Album Review: Heaven and Hell, "The Devil You Know" (Rhino)

Heaven and Hell's full-length studio debut is--both literally and figuratively--indeed "The Devil You Know." For one thing, it's full of the darkly menacing, and absurdist, lyrical storylines that longtime fans have come to expect from this particular group of players: vocalist Ronnie James Dio, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Vinny Appice, who collectively once performed under the name Black Sabbath.

In terms of pure instrumental prowess, the trio of metal masters is as punishing as ever. Iommi, arguably the greatest guitarist working in the genre, produces some truly bloodthirsty and biting leads on such standout tracks as the opener "Atom and Evil," "The Turn of the Screw" and the first single, "Bible Black." Plus, the rhythm section of Butler/Appice--for my money, every bit as good as Sabbath's original two-headed beast, Butler/Bill Ward--is still operating at the same high level as heard on 1981's "Mob Rules."

Then, there is Dio, who ranks as both a blessing and a curse. Nobody screams metal more convincingly than Dio--he is, after all, the man widely credited with popularizing the culture's "devil horns" hand gestures. Yet, his outrageously earnest delivery, combined with lyrics that read like a transcript to a Dungeons and Dragons tournament, makes "The Devil You Know" a work with seemingly very limited mainstream appeal. The same, however, can be said about so much of the vocalist's catalog.

In all, "The Devil You Know" is an album that won't disappoint--or increase--Heaven and Hell's devil-horn-waving fan base.