007). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 3: The Nineties. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. p. 121. ISBN 978-1-894959-62-9.

[11] Thomas Erlewine, Steven. "Lock Up the Wolves Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine". Allmusic. Retrieved March 18, 2012.

[aus-12] Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (pdf ed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 82.

[ac_Netherlands_Dio-13] "Dutchcharts.nl – Dio – Lock Up the Wolves" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 30, 2023.

[FINI-14] Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.

[ac_Germany_Dio-15] "Offiziellecharts.de – Dio – Lock Up the Wolves" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved October 30, 2023.

[ac_Sweden_Dio-16] "Swedishcharts.com – Dio – Lock Up the Wolves". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 30, 2023.

[ac_Switzerland_Dio-17] "Swisscharts.com – Dio – Lock Up the Wolves". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 30, 2023.

[ac_UK2_-18] "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 30, 2023.

[ac_Billboard200_Dio-19] "Dio Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 30, 2023.

[20] ロニー・ジェームス・ディオのアルバム (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved October 28, 2013.

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v t e Dio
Ronnie James Dio Vinny Appice Jimmy Bain Jake E. Lee Vivian Campbell Claude Schnell Craig Goldy Simon Wright Rowan Robertson Jens Johansson Scott Warren Tracy G Jeff Pilson Doug Aldrich Rudy Sarzo
Studio albums	Holy Diver The Last in Line Sacred Heart Dream Evil Lock Up the Wolves Strange Highways Angry Machines Magica Killing the Dragon Master of the Moon
Live albums	Intermission Inferno: Last in Live Evil or Divine: Live in New York City Holy Diver: Live At Donington UK: Live 1983 & 1987 Live in London, Hammersmith Apollo 1993
Compilations	Diamonds: The Best of Dio The Very Beast of Dio The Very Beast of Dio Vol. 2
Singles	"Holy Diver" "Rainbow in the Dark" "The Last in Line" "Rock 'n' Roll Children" "Hungry for Heaven" "King of Rock and Roll" "Electra"
Videos	A Special from the Spectrum Sacred Heart "The Video" Time Machine Evil or Divine: Live in New York City We Rock Holy Diver: Live Live in London, Hammersmith Apollo 1993
Related bands	Black Sabbath Elf Hear 'n Aid Heaven & Hell Last in Line Rainbow
Tribute albums	Holy Dio: Tribute to Ronnie James Dio Dio (Jørn album) Ronnie James Dio – This Is Your Life The Dio Album
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