Album of the Week: Heaven and Hell
Heaven and Hell – Black Sabbath (1980)
Heaven and Hell is of my favorite Black Sabbath albums (I sense a future list coming on!). I wasn’t alive in 1980 when this was released, but I bet people were blown away when they heard it. This was the first Sabbath album without Ozzy so I can image many fans may have been skeptical, but I’m sure all doubt was erased once they heard Ronnie James Dio sing one note.
His voice is so stunning and amazingly powerful. It’s deep and full of emotion. My particular
favorite vocal piece is “Children of the Sea”. His voice is so perfect in that song I’m blown away every time I hear it. Dio sings deep down from within his soul, pulling every bit of emotion out that he possibly can and you can feel it in every word. I sometimes think to myself “maybe I overrate it. Maybe it’s not as good as I remember it being.” Then I listen to the album and it really is THAT good.
My second favorite part of this album (first obviously being Dio’s voice) is actually the bass. It’s so heavy! It makes its presence known and it provides such a solid ground for the song and intertwines with the guitar to create the mystically heavy sound that is Black Sabbath (mystically heavy? Yes I made that up).
The music that Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler create with that guitar sound and that bass sound melting together is, in my mind, the definition of heavy. The kind of heavy that drags you down and feels like someone just dropped a ton of bricks on you. It’s powerful and you feel it deep down in your soul. It’s magic.
So if you have never listened to any non Ozzy Black Sabbath (Master of Reality is my favorite Ozzy Sabbath album. Just throwing that out there) or maybe you haven’t heard any Black Sabbath at all (besides the three songs they play on the radio over and over and over again) then this is a perfect album to pick up.
Favorite Songs: Children of the Sea, Heaven and Hell, Wishing Well (that rhymes!)
Posted on April 10, 2013, in Album of the Week and tagged 1980, album, bass, Bill Ward, Black Sabbath, Geezer Butler, guitar, Heaven And Hell, heavy metal, metal, Music, Ozzy Osbourne, Ronnie James Dio, Tony Iommi. Bookmark the permalink. 3 Comments.
idubtheetaryn 
I actually listened to this album when I was in Junior High. My buddy (eventual band-mate) turned me on to it…it changed my life, yes because it was that dark and heavy, but at the same time beautiful. My only complaint is Bill Wards drums, next album, Mob Rules, Vinny Appice replaces him and blows him away…but overall Heaven and Hell is a much better album. Defiantly a top 10 hard rock/metal album.
Completely agree. Dark, heavy and beautiful all at once. Well said 🙂 ………..Actually after I was done writing this I paused for a moment and thought “I didnt say anything about the drums” and then I tried to say something and couldn’t really come up with anything. Drums are solid, but not mind blowing amazing like everything else.
Don’t forget what Ozzy moved onto at that point…: Jamming with Randy Rhodes…awesome time in hard rock.