The live CD, the companion to the Evil Or Divine DVD, is out now. Was it your decision to release that or did it originate at the label? Was it in the plans all along to release both a DVD and CD?
No, it wasn't. The first I heard of it was when they told me it was going to happen. It was mainly a decision of the record company to decide to do one more, get one more release out of us because our contract was up. We are signed to someone else. Although I think it's a great idea, it's just another product they can give. It's their last one, really. It's a great idea but I didn't have any control over it. It was their idea and they put it together.

When a live record comes out, does it give you a chance to take a little break or am I insane for even thinking you take breaks?
I don't ever really get to take a break. I don't think these kind of projects are the albums we're supposed to do anyway. It's a piece of music but I don't want to think that it's supposed to take the place of something else so we could lay around in the sun for a couple of months and do nothing. There's too little time to do that. I just look at it as another piece of product. Any time there is a live thing, it doesn't really come from your creative soul and that's what an album is supposed to be for me. These things are just kinda little passages.

You just played a couple of shows with Twisted Sister, right?
We did a show in Mexico with them and a show in Puerto Rico. They were about a month apart.

You've also got some more dates coming up soon...
Yeah, we'll start touring in April. It will be moreless Asian time. Japan and Australia and a few other places. I think we're doing three or four European festival dates plus we're doing a month in Russia in September. Then we'll go from Russia to the UK. There's quite a bit of work there and most of it seems to be in Europe at this particular time.

Have you played Russia before?
We've played it twice before but never extensively like this. We played Moscow and St. Petersburg twice. This encompasses the entire country so it's going to be a real trip.

With all the bad stuff going on in the world, does it ever worry you about touring in some of those places?
I don't think we're important enough to become a political football. My fear would be of criminals in any society. Especially if you're talking about traveling to countries as vast as Russia. Some of those places are still inhabited by bandits! That's a fear but that should be a fear to anyone. I'm assuming that everything will be taken care of. This is what I do so I'm not going to say, "I'm not going there!" I'm not off to Iraq yet, or Iran, or playing in a Plaza in Jerusalem. You have to be very clever to do that. They're not waiting on Dio to show up so they can screw us over. I'm sure they'd rather go after U2 who has a lot more of a political agenda than I do!

The last time we talked you mentioned that you'd like to do the second part in the Magica trilogy. Is that still in the plans?
Whenever I write things pop up and I'll think, "That'll be great for Magica." That is the plan. You always have to get a plan and hope that it works out. That's what I want to do and I'd like to finish it. I'd like to just get it off my back, as well! I like writing it but now it's become a burden. A lot of people ask when I'm going to finish it up so I'd like to do it this time.

Probably just to get people like me to shut the hell up and quit asking about it, right!
Not so much, Jesse. It's not really that. (laughs) I'm glad people ask because it means they're concerned about it. A lot of times I'll put it out of my mind because I'm doing another project. Then I'll think that the next record is going to be Magica and I'd better get my butt in gear. Instead, I'll not think about it and talk to you and get reminded of Magica and here comes the burden again! If you don't keep asking me I'll probably forget, so keep asking me!

Did I see somewhere that there is a new Dio video collection coming to DVD soon?
There's supposed to be. That's a Warner Special Products thing because most of what we did was with them. I've heard that's happening but I don't know the details yet.

There's still an interest in the new Hear 'N Aid project. How is that coming along?
We're in the process of finishing the song now. I went through a new format in my studio. It's just a demo studio but I changed to a digital format. The learning curve swatted me with a 2x4, so it's taken me a while to learn the new system. I've finally got it down so we're getting ready to put the finishing touches on the song that will be for Children Of The Night. First, we've gotta get that one song done.

Who will be involved this time around?
At this particular moment we haven't contacted anyone to be in a particular place at a particular time, if they can. We haven't really got a list of people that are going to do it. We have some people we'd like to ask but we'll have to see what happens with the time consideration.

Will the new song be packaged with classic material?
It'll be packaged with unreleased things from other people. It won't be songs that have been done before. We'll populate the album with unreleased songs.

There's something I wanted to ask you about last time we talked, but it was our first interview and I wanted to talk about more important stuff. I think we've got a chance to talk about it this time, so here goes: I'm sure you've heard that Vivian Campbell has said some pretty harsh things about working with you. What is your response to him? Do you even feel the need to defend yourself?
That's probably the reason you've never seen my reply to that. I don't feel the need to defend myself. You have to live on the high road and I've tried to do that most of my life. I'm not going to get into a slagging match with him. He's not worth it. That's like dueling with an unarmed man to me. I'm not going to go there. His opinions of me totally baffles me. That would be my only response. I don't know what his axe to grind is. I don't know what I've ever done to him. I thought I've only been helpful. He has an agenda that I know nothing about. The people that know me don't feel that way about me, so there you go. All the people that are my good friends that have mentioned this to me always say the same thing. They're stunned and they don't know where it came from. What he says is nothing I pursue and nothing I really care about.

Cool, I just wanted to ask you straight up about that and stop wondering what you thought of it all. Now, on to something completely different! Where in the world do you think rock music, metal in particular, is best received?
You'd have to name more than one country. South America is a great place to play. Metal is great there. It's great in Mexico. Almost any Latin America country embraces metal. They love it and they take part in it. They know about it and they're really good people. The enjoy themselves and always have a great time. That can also include Spain, which we all know and love, is in Europe. There's a different kind of attitude in Germany. They're probably the most hard headed about it. It's clinical - they enjoy it with examination. Latin American countries enjoy it for what it is. Germans really enjoy the music but are sometimes very questioning about it. Scandinavian countries are great, too. Sweden is a brilliant place for metal. Sweden, Norway, and Finland. I don't mean to exclude Italy or Poland or Greece or Russia, because they're all great. I think Germans have embraced it because they've been exposed to it longer.

I'm really bummed with the way fans are treating music here in the States. There are a lot of very passionate people when it comes to music - especially when they can voice their opinion while sitting on their ass in a chatroom, message board, or on the internet somewhere. Some of these very passionate people won't even go see a live show anymore! What's going on? Is there too much entertainment for us to choose from?
In this country, absolutely. I think we have so many choices. Trends are blockbusters. When a trend changes it drops on you like a 16-ton weight. Then next one comes along and gives us more choices. Just because someone likes metal doesn't mean they can't like some other kind of music. There are a lot less choices in Europe. A lot more metal bands tour Europe. There's a lot of those choices there. This country has option after option. Culturally, we're different as well. Remember, this is the melting pot with a lot of different ethnic groups. Some of them seperate themselves from the country as a whole. In Europe you've got Germans, Swedes, and they're all united in what they do. In this country we tend to go along lines a lot. That's been divisive as well. At the end of the day you've got people, tastes, the music, and you ultimately make one choice. If you're out on a Friday night and you spend all the money you've just earned getting loaded, you can't afford to go to the show on Saturday. You've got choices. That was a long-winded response, wasn't it!

It's great, though. I can't quit analyzing this. There are a lot of metal fans that should be jumping for joy that there's a new Judas Priest CD out, for example. I'm not saying they have to like the CD, but at least appreciate the fact that a band like Judas Priest is still putting out new material in 2005. These very people that are supposedly such big fans of the genre take a very stand-offish attitude and seem to take more joy in talking down to the music instead of embracing it. They should appreciate the fact that that music is there.
I totally agree. Analyzing isn't wrong. If you can analyze something and come to a conclusion then you can rectify it. There's a vast number of reasons why you get support in some places and not another. Let's face it. Radio has made a huge impact. Sure, there's the internet. Everybody that's a Judas Priest fan knows there's a new record out. Whether they support it or not is up to them. Because there are so many reasons to spend your money, maybe they just won't spend it on the Priest stuff. I wouldn't know why, but people have their own lives. That's what makes this world so intriguing. People are unpredictable. I can't believe in a country of this size that there can't be more support for something that's been so strong for so long. It's very strange to me. It's the time we live in.

Thanks again for taking time out for us today. What would you like to say to your fans?
It won't be too long and we'll be out there doing what we really want to do...performing and playing live. We want to lift the hair off the back of people's necks! Hopefully we'll see everyone out there and I thank you for your continued support!