Mob Rules

Mob Rules is a fulfilling work that, around Tony Iommi’s weighty guitar riffs and Ronnie James Dio’s dramatic, powerful vocals, drew Black Sabbath’s dark world even more sharply. Inheriting the great success of the previous Heaven and Hell and welcoming Vinny Appice on drums, it is a record showing the sure fullness of the Dio period. The songs, not merely heavy, have the clear outline of memorable melody and sure speed, powerfully sustaining the tension. From the aggressive popular opener “Turn Up the Night” and the solemn epic “The Sign of the Southern Cross” to the speeding title track “The Mob Rules,” every song is engaging, while the uneasy “Voodoo” and a cut like “Falling Off the Edge of the World” convey the work’s fullness. Dio’s powerful, narrative singing is in sharp form throughout. A record on which the aggression of “Turn Up the Night,” the sure solemnity of “The Sign of the Southern Cross” and the distinctive unease of “Voodoo” powerfully create the work’s rich, sure expression. A powerful, engaging masterpiece representing the Dio period, on which heaviness and deep narrative bind extremely firmly — an essential record for fans.