Nearly 30 years ago, Ronnie James Dio joined Black Sabbath, a band in shambles. A new wave of metal threatened to put the original heavy metal band out to pasture.Dio provided a spark and a new reinvigorated Black Sabbath emerged as a leaner, meaner, more capable band. The results were immediate with two classic albums, Heaven and Hell and Mob Rules.
Big egos breed big problems though and it was not long before Dio split for solo stardom, leaving Sabbath to struggle in the 1980s. As is wont to happen in rock and roll, a Dio-era Sabbath reunited in the early 1990s to release the criminally ignored Dehumanizer. Nobody was safe from Nirvana in '92. The reunion did not last.
Today a re-reunited Dio-era Sabbath is working under the name Heaven and Hell. It started with a compilation disc and tour, followed by a box set and more touring, which brings the band to the present with brand new original album, The Devil You Know.
In the few years prior to reuniting, the individual band members had each released some very good, if not stellar, albums. Expectations should be high. Time to show these kids how it is done.
On first listen, The Devil You Know was dull. A steady thump of mid-tempo metal tracks. There were enough hooks to come back for another listen, then another and another. Maybe age has mellowed the band, but they more than make up for it with nuance and taste. Nuance and taste on a metal record? It can happen.
Tony Iommi is one, if not the, greatest guitarists alive. His riffs are the sound of thunder, but his solos are coming from another place. They are often spare but full of melody. It is on the repeat listens where you can also hear Iommi add subtle touches that give the record dimension and range.
Geezer Butler is still Geezer Butler. The sound of the bowels of hell rumbling from a bass amp. Dio is the ever-reliable vocalist and lyricist. Being in Sabbath always gave him a chance to take his vocals to a lower register, and his lyrics to a darker level. The record is full of clever wordplay and images, beginning with track number one – "Atom and Evil."
Each song is solid, but the obvious standout is lead single "Bible Black." With a tight riff and Dio at his doomy best. Another highlight is the up-tempo rocker "Eating the Cannibals," if just for its change of pace. So much of the record hits on one tempo and borders on hypnotic.
The Devil You Know does not have the twists and turns of Heaven and Hell or Mob Rules. Those records are rollercoaster rides. This record is more a slow ride on the edge of doom. It is a fine statement by heavy metal royalty.
