Heaven And Hell - Black Sabbath

The eighties would prove to be a turbulent and wildly varied decade for Black Sabbath, but their two albums with new singer Ronnie James Dio (formerly of Rainbow) provided a welcome boost and a second, albeit short-lived classic period after the final couple of albums with Ozzy Osbourne proved disappointing. 'Heaven and Hell' takes some of the skills Tony Iommi and the rest of the band had used so successfully throughout the seventies, but for the most part wipes the slate clean and inaugurates what is in some ways a completely different band, just one with four of the same faces as the old Black Sabbath. Dio's operatic wail and domineering presence marks a ...  Read the complete review

The release of 1980's Heaven and Hell marked a major turning point in the career of Black Sabbath. Original vocalist and founder member Ozzy Osbourne was told to leave after his drink and drugs problems and in his place came Ronnie James Dio. He had been recently left Rainbow after having been given his marching orders by Ritchie Blackmore who wanted a singer that would give them greater commercial success. Rainbow's loss was Sabbaths gain as they tried to regain their domination and leadership of the heavy metal genre. Heaven and Hell has since become one of metals best albums ever and Sabbath fans fears of the band going into obscurity were displelled as it ...  Read the complete review

By the end of the seventies, Black Sabbath had seem to have run their course, the albums were not selling so well, critical acclaim for their work was a thing of the past and frontman Ozzy Osbourne had quit the band. How do you come back from the brink under those circumstances. Against all the odds Balck Sabbath managed to pull off the ultimate coup, they recruited new frontman Ronnie James Dio and returned with what was widely hailed as their best album for almost a decade with 1980s Heaven and Hell. Dio had come to prominence with country rock and blues outfit Elf, but it was as the frontman of Richie Blackmores Rainbow that he really perfected the style ...  Read the complete review

Heaven and Hell is the first Black Sabbath album after the departure of Ozzy Osbourne, the album was their 9th album. The change in personnel gave both Ozzy himself and Black Sabbath a new release of life, following some rather uneventful albums. Black Sabbath's improvement was short-lived but centered much around new singer Ronny James Dio who gave the band a new sound. Black Sabbath have a very wholesome sound on the tracks on this album. Lady Evil and Heaven and Hell are probably my two favourite tracks of the album as they are just so catchy, lyrically and riff wise. There is also the inclusion of keyboards as Geoff Nicholls was originally hired as the ...  Read the complete review

Ozzy did not sing on this album, because I believe he got the sack. Ronnie james dio sings on this and he sounds great. Black sabbath do not entirely abandon there doom routes on this album but a classier more traditional style of metal arupts from the ashes on this album. Gone are the slow funeral dirge of old for a fresher more upbeat ploy to the baying hounds. Heaven and hell is one fine examble of classical guitars building and building untill that main riff summons death and his scythe. Neon knights is also very ...  Read the complete review