First things first. Heaven & Hell was Black Sabbath, and no amount of name changes or lawsuits can change that. Yes, everyone loved Ozzy (RIP), but Ronnie James Dio played an equally important role, helping to bring Sabbath back from the brink of the abyss not once, but three times.
With the Brummie pioneers in freefall during the mid-late seventies, Dio brought something fresh and original to the band, not only saving them from total collapse but reinvigorating them completely. Nothing lasts forever, though, and after Dio left in 1982, Sabbath limped on with a succession of different members and fading public interest.
Dio revived the band’s fortunes for a second time with 1992’s Dehumanizer album but departed again a few months later, leaving Sabbath on another downward trajectory. However, after the much vaunted reunion with Ozzy came to an end in 2006, guitarist Tony Iommi was in no mood to let a history of decline after triumph repeat itself. Reuniting with Dio again, Sabbath were immediately on the receiving end of some infuriating legal entanglements and were refused permission to move ahead under their own name. So Heaven & Hell was born.
It’s been twenty years since Dio and Iommi teamed up with drummer Vinny Appice and legendary bassist Geezer Butler for what would be the last time, and Breaking Out of Heaven 2007-2009 (BMG) is an unashamed celebration of this final collaboration. Consisting of seven LPs on four discs (3 CDs and a Blu-ray) this extensive box set features every release from the band plus a number of bonus features.
Arguably the most important release, the one and only studio album from the band, 2009’s The Devil You Know, still stands up today thanks to songs like Doom-laden opener “Atom And Evil,” single “Bible Black,” and uptempo cuts like “The Turn Of The Screw” and “Eating The Cannibals.” Elsewhere, “Rock And Roll Angel,” “Follow The Tears,” “Neverwhere” and “Double The Pain” eradicate any remaining bad memories left over from the nineties, the set also including the first songs recorded by this latest incarnation of the band, “The Devil Cried,” “Shadow Of The Wind” and “Ear In The Wall.”
Two years prior to The Devil You Know, the band’s first official release, Live From Radio City Music Hall is a Dio-era greatest-hits package, if ever there was one. Spread over two discs (four if you have the vinyl), pick your favourite and it’s almost guaranteed to be included. “The Mob Rules,” “The Sign Of The Southern Cross,” “Lady Evil,” “Voodoo,” “Children Of The Sea,” “Die Young,” “Heaven And Hell,” “Lonely Is The Word,” “Falling Off The Edge Of The World” and “Neon Knights.” All present and correct, plus loads more.
Rounded out by Neon Nights: 30 Years Of Heaven & Hell – Live at Wacken, the vinyl version is split over another two discs while the CD box set gets a Blu-ray instead. Released in 2010, as the title suggests, the performance is a recording of the band’s headline show at Wacken, Germany, the previous year, and features a setlist which incorporates many of the above classics plus the likes of “I,” “Bible Black,” “Time Machine,” “Fear” and “Follow The Tears.” Strangely, “Country Girl” and the drum solo appear to have been omitted, but the Blu-ray makes up for it, including extras like the Live From Radio City Music Hall show and extra features such as Heaven And Hell Road Movie, Hail The Gods Of Metal, Meet The Mob, Radio City, Ronnie James Dio Tribute, and interviews with each member of the band.
