Black Sabbath

Band members               Related acts

- Vinnie Appice - drums (replaced Bill Ward) (1980-)

- Terrance "Geezer" Butler - bass

- Ronnie James Dio - vocals

- Tony Iommi - guitar

- Bill Ward - drums (-80)

   

 

 

- Ronnie James Dio (solo efforts)

- ELF (Ronnie James Dio)

- Ozzy Osbourne (solo efforts)

- Rainbow (Ronnie James Dio)

 

 

 

Genre: rock

Rating: **** (4 stars)

Title:  Heaven and Hell

Company: Warner Brothers

Catalog: BSK 3372

Year: 1980

Country/State: US/UK

Grade (cover/record): VG/VG

Comments: original inner sleeve

Available: 1

GEMM catalog ID: 4306

Price: $5.00

Cost: $66.00

 

I hadn't listened to a Black Sabbath album since I was in high school (mid-1970s), but while driving to a community flea market one of the local radio stations played 'Iron Man' and it got me thinking about how much I use to enjoy Ozzy and company.  To make a long story short, I get to the yard sale and the first album I see is 1980's "Heaven and Hell".  Okay, okay don't start.  I know Ozzy isn't on this one, but you've got to admit that Ronnie James Dio is a pretty impressive replacement.

 

As the band's first post-Osbourne release, even skeptics like me have to admit that Dio and the survivors did a remarkable job of getting their chops together.  Sure it took them almost two years to finish the album, but the eight group-penned originals were well worth the wait.  Re-energized, tracks such as 'the opener ''Neon Knights, the surprisingly tuneful 'Children of the Sea' and 'Lady Evil' found Dio and company turning in their most consistent set since the original line-up's early-1970s heyday. Iommi deserved special recognition.  Sounding like a man with something to prove, he turned in one blazing performance after another - anyone doubting that need only check out the amazing title track.  Elsewhere Sabbath fans may have hated the thought of Dio filling Ozzy's shoes, but the man brought the chops to this set. Note for note he was every bit as good as Ozzy.  No he was actually a better singer than Ozzy. The set also saw the band's commercial reemergence.  In the States the set quickly went gold, while in the UK it spun off a pair of hits in '' and '' and went top-10.

"Hell and Hell" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Neon Knights   (Geezer Butler - Ronnie James Dio - Tony Iommi - Bill Ward) - 3:53

2.) Children of the Sea   (Geezer Butler - Ronnie James Dio - Tony Iommi - Bill Ward) - 5:34

3.) Lady Evil   (Geezer Butler - Ronnie James Dio - Tony Iommi - Bill Ward) - 4:26

4.) Heaven and Hell   (Geezer Butler - Ronnie James Dio - Tony Iommi - Bill Ward) - 6:58

(side 1)

1.) Wishing Well   (Geezer Butler - Ronnie James Dio - Tony Iommi - Bill Ward) - 4:08

2.) Die Young   (Geezer Butler - Ronnie James Dio - Tony Iommi - Bill Ward) - 4:45

3.) Walk Away   (Geezer Butler - Ronnie James Dio - Tony Iommi - Bill Ward) - 4:26

4.) Lonely Is the Word   (Geezer Butler - Ronnie James Dio - Tony Iommi - Bill Ward) - 5:52

 

 

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This is where Black Sabbath really gets their shit together, after wandering aimlessly through the desert for five years. Before that, there was the godly Sabotage, and before that five LPs that are historically unquestionable, but at times full of noise. Sabotage seemed like a real start, but then there were the two after it, which drank heavily from the jar of What the Fuck. Starting here, they'd release a series of albums that varied in style somewhat, but all were consistently very good.

Enter Ronnie James Dio, and we get a collection of songs that are at worst average, and at best immensely spectacular. We start with "Neon Knights" - with Dio on vocals, the band sounds much more power-metal. This is possibly the best album that Dio has done vocals on - very powerful, and the riffs are quite marvellous, thus I prefer it to his solo career, which also started out pretty well. Total speed metal, and Iommi also throws in a very cool solo. Then, the ballad "Children of the Sea". The best song on here - though the first time I heard it is still the best: with Rob Halford on vocals from 11/15/92 - I strongly encourage you to track down that version, it is quite amazing.

"Lady Evil" is a bit more pedestrian, and then we get to the title track, which comes in a very close second for best song nominations. The guitar solo, especially the first few seconds, is completely out of this world. "Wishing Well" is kinda ordinary but not at all bad, with some nice guitar work again (Iommi's best solos are definitely on this album), and then we get to "Die Young" - the fastest song on here (well, except the "someone stopped the flame" section, which is slow and has keyboards, but still works brilliantly). Dio's vocals are in top form - just runs rings around Ozzy, enough said. Then, "Walk Away" is decent, and "Lonely is the Word" is actually quite nice - it is long, but not overlong. The last 2 minutes or so are all soloing - maybe it borrows from Stairway to Heaven (I read that somewhere, I haven't heard the two songs in close enough proximity to notice), maybe it does not... in any case, as I said, the best lead work Iommi has ever done, combined with some awesome riffs and Dio's killer vocals, make this an indispensable Sabbath album.

Now here's a band who don't need any introduction. If you really would need one, kill yourself. Songs off this album were some of the first of the metal scene I listened to. I didn't really begin to listen to this album right away though but that's another thing. Before this one Sabbath had Ozzy Osbourne as vocalist (yeah I know you didn't need to hear that) for many years, and when he left and Dio took over the spot he had a really hard time getting along with the old fans. Even though he is a technically better singer, and this is one of their best albums so far musically.

Here's the goodies we're served: "Neon knights" - one of the most classic heavy metal riffs/songs imo, "Children of the sea" - a kind of ballad-mooded song which gets alot heavier, "Lady evil" - really groovy tune with some heavy bass, "Heaven and hell" - say no more, "Wishing well" - a more light-mooded thing which has grown on me since I first heard it, "Die young" - one of their most underrated and forgotten songs ever? Awesome tune anyway, "Walk away" - another one with a light mood though far from being as good as "Wishing well". Last one is "Lonely is the word" which is so depressing (not to say boring) you just wanna die.

I totally worship this album, if you ask "why not full rating" - well as hinted tracks 7-8 aren't very good, the rest is brilliant though. Classic heavy metal, a must-own.