Singer Ronnie James Dio joined BLACK SABBATH in 1979 which resulted in two back-to-back classic albums: "Heaven And Hell" and "Mob Rules". On those memorable albums, Dio's soaring tenor and gothic songwriting were the perfect foil for the band's bone-crushing mix of razor-sharp riffs, intense grooves, and dark imagery.
Rhino salutes the long shadow cast by this short-lived lineup with newly remastered versions of both albums expanded with rare and unreleased music. "Heaven And Hell: Deluxe Edition" and "Mob Rules: Deluxe Edition" will be released separately on March 5. Each album will be available on 2-CDs ($19.98), or a 2-LPs ($31.98). Due to space constraints, both vinyl editions include a selection of bonus material from the CDs. The music will also be available via digital download and streaming services the same day.
A live version of "Neon Knights", recorded at Hartford Civic Center in Hartford, Connecticut on August 10, 1980, and a live version of "Voodoo", recorded at at the Hammersmith Odeon in London, U.K. on December 31, 1981, can be streamed below.
Dio joined BLACK SABBATH for the first time in 1979 and quickly found kindred spirits in guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler, and drummer Bill Ward. When "Heaven And Hell" was released in April 1980, the album was met with effusive reviews for the band's return to form on metal masterpieces like "Neon Knights" and the title track. The album reached #9 in the U.K. and #28 in the U.S., where it was also certified platinum.
"Heaven And Hell: Deluxe Edition" adds several bonus tracks that have never been released in North America, including versions of "Children Of The Sea" and "Die Young" recorded live in 1980 in Hartford, Connecticut. The set concludes with live rarities like "E5150" and "Neon Knights" that originally appeared in 2007 on the Rhino Handmade's limited edition collection "Black Sabbath: Live At Hammersmith Odeon".
To follow up "Heaven And Hell", the group returned to the studio in 1981 to begin recording "Mob Rules", with drummer Vinny Appice joining the band for the first time. Released in October 1981 and certified gold, the album was another SABBATH classic, including standouts like "The Sign Of The Southern Cross", "Turn Up The Night" and the title track.
"Mob Rules: Deluxe Edition" boasts an expansive selection of rare and unreleased recordings. Along with additional tracks from "Live At Hammersmith Odeon", the collection also includes a newly mixed version of "The Mob Rules". The cherry on top is an entire concert recorded in 1982 in Portland, Oregon. Highlights include stellar performances of "Neon Knights", "Heaven And Hell" and "Voodoo".
The Dio-fronted lineup disbanded in 1982 but reunited a decade later to record "Dehumanizer" and tour before going on hiatus again. The group came together again in 2006 to record three new songs for Rhino's era-spanning collection "Black Sabbath: The Dio Years". The collaboration led to a highly anticipated world tour in 2007 where the group was billed as HEAVEN & HELL. Their final album of new material, 2009's "The Devil You Know", again demonstrated the musical bond between the band members was unparalleled.
"Heaven And Hell: Deluxe Edition" 2-CD track listing
Disc One: Original Album (2021 Remaster)
01. Neon Knights 02. Children Of The Sea 03. Lady Evil 04. Heaven And Hell
05. Wishing Well
06. Die Young
07. Walk Away
08. Lonely Is The Word
Disc Two: Bonus Tracks
01. Children Of The Sea – Live B-Side Of "Neon Knights" * 02. Heaven And Hell – Live B-Side Of "Die Young" * 03. Lady Evil – 7" Mono Edit (unreleased on CD)
Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, CT (August 10, 1980)
04. Neon Knights * 05. Children Of The Sea * 06. Heaven And Hell * 07. Die Young *
Hammersmith Odeon, London (Dec 31, 1981- Jan 2, 1982)
08. E5150 09. Neon Knights 10. Children Of The Sea 11. Heaven And Hell
2-LP Track Listing
Side One
01. Neon Knights 02. Children Of The Sea 03. Lady Evil 04. Heaven And Hell
Side Two
01. Wishing Well 02. Die Young 03. Walk Away 04. Lonely Is The Word
Side Three
01. Children Of The Sea – Live B-Side Of "Neon Knights" * 02. Heaven And Hell – Live B-Side Of "Die Young" * 03. Lady Evil – 7" Mono Edit (unreleased on CD) 04. Neon Knights – Live 1980 *
Side Four
01. Children Of The Sea – Live 1980 * 02. Heaven And Hell – Live 1980 * 03. Die Young – Live 1980 *
"Mob Rules: Deluxe Edition" 2-CD track listing
Disc One: Original Album (2021 Remaster)
01. Turn Up The Night 02. Voodoo 03. The Sign Of The Southern Cross 04. E5150 05. The Mob Rules 06. Country Girl 07. Slipping Away 08. Falling Off The Edge Of The World 09. Over And Over
Bonus Tracks
10. The Mob Rules – Heavy Metal Soundtrack Version 11. Die Young – Live B-Side Of "Mob Rules" 7" * 12. The Mob Rules – New 2021 Mix **
Live At The Hammersmith Odeon London (31/12/81 - 2/1/82)
13. Country Girl 14. Slipping Away 15. The Mob Rules 16. Voodoo
Live At Portland Memorial Coliseum, Portland, OR, April 22, 1982
17. Intro ** 18. Neon Knights **
Disc Two: Bonus Tracks
Live At Portland Memorial Coliseum, Portland, OR, April 22, 1982
01. N.I.B. ** 02. Children Of The Sea ** 03. Voodoo ** 04. Black Sabbath ** 05. War Pigs ** 06. Drum Solo ** 07. Iron Man ** 08. The Mob Rules ** 09. Heaven And Hell ** 10. Guitar Solo ** 11. Sign Of The Southern Cross/Heaven And Hell – Reprise ** 12. Paranoid ** 13. Children Of The Grave **
2-LP Track Listing
Side One
01. Turn Up The Night 02. Voodoo 03. The Sign Of The Southern Cross 04. E5150 05. The Mob Rules
Side Two
01. Country Girl 02. Slipping Away 03. Falling Off The Edge Of The World 04. Over And Over
Side Three
01. The Mob Rules – Heavy Metal Soundtrack Version 02. Die Young – Live B-Side Of "Mob Rules" 7" * 03. The Mob Rules – New 2021 Mix ** 04. Sign Of The Southern Cross/Heaven And Hell – Reprise **
Side Four
Live At The Hammersmith Odeon London (31/12/81 - 2/1/82)
01. Country Girl 02. Slipping Away 03. The Mob Rules 04. Voodoo
* previously unreleased in North America ** previously unreleased
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