Released in 1980 "Heaven and Hell" is considered the most complete
Black Sabbath album of the Ronnie James
Dio era. However, personally "Mob Rules" has always been my ultimate
Dio album. The album has lots of nostalgic value, which could affect my judgment, but this 2010 re-mastered version just understates that "Mob Rules" is a timeless work of art.
Because of the success of "Heaven and Hell" the band was under pressure. Furthermore original drummer Bill Ward left during the "Heaven and Hell" tour, which made the follow up the always critical album number two.
Dio really shook up the alcohol fueled band and managed to take
Black Sabbath to new heights.
"Heaven and Hell" had some blockbusters like
Neon Nights and
Heaven and Hell, which once again made the fans put faith in the
Black Sabbath name.
Most of "Mob Rules" was written on the "Heaven and Hell" tour and "Mob Rules" was released only 19 months after "Heaven and hell".
Vinny Appice took over the vacant drum stool and his hard hitting John Bonham style made the music more powerful and Appice gave the songs more body.
Iommi wrote some really good riffs for the album and
Dio matched Tony iommi's riffs with great melody lines and his impressive vocals.
Black Sabbath was very direct in their approach - just listen to album opener
Turn up the Night and the title track. Both songs are rocking hard with
Dio's voice in center. The epic
The Sign of the Southern Cross and
Falling Off the Edge of the World are both emotional pieces. The majestic
Falling off the Edge of the World starts with a touching intro leading to
Iommi once again proving to be the master of doomy riffs.
Country Girl has a mastodon riff alike
Iron Man and it is a direct parallel back to the Ozzy days because the vocal line follows the riff.
"Mob Rules" is a mid-tempo classic with all the doomy and atmospheric riffs from Tony
Iommi (A perfect example is
Voodoo - built on a classic mid-tempo riff from
Iommi). The album is a bit underestimated and in my book a true gem.
The bonus disc is an 80 minute live recording from Hammersmith Odeon. In the states the CD has earlier been released as a limited edition bonus disc. The performance is flawless, the sound is great and
Dio sounds on top of his of his game. The energy he puts into
Neon Nights, N.I.B. and
War Pigs is amazing. I trust
Black Sabbath's live performances from that era as very consistent and probably the best
Black Sabbath ever sounded musically.
"Live Evil" has also been released in a re-mastered version, but without any bonus material. The recording was made in April/may 1982. The twist with "Live Evil" is that it is good, but not great. The performance is flawless, but the setlist should have had more focus on the "Mob Rules" album, since the show was in support of that album. The highlight is the 20 minute version of
Heaven and Hell with singalong and
Sign of the Southern Cross incorporated.
Dio' voice is very powerful and again he sounds best on
N.I.B and
Neon Nights.
Sadly "Live Evil" was the final mark for this line up, since Appice and
Dio left the band in October 1982. However, Appice, Butler
Iommi and
Dio reunited in 1992 for the "Dehumanizer" album and later regrouped as Heaven and Hell.
If you are a bit short on cash then pick up the reissue of "Mob Rules" since it has most value for money with the added bonus disc. Maybe it is because the Hammersmith concert is so fresh that I think that it is an even better live performance that "Live Evil"
"Mob Rules" is the best
Black Sabbath and
Dio album ever.
In memory of Ronnie James
Dio July 10 1942 - May 16 2010
Written by
Michael Sunday, June 20, 2010
Show all reviews by MichaelRatingsMichael: 7.5/10Members: No members have rated this album yet.
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