Retro Reviews: Black Sabbath: Heaven and Hell

     I decided to launch a new series to imagine myself as a critic at the end of the 70s and start of the 80s, and to rectify certain reviews from Rolling Stone magazine and Creem. This not meant to be contrarian, but to offer a more balanced perspective. All the albums reviewed are indeed classic albums. 

Black Sabbath – Heaven and Hell (1980)

****

Producer: Martin Birch

Musicians: Ronnie James Dio, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Bill Ward, Geoff Nicholls

Songs: Neon Knights, Children Of The Sea, Lady Evil, Heaven and Hell, Wishing Well, Die Young, Walk Away, Lonely Is The Word

Reviewed By Matthew Anthony Allair

    After the departure of Ozzy Osbourne from the band within the prior year, there’s been valid questions with how the band could stay relevant in the new decade, but they have retooled a new sound with ex- Rainbow and ex-Elf singer Ronnie James Dio. While Iommi hasn’t mimicking the Van Halen sound, there is a slight change and modernization of his sound. Butler and Ward remain. While Geezer had been the prior lyric writer for the band, Ronnie has taken over the lyrical duties. For a band that had the assumed reputation of somehow being satanic, an idea that was always erroneous as they only tackled the occult a few times. Let’s begin with the title track, an idea that we create our own torment or nirvana. Dio uses metaphor to tackle contemporary issues, and seems to have veered away the fantasy imagery he used with Rainbow.

    The opening track “Neon Knights” is a very strong album opener, a theme about the decadence of nighttime street life. “Children Of The Sea” opens with a classical, chordal guitar movement with vocal before Dio kicks it into high gear with the full band, a number likely about the connection with nature, with a middle section that manages to be fairly dynamic. “Lady Evil” is the closest to an occult number, then again, it could just be about a manipulative woman, nevertheless, it has some incendiary guitar work from Iommi.  The prior mentioned “Heaven and Hell”, an excellent number where the guitars sit back for Dio’s vocals, or add theatrical coloring as it evolves. The track manages several dramatic shifts, and ends with a medieval acoustic movement.

    Side two opens with a nearly pop hard rock number, “Wishing Well”, with some great bass work from Butler. A unique take on a courtship. A pad of synthesizers support Iommi’s guitar on “Die Young” before the full band drives this fast number. This is the closest to Iommi taking a nod to Hendrix with his lead work. Some guitar cordial work and keyboard’s brings up the melody in the middle section before the band shifts into hyperdrive. There’s a heavy swagger to “Walk Away”, another relationship song about a problematic woman. The closer “Lonely Is The Word” is a mid-tempo heavy number, and probably the number that has the most musical surprises. Iommi manages to channel a little of Page’s feel with the soloing, the while keyboards at the resolve builds up a theatrical mood.

    It would be proverbial apples and oranges to compare Dio to Osbourne as they are very different singers. But admittedly Dio has allowed Sabbath to stretch their musical chops more. But also, this Sabbath feels like a different band in some respects. My hunch is that, for most hard rock and heavy metal fans, this will be soon a very important album.