The Classic Metal Album Review:
Title: Heaven and Hell
Artist: Black Sabbath
Label: Warner Brothers Records
Release Date: 1980

Rating: 5 Skulls
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    • Kefka X's Review:
    Two disorienting, confusing albums after their pinnacle of accomplishment (Sabotage), Black Sabbath parts ways with original vocalist the Ozz-man himself, paving way for ex-Rainbow's Ronnie James Dio. And thus, another Sabbath dawned in the horizon. A Sabbath on the verge of losing drummer Bill Ward. A Sabbath who dramatically changed their sound and style, as they have done for so many years. Heaven or Hell has always been considered a crucial turning point in the mega-band's career; for better or worse is always a matter or preference. But to me, fact is that this is their most energetic and exciting album to come out since Sabbath Bloody Sabbath.

    What we have here is a rejuvenated Sabbath, a Sabbath lacking the ennui and frustration seen on Technical Ecstasy and Never Say Die. A Black Sabbath bouncing off the walls with a refreshing sound that bit off the ear of the NWOBHM movement yet still landed the one-two-punch of the Ozzy days. Part of this is to blame on the "what happened to the mid-range?" production. While hit-or-miss with the Ozzy purists of the classic fuzz days (daze) of Vol. 4 and Sabotage, the tone of Heaven and Hell is still golden crisp with an earthy tone that sounds nowhere near artificial. Another good chunk of this is responsible on the part of Ronnie James Dio, whose warm-like-dragonfire, softer-than-pillows or harder-than-unbroken-mattresses voice is at its strongest here, commanding lead over Iommi, Butler and Ward in a way that Ozzy was never able to leash hold of. In fact, Heaven or Hell is the breaking point in which Black Sabbath were no longer collectively Black Sabbath, but Dio and Black Sabbath.

    All things aside, Heaven and Hell is truly an outstanding accomplishment. The album rips through the listener quickly with the aggressive opener "Neon Knights," setting the tone for most (but not all) of what you're going to hear next. The next six tracks are a cornucopia of winners. "Children of the Sea" could definitely be called the acoustic track of the album, showcasing a mellow, somber Sabbath found on tracks such as "Solitude" and the first three minutes of "Megalomania," before crashing like waves into a triumphant refrain. The title cut has always been revered as the strongest track, which starts off at a Holy Diver pace before galloping back into the upbeat, valkyrie-striding theme of the album. The rest of the album works in this fashion up until the last song, "Lonely is the Word," which at this point presents us with an exhausted, weary Sabbath struggling for the energy to finish things off before the sun sets.

    Ultimately, this is my favorite Sabbath album, and hosts almost all of my favorite Sabbath songs. Most Sabbath purists will disagree, but let's face it: my opinion counts. BOOYA!
    5 out of 5

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