Heaven & Hell. There's some great material from the Dio years, but so much of the other songs sound alike, including the new songs. Instead of opening with a new track or an old favorite, they opened with "After All (The Dead)," the second track from the third Dio Sabbath album, 1992's Dehumanizer. Honestly, the three songs from Dehumanizer, including "I" and "Computer God," are second rate material. The three new tracks, "Ear In the Wall," "The Devil Cried," and "Shadow of the Wind," also failed to get the crowd going.
Most bands play more than one song in their encores, but these guys only offered up "Neon Knight" which was a surprise and a disappointment. This could very well be the first and last time Heaven & Hell tour, as Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler plan to record and tour with Ozzy Osbourne next year, along with original drummer Bill Ward, as Black Sabbath.
I was hoping that guitarist Tony Iommi would say something, but the only one who addressed the crowd was the man with the mike, the diminutive Dio. I was a bit surprised by how close to the studio albums Geezer Butler's bass guitar was. Butler and Iommi didn't move around the stage, leaving Dio as the focal point. Vinnie Appice is a well-known drummer, however, I was really disappointed with his drum solo. It was one of the most boring, unimaginative solos that I've ever seen. The stage featured gothic brick gates and were mercifully not in excess and could not be ridiculed as something out of Spinal Tap. Dio's vocals were in fine form and he seemed to be having a fun time. I don't know if the band picked up on the lack of enthusiasm from the crowd, due to the less than exciting set list.
The most effective songs for me were the rousing "Mob Rules," "Children Of The Sea," "Lady Evil," "Sign Of The Southern Cross," "Die Young," "Heaven & Hell," and "Neon Knights." They are on tour in support of the new compilation album, Black Sabbath: The Dio Years and played everything from that album save for "Lonely Is The Word," "Turn Up The Night," "Falling Off The Edge Of The World," and "TV Crimes. " The show would have been better if they played a longer encore, left out some of the weaker songs in favour of "Country Girl," "Falling Off The Edge Of The World," and "Turn Up The Night. " The crowd had a lot of teens and twenty-somethings and there was a lack of fans over the age of 40.
Article comments
1 - El Bicho
I was on the fence, but you've convinced me to give this concert a pass. I saw Ozzy w/Sabbath a few years back at Ozzfest, so I'll wait for them next year.
2 - Triniman
I don't any regrets that I attended but overall, it was a disappointment.
3 - Brian aka Guppusmaximus
Considering how old they are, the bootleg I heard sounded pretty damn good. I can agree that the set list was rather dull but I think they may have been limited by the Ozzy camp and Megadeth's set looked rather boring as well.To say that any material from Dehumanizer is second rate comes across as ignorant,again, when they are considerably old for the metal game. Actually, name a band that is at that same age that can rock like them?? I know you can't...
I personally would like to see the Gods of Metal line-up over here anyday than that useless band "Down".
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4 - JC Mosquito
The Cream reunion DVD has some pretty great moments from some old-ish geezers who might've had something to do with the development of metal.
5 - Triniman
Speaking of Cream, I saw Eric Clapton a few days ago,last week Wednesday. Needless to say, Clapton was stunning on guitar, the best guitarist who I have had the pleasure of seeing. And that's not meant to demean anyone else.
6 - Brian aka Guppusmaximus
Though I can agree that Cream's DVD was rather good for a Bunch O'Old Dudes, I highly doubt that they influenced Black Sabbath in any way. AND, I'm pretty sure that the current line-up for Heaven & Hell would probably blow the doors off of that train. Toni Iommi hardly gets the credit he deserves as a ripping axeman.
Once and for all, Dehumanizer was the best reunion style CD that Black Sabbath has offered up in over a decade! Probably as close as you could get to Mob Rules without sounding pretentious and still better than any reincarnation that that sloppy f*ck Ozzy ever put together.
Personally, I don't believe that album got the recognition it deserves because they didn't shove it down people's throats like f*ckhead Ozzy does with all of his boring shite!!
*Off My Soapbox*
7 - El Bicho
"I highly doubt that they influenced Black Sabbath in any way."
Really? From a 2001 interview, Geezer Butler "The one bass player that influenced me was Jack Bruce from Cream."
8 - Mark Saleski
i wouldn't let this review stop you from seeing the Dio Sabbath. i don't mean that triniman is wrong, it's just that it's worth seeing Dio belt this stuff out live.
9 - El Bicho
I don't know. I saw him a few years back between Maiden and Motorhead, and was very underwhelmed by RJD.
10 - Mark Saleski
hmmm, maybe he just hasn't aged well. i mean, i saw him on the Heaven & Hell tour...which certainly was a long time ago.
11 - Triniman
I had no problem with Dio's vocal performance. It's the choice of material that made the show less exciting that it could have been.
I have no regrets that I attended the show. If you a fan of Black Sabbath, how could you not go? And at $60, it was easily half the price of most shows that play at the MTS Centre and was one quarter the price of seeing The Who and Crosby Stills Nash and Young.