Cry Out to Legions of the Brave (Heaven And Hell - Black Sabbath)

Member Name: Frankingsteins

Product:	Heaven And Hell - Black Sabbath
Date:	20/02/08 (14 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Excellent new direction to revitalise Black Sabbath.

Disadvantages: Some songs are too similar, and the sound tends more towards hard rock than metal.

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 radical change from Ozzy's detached whine, and is integral in giving this album a grander, epic feel, particularly on the longer, more intricate songs. The rest of the band are partly content to let Dio hog the limelight, not indulging in any of the frivolous instrumental excess of the early albums, but Iommi in particular makes his presence felt with some more timeless guitar riffs to add the Sabbath song book. Opener 'Neon Knights' is a fast, rousing, upbeat start to the album that immediately signals a departure from Sabbath's established sound, actually sounding a lot more like Rainbow.

After this, the speed slows to favour a more palatable groove apart from some brief passages towards the end of longer songs, and Iommi experiments with some excellent acoustic touches to compliment his roaring electric guitar starting in the classic 'Children of the Sea,' which foreshadows the might of the title song. 'Heaven and Hell' is one of the all-time Sabbath classics, and certainly their most accomplished "epic," led by Iommi's ominous riff of doom and backed up by excellent bass and drums from Geezer Butler and Bill Ward. Dio's voice is at its best here, suiting the expansive atmosphere and varying from a harsher to a softer tone before his voice starts to seem a little silly and over-the-top on some of the more down-to-earth later tracks.

The rest of the album is less remarkable compared to these three classics, but each song is still inherently high quality. 'Lady Evil' is a nice mix of old and new Sabbath with a catchy chorus and a harder rocking second half, 'Wishing Well' is the same sort of thing but less good, and 'Walk Away' sounds a bit too much like generic seventies hard rock for my liking. On the plus side, 'Die Young' evolves from a seemingly boring ballad into a faster song almost up to speed with 'Neon Knights,' let down by some obvious similarities to that song and to direct riffs from 'Heaven and Hell,' but interesting for Dio's slightly more manic take on the vocals, and unhinged instrumental section. 'Lonely is the Word' is the inevitable slow finale that thankfully isn't a ballad, but isn't particularly interesting either, outside of a pleasant mellow central section that leads to a nice, long guitar solo to go out on.

'Heaven and Hell' is the first notable Sabbath album since 'Sabotage,' and a fantastic start for a new era that would sadly all too soon be over. It's a testament to the integrity and popularity of the Dio years that the line-up (actually the line-up from the next album, with Vinny Appice on drums) reformed last year and headlined festivals under the 'Heaven and Hell' band title, as the title song in particular remains a rock classic.

1. Neon Knights
2. Children of the Sea
3. Lady Evil
4. Heaven and Hell
5. Wishing Well
6. Die Young
7. Walk Away
8. Lonely is the Word

Summary: Black Sabbath's ninth album (1980).