| Electra | |
| Cover: | Dio - Electra cover.jpg |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Dio |
| Released: | 2010 |
| Recorded: | 2009 Office Studios, Van Nuys, Los Angeles, Calif., U.S. |
| Genre: | Heavy metal |
| Length: | 6:26 |
| Label: | Armoury Records |
| Producer: | Ronnie James Dio |
| Prev Title: | Hey Angel |
| Prev Year: | 1990 |
"Electra" (also spelled as "Elektra") is the twelfth and final single by heavy metal band Dio. It was released with the band's "Tournado Box Set" in early 2010,[1] before Ronnie James Dio's death on May 16, 2010.[2] It was the last song recorded by the band before that date as well.[3]
The song would later see wider release as part of the posthumous compilation The Very Beast of Dio Vol. 2 in 2012, and on the deluxe edition of Magica in 2013.[4]
In an interview with Hit the Lights series creator Robert Gray, Dio was asked about the Magica II & III album, which Dio responded: "[...]I've been doing a lot of work on the [new] 'Magica' album. I believe we'll release one of the songs from 'Magica' that I decided to put together, so that whatever package we happen to hand to the people when we're out there, it's a lot more attractive with one thing they've never heard before. I guess you could call it a teaser. It's a really good song [called "Electra"], and part of the whole 'Magica' trilogy. It's sometimes hard for it to stand alone, but I did write an explanation of what it was about, and what the song is about, and that it's just a brief glimpse into what will be 'Magica' again. There's some plans to do that – there are some special plans."[5]
The song was originally going to debut during the band's European tour,[6] but the tour was eventually canceled, due to Ronnie James Dio's diagnosis of stomach cancer.[7] "Electra" is the only song so far that has been released from the unfinished albums Magica II & III.[8]
Chris Coplan of Consequence of Sound praised the song, stating that "Dio takes things to a whole new level. There’s a freshness and an excitement to the track. And while you can vaguely tell Dio is up in there in years, it gives the vocals a kind of story to them, a feeling of some noble metal statesman once more addressing his kingdom."[9]