Heaven and Hell

Heaven and Hell is a monumental masterpiece on which Black Sabbath, welcoming Ronnie James Dio as the new vocalist, gave an entirely new vocal expanse to its heavy riff world. A record announcing a dramatic rebirth that splendidly overcame the great crisis of Ozzy Osbourne’s departure. While Tony Iommi’s guitar firmly keeps its uneasy weight, Dio’s powerful, narrative voice powerfully leads the songs to a bigger, grander scenery. A record that opened the band’s new golden age. From the speeding classic opener “Neon Knights” and the lyrical “Children of the Sea” to the long tension of the solemn title track “Heaven and Hell,” every song is engaging, while the speeding “Die Young” and a cut like “Lady Evil” convey the work’s fullness. In particular, the title track “Heaven and Hell” became an enduring classic symbolizing the band. A record on which, while firmly keeping the pressure of the heavy riffs, the singing rises high and powerfully, drawing the contrast of light and shade largely and powerfully in each song. It splendidly pulls solemnity and sure aggression together into one story. An enduring, powerful, engaging masterpiece of heavy metal that, by no means discarding tradition, dug even deeper with a different voice — an essential record for fans.