DIO: MODEL STUDENT

“SACRED HEART.” Dio. Warner Bros. Ronnie James Dio attended the traditional school of heavy metal, studying as a singer with bands like Rainbow and Black Sabbath. And he certainly graduated with honors, judging by this album, already screaming up the charts at a much faster clip than the two previous Dio LPs.

It’s not hard to see why: A wily if unoriginal songwriter, R.J.D. appropriates snatches of music and catchy instrumental touches, whirls them in a blender and-- voila !--creates seamless material that’s at once fresh and familiar.

Occasionally, this approach yields some improbable tunes, such as “Hungry for Heaven,” which sounds like “Baba O’Riley” transcribed for buzz saw. And his metal-by-numbers technique isn’t beyond producing a clinker, like the puffy and plodding “Like the Beat of a Heart.”

Mostly, though, the band clicks with lean, feisty, raw rock. And, ever mindful that his forceful caterwauling is the genre’s prototypal singing style, Dio (who produced this record) places his vocals way out front in the mix.

The downside is the lyrics, which consist of trite observations, dime-store philosophizing and outright silliness. But model student Ronnie James Dio learned long ago that lame lyrics will never stand in the way of heavy-metal success.