Heaven and Hell recapture classic Sabbath vibe with “debut” album
Vinny Appice, Tony Iommi, Ronnie James Dio and Geezer
Butler: carrying on the Black Sabbath legacy as Heaven and
Hell. (All photos courtesy of heavenandhelllive.com)
Butler: carrying on the Black Sabbath legacy as Heaven and
Hell. (All photos courtesy of heavenandhelllive.com)
Heaven and Hell, The Devil You Know (Rhino Records)
www.heavenandhelllive.com
By Thom Copher
The “debut” from Heaven and Hell, The Devil You Know, has to be – from my end - the most
hotly anticipated album thus far in ’09. I have not been expecting some Heavy Metal
reinvention of the wheel and, quite simply, would have been none too happy had The Band
Formerly Known as Black Sabbath gone that route.
The band, by whatever moniker, is universally synonymous devilish riffs and unique lyrical
imagery, and Devil does not disappoint in those respects. Guitarist Tony Iommi and bassist
Geezer Butler continue in the grand Sabbath tradition, wielding their hands of doom like the
musical minions of Beelzebub that they are. Drummer Vinny Appice aptly swoops down Odin's
hammer – simply stated, heavy and steady. And then there’s Ronnie James Dio, the little
guy with the Herculean voice, who once again supplants his canvasing of all that is mystical
while sounding, at 66 years young, much more powerful than someone his age should even
consider a possibility.
The album opens with “Atom and Evil,” a little tune that comes on like a ‘luded out t-rex...
plodding along with an ultra-heavy rhythmic stomp but biting with razor-sharp teeth. Given
the Atom/Adam-Evil/Eve allegory, it looks like RJD has been giving some thought to the
whole apocalypse-versus-nuclear-holocaust conundrum.
www.heavenandhelllive.com
By Thom Copher
The “debut” from Heaven and Hell, The Devil You Know, has to be – from my end - the most
hotly anticipated album thus far in ’09. I have not been expecting some Heavy Metal
reinvention of the wheel and, quite simply, would have been none too happy had The Band
Formerly Known as Black Sabbath gone that route.
The band, by whatever moniker, is universally synonymous devilish riffs and unique lyrical
imagery, and Devil does not disappoint in those respects. Guitarist Tony Iommi and bassist
Geezer Butler continue in the grand Sabbath tradition, wielding their hands of doom like the
musical minions of Beelzebub that they are. Drummer Vinny Appice aptly swoops down Odin's
hammer – simply stated, heavy and steady. And then there’s Ronnie James Dio, the little
guy with the Herculean voice, who once again supplants his canvasing of all that is mystical
while sounding, at 66 years young, much more powerful than someone his age should even
consider a possibility.
The album opens with “Atom and Evil,” a little tune that comes on like a ‘luded out t-rex...
plodding along with an ultra-heavy rhythmic stomp but biting with razor-sharp teeth. Given
the Atom/Adam-Evil/Eve allegory, it looks like RJD has been giving some thought to the
whole apocalypse-versus-nuclear-holocaust conundrum.
“Atom and Evil” sets the pace for the majority of Devil where the sheer intensity of
the sonic pummeling rules over speed and agility. Numbers like “Fear,” “Rock and Roll
Angel” and “Follow the Tears” owe more to the doom-laden passages of early
Sabbath than necessarily to Heaven and Hell (the album) and The Mob Rules which
represented a re-energized band at the dawn of the New Wave of British Heavy
Metal, circa 1980-81. This is not an all-out thud-and-crunch, though, as “Double
the Pain,” “Turn of the Screw,” “Neverwhere” and “Eating the Cannibals” recall past
Sab-Mach II rippers “Neon Nights” and “Voodoo.”
It’s no mistake, here, that “Bible Black,” the most versatile of the ten tracks
offered up, is the album’s lead single. The tune conjures itself subtly, courtesy of
Iommi’s acoustic notations which are embellished by electric injections and Dio’s
hearkening of the discovery of a mysterious book. This leads to an aural pile-drive
in which “Bible Black” brings together the album’s key elements. The song is also the
clearest evidence of the connection between Dio-helmed Sabbath and the singer's
solo work. (Disbeliever? Give "The Last in Line" a spin... told ya!)
the sonic pummeling rules over speed and agility. Numbers like “Fear,” “Rock and Roll
Angel” and “Follow the Tears” owe more to the doom-laden passages of early
Sabbath than necessarily to Heaven and Hell (the album) and The Mob Rules which
represented a re-energized band at the dawn of the New Wave of British Heavy
Metal, circa 1980-81. This is not an all-out thud-and-crunch, though, as “Double
the Pain,” “Turn of the Screw,” “Neverwhere” and “Eating the Cannibals” recall past
Sab-Mach II rippers “Neon Nights” and “Voodoo.”
It’s no mistake, here, that “Bible Black,” the most versatile of the ten tracks
offered up, is the album’s lead single. The tune conjures itself subtly, courtesy of
Iommi’s acoustic notations which are embellished by electric injections and Dio’s
hearkening of the discovery of a mysterious book. This leads to an aural pile-drive
in which “Bible Black” brings together the album’s key elements. The song is also the
clearest evidence of the connection between Dio-helmed Sabbath and the singer's
solo work. (Disbeliever? Give "The Last in Line" a spin... told ya!)
Tony Iommi, with his trademark detuned sound and methodical arrangements, digs deep into his bag of tricks which define him as the
granddaddy of metal riffage. His ability to hit an E chord and sift it through a Heavy Metal meat grinder… allowing one to savor his
drawn-out barre-chords… is the stuff of greatness.
Now, The Devil You Know is a really… really, really good album. But is it (again, the record) Heaven and Hell? No, and I didn’t
expect it to be. The awesomeness which is that halcyon disc is a magical event that came along at both a tumultuous and pivotal
period in the Sabbath history. Had there been no Heaven and Hell, there would be no The Devil You Know and probably no Dio – the
band (or, at least not as we know it). There would only be Tony and Geezer... possibly Vinny on drums... waiting for Ozzy Osbourne
to periodically go on furlough from The Ball and Chain.
granddaddy of metal riffage. His ability to hit an E chord and sift it through a Heavy Metal meat grinder… allowing one to savor his
drawn-out barre-chords… is the stuff of greatness.
Now, The Devil You Know is a really… really, really good album. But is it (again, the record) Heaven and Hell? No, and I didn’t
expect it to be. The awesomeness which is that halcyon disc is a magical event that came along at both a tumultuous and pivotal
period in the Sabbath history. Had there been no Heaven and Hell, there would be no The Devil You Know and probably no Dio – the
band (or, at least not as we know it). There would only be Tony and Geezer... possibly Vinny on drums... waiting for Ozzy Osbourne
to periodically go on furlough from The Ball and Chain.
Ronnie James Dio, Geezer Butler, Vinny Appice and Tony Iommi churning
out the magic which has influenced Heavy Metal for four decades plus.
out the magic which has influenced Heavy Metal for four decades plus.
All in all, The Devil You Know has enough fuel to propel Heaven and Hell to some timely airplay while supplying the band’s live show with some
new vibes to accompany the classics. It’s exactly what you might expect from a buncha old geezers (place pun here, thank you, Mr. Butler)
and when that band happens to have indelible Sabbath roots, the result, while predictable, is satisfying.
new vibes to accompany the classics. It’s exactly what you might expect from a buncha old geezers (place pun here, thank you, Mr. Butler)
and when that band happens to have indelible Sabbath roots, the result, while predictable, is satisfying.