While Black Sabbath fans tend to agree on most things, the argument over singers Ozzy Osbourne and Ronnie James Dio still rages on. Just who was the better frontman? Most will obviously side with the former but there are still those who insist Dio will always be number one. Ozzy was responsible for six of the finest albums in the annals of heavy metal but Dio rescued that same band (at least temporarily) from total collapse with two hugely important albums of his own.
Although it would eventually lose out to Ozzy’s solo debut released later that year, Heaven and Hell (Warner/Vertigo) was still one of the biggest releases of 1980 and is still loved by Sabbath fans the world over. A different animal entirely to the band’s golden era, Dio’s powerful and dynamic vocal delivery acted in complete contrast to Ozzy’s own unique style. ‘Neon Knights’, ‘Children of the Sea’ and the epic title track would go on to feature in Sabbath’s sets for decades, while underrated classics such as ‘Die Young’, ‘Lady Evil’, and ‘Wishing Well’ still stand up today.
Released the following year, Mob Rules (Warner/Vertigo) is another hefty slab of early ’80s metal but by now it was only Geezer Butler and Tony Iommi acting as the true beating heart of Sabbath, drummer Bill Ward having been replaced by future Dio sticksman Vinny Appice. Classic riffs come thick and fast on the likes of ‘The Sign of the Southern Cross’, ‘Voodoo’, ‘Turn Up The Night’, the title track and ‘Country Girl’, making Mob Rules one of the very best non-Ozzy Sabbath studio releases.
As well as a high quality remastering job, the bonus material featured across the two releases is another reason to keep your postman busy. Heaven and Hell includes a mono edit of ‘Lady Evil’ and a whole bunch of rare or previously unreleased live tracks, but it’s on Mob Rules where the majority of goodies can be found. New and alternative mixes of ‘The Mob Rules’, more live material, and an entire concert from 1982 which appears to have been recorded while the band were completely off their faces. Highly entertaining, if not for all the expected reasons.
GARY ALCOCK