RONNIE JAMES DIO spoke to BW&BK recently regarding his longevity - over 32 years and counting, elevating the singer to the status of timeless metal god. "We live in a time when trying to compete with what is new and young out there is impossible," says Dio. "I'm not trying to do that. You'd have to be an idiot to be this old and try to compete with people who are that young, so I don't think of it that way. I just want to be sure that every time I do a new album that it isn't resting on the laurels of Holy Diver. I can compete with these younger guys from a talent perspective - I'll gobble up anybody who thinks they can sing better than I can in any way, shape, or form - but that's not the point. It's a competitive market, but I'm not geared for that anymore. And I won't be doing this forever (laughs)." As previously reported, the release date for Dio's new album, Master Of The Moon, is September 7th. The album will be issued in Canada on September 14th. The Dio 2004 lineup includes guitarist Craig Goldy, drummer Simon Wright (ex-AC/DC), keyboardist Scott Warren, and Sarzo on bass.

This bit of legend news comes via Hard News.