Review Summary: A return to form.
The last two albums of the Ozzy era, Technical Ecstasy and Never Say Die! were severely lacking. Although they both had their moments, it was clear the band were running out of ideas and that Ozzy just wasn't into it at that point. He even admits that after Sabotage he began to lose interest in Black Sabbath, and the following two albums reflect that. The whole band were abusing drugs and alcohol, but Ozzy was in a far worse state than the others.
When it came time to write new material, Ozzy showed little interest in cooperating with any ideas the rest of the band had come up with, so much so that Iommi thought the only way to move forward was to either disband or hire a new vocalist to replace Ozzy, and thats exactly what they did. Drummer Bill Ward, who was very close to Ozzy was the one to break the news. Regarding the firing of Ozzy, Ward recounts "I hope I was professional, I might not have been, actually. When I'm drunk I am horrible, I am horrid. Alcohol was definitely one of the most damaging things to Black Sabbath. We were destined to destroy each other. The band were toxic, very toxic."
Searching for a new vocalist, Iommi was introduced to Ronnie James Dio, who was looking for a new project after leaving the band Rainbow. Dio's addition to the band brought about a change in sound. Sabbath began to be associated with the NWOBHM around the time Heaven and Hell was released, and the album definitely carries a NWOBHM vibe throughout. Musically it is an obvious departure from the Ozzy era, featuring a faster, more "upbeat" sound. It is certain that Dio's arrival in the band contributed to that. His voice is much more suited to that style of grandiose metal, whereas Ozzy was at home singing alongside the slow, monolithic riffs of early Sabbath. Since the two vocalists were completely different in style, Dio gave Iommi a new way of thinking when it came to writing material, as he put it "Not only voice-wise, but attitude-wise. Ozzy was a great showman, but when Dio came in, it was a different attitude, a different voice and a different musical approach, as far as vocals. Dio would sing across the riff, whereas Ozzy would follow the riff, like in "Iron Man". Ronnie came in and gave us another angle on writing."
The opener, Neon Knights immediately introduces this new-look Sabbath. with a fast melodic riff. Dio's vocals are a highlight here and really carry the songs in a way Ozzy could never do. He shows off his range on Children of the Sea, which starts out very mellow and features Dio singing in a quiet, delicate tone before descending into his usual strong, powerful voice. The real gem of the album however, is the title track, which is up there with the very best Black Sabbath songs, even rivalling many Ozzy era classics. From the opening doom riff, to the slow-paced, atmospheric feel of the first half and finally the fast-paced outro, everything about the song is perfect. Throughout the album, the band sound fresh and rejuvenated and this shows in energetic songs like Lady Evil and Wishing Well. It may be a very different sounding Sabbath than what most people associate with the band, but they manage to pull it off so well, and the chemistry between Tony and Dio is great.
Dio also gave a new approach to lyrics, since he took over those duties which were previously held by bassist Geezer Butler. This was a relief to Butler who had become increasingly frustrated with Ozzy's reliance on him for lyrics. Dio's writing revolved mostly around fantasy themes which was quite a departure from Geezer's. Nevertheless, this enabled Geezer to concentrate fully on the music side of things, and to great effect, because this is arguably the first time since Master of Reality that Geezer's bass playing is very prominent throughout.
The vocals may be the highlight of Heaven and Hell, which is in stark contrast to the Ozzy era in which Iommi's riffs dominated, but nevertheless Tony still gets his chance to shine. The riffs may not be as massive, but they compliment the songs perfectly and Tony gets to show off his underrated soloing skills. The closing solo of Lonely is the Word is played with an emotion most guitarists can only dream of, and his playing throughout the album shows off a certain flair that wasnt present on previous records.
While not quite up to par with the first 6 albums of the Ozzy era (although it runs Vol. 4 close), Heaven and Hell is a return to form, and remains a landmark album for Black Sabbath, proving that they could carry on without founding member Ozzy Osbourne. Dio's introduction gave the band some much needed spark and creativity, pushing them in a new direction and only adding to the legacy of the legendary first 6.
