Style: classic heavy metal
Primary Emotions/Themes: Heaven, hell, angels, the devil, and everything in between
Thoughts: There is a legend. One that says that the mightiest of all voices joined the heralds of a new genre. One that gave unto the world hope, a sense of purpose. That legend is no legend my friends, it is real. For on the fated day that Ronnie James Dio joined Black Sabbath and recorded Heaven and Hell the prophecy was fulfilled.
There is no voice like Dio's. Not in metal, not in rock, not in pop, not in opera... no where. There is not a single person that can get close to the beauty, power, grit, and ferocity that his voice has with every single note. Combine that with the very founders of heavy metal - Black Sabbath - and you have an album for the ages, one that would not only raise the bar for the band but for the genre as a whole. This was to become Heaven and Hell.
My dear readers, the two early 80's Sabbath albums are some of the finest music ever written. You have a renewed Iomi writing riffs like he hasn't in nearly a decade at this point, You have Geezer's interaction with those riffs in a way that no guitar/bass combo ever has done or ever will do again. Combine that with Ward's simple yet highly effective and unique drumming and you have the makings of a masterpiece.
The songs that are on Heaven and Hell are truly timeless. The speedy and powerful opener Neon Knights immediately lets the listener know that the band has come with their A game. Moodier songs like Children of the Sea and the title track give the listener a glimpse of how versatile the song writing and vocals truly are. You also have rockers like Lady Evil and Die Young that are meant to get the blood pumping.
There is not a single bad song, bad riff, bad vocal line on this album. Sure some moments are better than others but this is an abundance of riches, good vs. great vs. outstanding moments all around. Easily one of the best metal albums ever created, and the second best Sabbath album ever recorded... second only to the follow up.
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