The Return of Black Sabbath: Heaven and Hell

When most people think of Black Sabbath, they think first (if not only) of Ozzy Osbourne. Sure, all of the famous songs- War Pigs, Ironman, Paranoid, etc., were all sung by Ozzy, but this should by no means dissuade people from checking out their other incarnation with singer Ronnie James Dio, a man with a voice beyond description. When Ozzy was thrown out of Sabbath for being a wasted mess, Tony Iommi chose the singer from fellow British metal guitar-master Ritchie Blackmore's band Rainbow to take his place.

That singer was Ronnie James Dio, possessor of one of the most powerful and versatile voices around, and he shortly revitalized the ailing Sabbath with the release of the Heaven and Hell album, a must own for any true metal fan. The Dio years were not nearly popular as the ones with Ozzy, and only lasted a few years before Dio left to form his own band and release the Holy Diver album, but for many fans, including myself, these years produced some of their best music. I, for one, never expected a reunion of this lineup, as Black Sabbath with Ozzy continues to play to large crowds around the world, so it was a complete surprise when I learned of the "Heaven and Hell" tour.

First, let's get a couple of things straight. Ozzy is a mess, and no longer any good. He uses teleprompters on stage, sounds terrible, and sings the same songs every time. When Sabbath first got back together, I was first in line to sleep out for tickets to the Philly show, and I loved every second of the concert. I was 16, a huge Sabbath fan, and it was the first time I had ever heard these songs live, so it was a great experience. I saw them the next three times they came, and it was the exact same show, all the same songs and the same Ozzy schtick ("I love you all!" and all that). It's tired and boring now, and, let's face it, Ozzy needs to hang it up.

Legend states that it was Dio who invented the 'Devil Horns'

Credit: don't know

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