Ronnie James Dio recently spoke out in regards to the frequent over use of the "devils horns" sign that he claims to have invented. While I wish not to get into a debate on whether or not he did in fact invent the sign I think, Ronnie has bought up a very important point. With the younger generation flashing it around every chance they get, its seems to be diminishing the impact of the metal hand gesture. "It was a symbol of darkness… not something to be passed on to BRITNEY SPEARS!" stated Ronnie.

Dio also expressed concern that incorrect technique also appears to be propagating."You'll notice that a lot of people are using the thumb now" he noted, "When the thumb comes out, it means 'I love you' in either Hawaiian or sign language — I'm not sure which." Back in the old days the metal sign was a very sacred symbol which was used only for special occasion but with the vagrant overuse Ronnie feels it is losing it's impact.

If you have been to see a Dio gig you will have noticed that he will wait until 2-3 songs before he breaks out the symbol, waiting for the most opportune moment where it would get maximum effect "There has to be some emotion behind it… It might sound stupid but I never once did that on stage unless it was to punctuate something that was a little more dark." Ronnie is obviously a master of the technique and I feel the younger generation should take heed of his message and consider the usage of the devils horns a bit more seriously.