Mastodon, Killswitch Engage, Rob Zombie Pay Tribute To Ronnie James Dio

Mastodon and Rob Zombie have joined other musicians in paying tribute to Ronnie James Dio.

The former Black Sabbath singer passed away on Sunday (May 16) following a battle with stomach cancer. He was 67.

Mastodon said Dio was “one of the few names that ring synonymous with heavy metal” and described his death as “devastating”.

In a statement to MTV, they said: “Thank you, Ronnie James Dio, for your unbelievably powerful voice, your dedication to your fans and for paving the way for generations of aspiring musicians, present and future.

“The horns will live on forever!"

Rob Zombie said Dio’s death was a “very sad day”, while Killswitch Engage’s guitarist Joel Stroetzel said the singer had been “a hero”.

"He was the definition of metal,” Stroetzel said. “His solo work, his work with Black Sabbath — he always inspired me.”

Other tributes to Dio have come from Metallica's Lars Ulrich and KISS, who said they would "miss" the star.

News of Dio’s death was broken by his wife Wendy in a message on the star’s website.

As well as performing with Black Sabbath, the heavy metal vocalist also worked with Heaven and Hell.

 Ronnie James Dio Dies: A Career Retrospective And Tributes