One of the Top Ten Metal Albums of All Time
I needn't say much, most of the reviews of this work here speak volumes. I did want to correct Amazon's description writer, however, as this album and Mob Rules are NOT the only albums with Dio. In 1992 Ronnie James Dio and accomplished percussionist Vinny Appice joined with Sabbath once again (the classic Mob Rules lineup) to create the album Dehumanizer. Yet another necessity for your CD collection. But this one here, Heaven & Hell, belongs in your collection just like AC/DC's Back In Black or Meat Loaf's Bat Out Of Hell. It's one you'll want to copy and play the copy, so you don't wear out the original.

THE BEST BLACK SABBATH RECORD!!! PERIOD!
By 1980 Sabbath's situation appeared hopeless. The Prince of Darkness was now off the helm of the mic, and finding a replacement to match such a large personality would be diffucult. However, the satanic ones made a great choice when they recruited ex-rainbow singer Ronnie James Dio (Rainbow's first 3 efforts are nearly as brilliant as this btw esp. rising). They found a singer that not only could convey the dark majestic tone synonymous with Sabbath but could also sing. Dio unabashadely mixes opera and a metal scream and subsequently possesses arguably the finest voice in metal. It's also at this point that Iommi and ward finally speeds up some of tempos from dreary sludgy riffs ala "Sweet Leaf" to rockers like "Neon Knights".

Right from the start its apparent that Dio and Sabbath work together on the driving Neon Knights. But Dio's ability to carry a tune not only helps on the hard fast metal songs but also allows the sabs to finally successfully add subetly into their music. Tracks like Children of the Sea and Die Young brilliantly intermix beautiful singing, subtle melody with driving metallic power. And nowhere else is this realized better than on the gothic title track where Dio gives the most memorable performance of his entire career. The track led initially by Dio's beautiful singing is led slowly by Iommi and Butler into gothic rocking mayhem before descending once again into Neo-classical Bliss. Brilliant.

The Best Sabbath Album period. The songwriting is the most mature, the guitar solos burn, and this may be one of the few metal albums with GREAT VOCALS. Sure I love old Sabbath, but any sabbath, Dio, rainbow, or hell any hard/rock metal fan check this out. Its a severely underrated masterpiece.

Arguably Sabbath's finest hour. Ozzy who?
Black Sabbath's ninth album Heaven and Hell was released in April of 1980.
After the failure of 1978's Never Say Die and being upstaged by Van Halen on its accompanying tour, Black Sabbath made some major changes.
First, legendary metal singer Ozzy Osbourne was fired from the band and Ozzy would start a solo career, but what would bass player Geezer Butler, drummer Bill Ward and guitarist Tony Iommi do to replace Ozzy. Simple. Hire Ronnie James Dio, whom was previously the lead singer for the blues rock outfit Elf and former Deep Purple member Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow (recording the classic Rainbow Rising).
Second, the band got a new producer out of Martin Birch (famous for work with Deep Purple, Rainbow and subsequently Iron Maiden). Would Black Sabbath succeed without Ozzy? Read on and find out (as I did in October of 1993 when I first heard the album and got subsequently on CD that November).
The killer hard rocker "Neon Knights" opens the album and shows Dio was more than a capable singer to replace Ozzy. Next is "Children Of The Sea" which starts out as an acoustic ballad-type song before we rock out in a slower tempo. Next is "Lady Evil" which is an awesome song despite the fact musically in some parts it was reminiscent to Cliff Richard's 1976 hit "Devil Woman" (namely in the riff that follows the middle guitar solo). The album's first side ends with the strongest track on the album which is Heaven and Hell's title track. Tony Iommi is metal's greatest guitar god, and he's demonstrated it tons of times both before and after the release of this album, but this shows why he is known as one of metal's greatest . The opening solo to this track is the best damn guitar playing he has EVER done. Combine that with some priceless vocals from Dio, and you know very well you've got a masterpiece on your hands.
The album's second half starts with the rocking "Wishing Well". We follow with another classic "Die Young". The track starts off with a great Geoff Nicholls synthesizer fanfare with killer Iommi guitar solos intro before going into a great fast rocker. Dio's lyrics are amazing and among the best lyrics of all time. Dio and Iommi were on fire on this track. The rocker "Walk Away" is next and is a great song with a killer riff. We close the album with the classic "Lonely Is the Word". The song has a superb vocal delivery from Dio and Iommi's guitar solos (especially at the end) are AMAZING!
Heaven and Hell is a SUPERB SABBATH album and was also the album that brought them back to the American Top 30 for the first time in FIVE YEARS and also rewarded Sabbath with its first US million selling album.
Heaven and Hell is a masterpiece and 28 years later, it still rocks!
Recommended!

A timeless classic!
I just purchased this CD since I am trying to backfill my lost record collection of eons ago, and I read a lot of the reviews for it with interest after listening to it again and again (again and again, and again! - a little Neon Knights lingo there!) over the weekend. I think everyone pretty much has covered the bases, but I have just been so surprised by my own reaction I wanted to write a little:

I think the other reviewers did a good job of breaking down individual tracks, but in general I would just like to say that the musicianship on this album is just stunning after listening to it 28 years later! It still sounds as crisp and fresh as ever! I remember being blown away when it was first released when I was still in High School, but looking back at it through the prism of time it was more than just a good album; it was an epochal shift for Black Sabbath. Geezer's bass playing is superb, Tony Iomni is masterful, Bill Ward's playing is great (I remember hearing an interview with Bill Ward where he claimed he was so out of it during the recording of Heaven and Hell that he didn't even remember it; I find that hard to believe!), and of course what can you say about RJD? He has a set of pipes that most Rock singers would kill for and he is a perfect frontman for Black Sabbath. I hate to say it, but after listening to this again Ozzy almost seems buffoonish. The level of professionalism is just light years beyond what Ozzy ever could deliver, and don't get me wrong because I have every single Black Sabbath release. Dio just brings a dimension into this album that propels it to the top of the list of all time metal classics! Ozzy was losing it over the last 2 albums and it was pretty apparent; the addition of RJD breathed fresh life into Sabbath and the energy is infectious on this album. Even though I don't believe Bill Ward when he says he "doesn't remember" the recording of Heaven and Hell, it was apparent that he had problems since this was the last album he recorded with the new incarnation of Black Sabbath. That's too bad because I think he was a great drummer, but his fill-in Vinnie Appice was a great choice, too. I still think, though that this lineup (with Ward), if it could have worked, was possibly the best incarnation of Black Sabbath.

I can't believe I waited so long to revisit this metal classic!

"The World Is Full Of Kings And Queens Who Blind Your Eyes And Steal Your Dreams,Its Heaven And Hell"-Heaven And Hell
In 1979,After Ozzy left Black Sabbath,Dio became the new singer of the band giving the band a new life and new energy.You can feel right from the opening song "Neon Knights",that something about them has changed.Some tought,are quick to criticize Dio and of course those people just want Ozzy and nothing else,if you have an open mind then you will probably like Sabbath-Dio,if not then just don't like it that's all.Ronnie James Dio,has an amazing voice and in my opinion,he's a way better singer than Ozzy and can really bring a song to life.I can understand those people because I was once like them,beleving that Ozzy was the only true singer of the band but once I heard them with Dio it all changed.I think that Sabbath was great with Dio,maybe not as much as they were with Ozzy,but Dio certainly had his place in Sabbath and the albums he did with the band are memorable and classics ones with some great songs.

One big change is of course the fact that lineup is now consisting of Toni Iommi,Geezer Butler,Bill Ward and Ronnie James Dio,but another change is that Iommi's guitar playing has changed in the transition of Ozzy to Dio.He plays awesomely in my opinion and comes out with some rocking riffs that really stick to your head.In a way Dio is much more of a musician while Ozzy is a singer.This album has much more melody than previous albums and its a masterpiece that can sometimes be overlooked.The lyrics can also be more profound and real,they are different than in their previous album,you'll notice.Black Sabbath with Ronnie James Dio is still Black Sabbath to me lets make this clear.

The albums starts out with one of the best metal songs ever in my opinion,"Neon Knights" which has a great riff by Iommi and at this point already you know you're in for something special."Children Of The Sea" is considerably slower and more of a rocker.Dio sounds amazing on this one and its really an emotional song about courage,one of the best songs on the album."Lady Evil" is another great song with a good chorus and there is really nothing to complain about.I often have some of the lyrics in my head,"Lady evil,evil,she's a magical,mystical woman..." its got a good groove what can I say?"Heaven And Hell",the title track is amazing starting out slow and gradually becoming more intense.The solo in this song is amazing!A highlight of the album."Wishing Well" is pretty good,there's nothing really special,the song is just great."Die Young" is excellent no less."Walk Away"'s the song I don't really like,it's good at what it is,no more."Lonely Is The World" is a good bluesy closer but nothing exceptionnal here.

Dio was the best choice for a replacement singer,some bands after loosing such important members as Ozzy was decide to quit but sometimes continue and in some case do very well and Sabbath was one of those bands.Everything is top notch,the songs,the playing,everything is there and the result of "Heaven And Hell" is a masterpiece and one of the best Sabbath has ever done.I can't say it enough,this album is a must-have and it should be in any serious rocker's collection.Its a highlight in both Sabbath and Dio's careers.