Archive for the Black Sabbath Category

TONY IOMMI & GLENN HUGHES – 1996 DEP SESSIONS ALBUM- OLD SCHOOL HEAVY METAL

Posted in 1970's classic rock albums, 1970's classic rock bands, 1970's hard rock bands, 1970's classic rock music, 1970's hard rock, 1970's heavy metal, 1970's heavy metal music, 1970's Rock, 1970's rock music, 1980's classic rock bands, 1980's classic rock guitarists, 1980's heavy metal albums, 1980's classic rock music, 1980's heavy metal bands, 1980's heavy metal music, 1980's metal music, 1986 heavy metal albums, 1986 heavy metal music, 1990's classic rock albums, 1990's classic rock music, 1990's hard rock music, 1990's heavy metal albums, 1990's heavy metal bands, 1990's rock music, 1990's hard rock bands, 1990's heavy metal music, Album Review, Black Sabbath, century media records, classic hard rock, classic hard rock music, classic heavy metal, classic heavy metal albums, classic metal, classic rock, classic rock albums, classic rock bands, classic rock music, classic rock vocalists, collecting classic rock, collecting heavy metal albums, collecting music, cool album covers, essential classic rock albums, essential hard rock albums, essential heavy metal albums, essential rock albums, hard rock music, hard rock songs, hard rock vocalists, hard to find rock albums, heavy metal album covers, heavy metal album review, heavy metal albums, heavy metal guitarists, heavy metal music, heavy metal vocalists, Metal, metal odyssey, Music, old school hard rock, old school heavy metal, rock & roll, rock and roll, rock and roll hall of fame inductees, rock music, rock vocalists, tony iommi heavy metal guitarist, vintage hard rock bands, vintage heavy metal bands with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 20, 2009 by Metal Odyssey

HUGHES large album picI found IOMMI With Glenn Hughes – the 1996 Dep Sessions on the Century Media Records online store CM Distro.com. This CD set me back 3 bucks plus shipping. (I bought a few CD’s so the total shipping cost of 5 bucks was reasonable to me). This CD was in the clearance section at CM Distro.com, proving to be a cool Metal find for me. Tony Iommi is the lead guitarist for the ultra legendary/Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee – Black Sabbath. Glenn Hughes has had a stellar career of his own, most notably being a vocalist and bass guitarist for Deep Purple on their Burn and Stormbringer studio albums from 1974. Glenn Hughes is also on the Deep Purple studio album – Come Taste the Band from 1975, as well as several Deep Purple live albums, the most notable being Deep Purple – Made In Europe, from 1976. Glenn Hughes was a member of Black Sabbath, (hey, it is an official Black Sabbath album – Black Sabbath Featuring Tony Iommi – Seventh Star). This studio album, Seventh Star, was released back in January of 1986 and Glenn Hughes was the lead vocalist only… Dave Spitz played bass on Seventh Star. This background information on Glenn Hughes is to help anyone who may be unfamiliar with his musicianship and/or career. Trust me, it would be a very long post to acknowledge everything Glenn Hughes has done during his illustrious music career dating back to 1968.

I have always revered the vocals of Glenn Hughes, not to mention his bass guitar exploits. When I listen to Glenn Hughes sing, it is the real deal for me… real Hard Rock vocals, real Heavy Metal vocals and yes, even soulful vocals on some of his solo work as well. Tony Iommi in my Metal opinion, is… if not the founding father of Heavy Metal guitar, then one of the very first. The combination of Glenn Hughes on vocals and Tony Iommi on guitar worked just fine for me on the Black Sabbath album, Seventh Star. Certainly, it was not the most famous music achievement for either Tony Iommi or Glenn Hughes, still it remains a standout album for me due to it’s Old School – Heavy Metal resonance and quality of songs.

This 1996 DEP Sessions album seems to rekindle that Old School Heavy Metal and Old School Hard Rock sound from the late 1970’s into the ’80’s. Do not expect a layered and very heavy album here, you will not be listening to Heaven and Hell or Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. Even the Heavy Metal fog storm of Seventh Star is not revisited here by Iommi and Hughes. What I hear, is an appropriate blend of Rock, Hard Rock and Heavy Metal vocals from Glenn Hughes, to correspond with the diverse guitar brilliance of Tony Iommi. The riffs are plentiful, extremely distinguishable that this is Tony Iommi – the Old School, Heavy Metal riff king himself. Iommi does not shy away from writing and playing tremendously melodic leads as well, in a Metal nutshell… Tony Iommi’s guitar is the dominant musical force on this 1996 DEP Sessions album, (of course). Unlike the Black Sabbath albums with Geezer Butler on bass and Bill Ward on drums, the rhythm section on this album honestly does take a back seat… albeit intentional during production or it just may be my aging Metal ears.

My three favorite songs on this 1996 DEP Sessions album are: Gone – which plays out as the heaviest song, the opening riff is vintage Tony Iommi. I‘m Not The Same Man – has reality check lyrics and is driven with melodic hardness at every nook and cranny. Fine – is a Hard Rock ballad that just grabs my attention on a personal level, plus Tony Iommi and Glenn Hughes really deliver a genuine song here. All eight songs are memorable and good quality, both musically and lyrically. I won’t yell out loud that this album is unreal great and the best stuff these two Heavy Music legends have ever done. I will attest that this album has been a damn cool listening experience for me though. 1996 DEP Sessions is definitely worth picking up if you are a fan of Old School Heavy Metal and/or Hard Rock, Deep Purple and Black Sabbath. Glenn Hughes and Tony Iommi fans have to own this album of course, the value is in the overall musicianship and diversity in songs. I will be playing this album regularly in the future, the combination of Glenn Hughes and Tony Iommi is just too cool to ignore.

Track Listing For: IOMMI with Glenn Hughes the 1996 Dep Sessions:

Gone

From Another World

Don’t You Tell Me

Don’t Drag The River

Fine

Time Is The Healer

I’m Not The Same Man

It Falls Through Me

* the 1996 Dep Sessions IOMMI with Glenn Hughes was released on September 28, 2004, on Sanctuary and Mayan Records.

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Heavy Metal 101: 10 (or more) most underrated Metal albums you need to know

Posted in 1980's heavy metal albums, 1980's heavy metal music, 1980's metal music, 1980's thrash metal, 1990's heavy metal music, Album Review, Black Metal, Black Sabbath, classic metal, cool album covers, essential heavy metal albums, Heavy Metal, heavy metal album covers, heavy metal album review, heavy metal albums, heavy metal music, Heavy Metal Reviews, horror metal, king diamond, Metal, metal music, Metal Reviews, Motorhead, Music, old school heavy metal, Over Kill, Power Metal, speed metal, Thrash Metal, thrash metal album review, thrash metal music, thrash metal music reviews, tony iommi heavy metal guitarist, vintage heavy metal albums with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 28, 2009 by Metal Odyssey

 

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If you are a veteran Metalhead, these ten (or more) Metal albums that I consider underrated may not surprise you. Heck, you may already have owned them for several years or even decades. In the Metal event you are a new recruit to the dynamic world of Heavy Metal, welcome aboard and go out and BUY THESE METAL ALBUMS for they will serve you right! Oh, what do I mean by underrated? Well, for starters, these are Classic/Vintage Metal albums that do not seem to get enough attention these days – as I surf around the world wide web, these are the albums that tend to go unnoticed for some oddball reason or another. It is my goal to surround the readers of Metal Odyssey with the knowledge necessary, to make prudent Metal album buying decisions too. These ten Metal albums, in my Metal opinion, have most definitively stood the test of Metal time. Enjoy and absorb this list, please note that these Metal albums are not in any specific order. (These Metal albums are my own personal choices for most underrated, I am sure many knowledgeable Metalheads out there will have differing opinions).

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MERCYFUL FATE – “MELISSA” – King Diamond, plus, absolutely NO radio friendly tunes found here. This band laid down a whole bunch of Black Metal groundwork for others to learn from.

TWISTED SISTER – “YOU CAN’T STOP ROCK ‘N’ ROLL” – Just before Dee Snider & the boys became really famous. I find this album to be just as inspiring today as it was in 1983. My favorite Twisted Sister album.

BLACK SABBATH – “BORN AGAIN” – Ian Gillian on vocals, ’nuff said. O.K., this is one tough album or CD to find. “Trashed” is very heavy stuff, a very fast Black Sabbath tune. This version of Black Sabbath is incredibly good. Bev Bevan of Electric Light Orchestra fame actually was the drummer on the “Born Again” Tour during 1984/85. That is correct. You did read this right. Now that is cool, having an ELO and Black Sabbath connection. 

MOTORHEAD – “ANOTHER PERFECT DAY” –  Of all the Motorhead albums, this one deserves more respect. The tune “One Track Mind” is reason alone to own this vintage Motorhead release, plus the album cover artwork and liner notes are extremely diabolical and cool. 

GRIM REAPER – “See You In Hell” – The album title says it all… the title track “See You In Hell” is for me, a Heavy Metal anthem that brings back memories to my Metal heart. This was one heavy duty band for me… worth every Metal second of listening enjoyment. Overall, great band, great album, I wish they could have done twenty albums.

EXODUS – “FABULOUS DISASTER” – Gary Holt is such an important guitar player in Thrash Metal history. Exodus is always grouped in with the Thrash Metal originators. In my Metal opinion, each original Bay Area Thrash Band is just as important as the next… I am giving Exodus their just due here and “Fabulous Disaster” is just that, fabulous Thrash Metal.

VINNIE MOORE – “MINDS EYE” – Hey, this guy can play guitar. Heavy Metal guitar too. An all Metal instrumental album could never hurt no one, especially a Metalhead. Listening to Vinnie Moore in college helped me get unreal grades in fine arts, I am not kidding. I drew some of my best stuff listening to Vinnie Moore – thanks Vinnie.

MANOWAR – “HAIL TO ENGLAND” – Very loud and Old School Metal. This album has all the Metal attitude and heavy music you could ever ask for, plus, as a bonus, these guys are quality Metal musicians too! There are those times, when I need a cool Power Metal band that is Old School, that I can sing along to. They very well might be… “The Kings of Metal” as they advertise… heck, I would never think of telling them they are not.

OVER KILL – Every album they have ever made. Yeah, this sounds crazy, yet these guys are that great at playing Thrash Metal. Over Kill always seems to have been the hardest working Thrash band on the planet, with no star status or star treatment from the wide world of professionally paid critics. Different lineups throughout the years has not affected my loyalty… as long as there is Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth and D.D. Verni leading this potent Thrash attack, I am Metal happy.

W.A.S.P. – “K.F.D.” – This is one heavy, monster of a W.A.S.P. album. Extremely heavy W.A.S.P. – Blackie Lawless was not fooling around with this album… I listen to “K.F.D.” when I have both good and bad days, the end affect is still just like opening up a can of Metal whoop ass and getting straightened out – Blackie Lawless style. Thanks Blackie Lawless.

KROKUS – “HEADHUNTER” – O.K., sure, there is some commercial appeal here with the tune “Screaming In The Night”, yet it is a far cry from any of the heavy ballads that blitzed us all in the 1980’s. Factor in the raging track “Headhunter” and the Metal grooviness of “Stayed Awake All Night” and you have served up yourself some decent party tunes.

Black Sabbath "Born Again"

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Black Sabbath – “Mob Rules” still rules the Metal world

Posted in 1980's heavy metal music, 1980's metal music, Album Review, Black Sabbath, classic metal, classic rock, cool album covers, dio, essential heavy metal albums, heaven and hell heavy metal band, Heavy Metal, heavy metal album covers, heavy metal album review, heavy metal albums, heavy metal guitarists, heavy metal music, Heavy Metal Reviews, heavy metal vocalists, Metal, metal music, Metal Reviews, Music, old school heavy metal, ronnie james dio with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 23, 2009 by Metal Odyssey

In my Metal opinion, this is such a tremendous album, a true Metal mainstay for so many years. Released in 1981, this is Old School, Black Sabbath that time cannot age. I highly endorse “Mob Rules” to be in every Metal fans music collection. Every song is enormous, with the prolific riffs and leads from Tony Iommi on guitar, I so admire this musician. Geezer Butler on bass and Vinny Appice on drums make for what I consider one of the greatest rhythm sections in Metal history. Ronnie James Dio is pure Metal perfection on vocals. Between the music and Dio’s voice, this Black Sabbath lineup takes a back seat to no one. “Voodoo”, “Turn Up The Night”, “Slipping Away” and “Mob Rules” are songs that have that unrelenting Metal energy that does not subside. Unbelievable Metal Classics, in my Metal opinion. “E5150” is an instrumental that has the eerie Black Sabbath ambiance flowing over, a perfect fit for this album. The real sleeper tune on this album, for me, is “Country Girl” – this song has a really cool groove going on, a real Heavy Metal song that doesn’t get the same attention as the previous tracks I mentioned.

“Mob Rules” is, as I see it, one of the most complete Metal albums ever made, it has the songs, vocals, Metal and lyrics. The album artwork definitely gets a Metal thumbs up! This macabre artwork definitely fits in with the song “Mob Rules”. I remember the very first time I heard the opening riff to “Voodoo”, I still get the same Metal rush from it now as I did back in 1981. I distinctly remember when this Metalhead buddy of mine, back then, held this album jacket in his hands, put the vinyl on the turntable, turned to me and said: “Dude, wait ’till you here this song “Voodoo” “. I knew at that moment, it was some special Metal awaiting me. It is an amazing Metal accomplishment, for these four musicians to still be creating new music together in 2009, as Heaven & Hell. Do not skip over this Metal gem for too long, you could be enjoying it right now!

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The greatest Heavy Metal album of all time is…

Posted in 1970's hard rock, 1970's Rock, Album Review, Black Sabbath, classic rock, cool album covers, Hard Rock, hard rock album review, Heavy Metal, heavy metal album review, heavy metal albums, heavy metal guitarists, heavy metal music, Heavy Metal Reviews, heavy metal vocalists, Metal, metal music, Metal Reviews, Music, ozzy, Ozzy Osbourne, Rock, rock music, rock music vocals, tony iommi heavy metal guitarist with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 9, 2009 by Metal Odyssey

527399Well, I have finally reached the pinnacle in my decision process for The Greatest Heavy Metal Album Of All Time. Please reference my past posts on this topic, you will find many great & legendary Metal albums that I personally nominated for this prestigious label. Without further delay, in my Metal opinion, and only mine alone, I have chosen: Black Sabbath – “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath”      

Please note that this is my opinion, anyone out there can have his/her own choice for this topic. It boils down to personal preference, especially when it happens to be Metal. Here are my reasons for why I feel this way about this incredible album:

1. It is my belief that Doom Metal, Stoner Metal and real Metal all began with Black Sabbath. “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” just signifies musically, what Metal was and where Metal was heading, back in 1974. 

2. Without question, for me, the ‘riff master’ of the Metal world then and now is and forever will be the legendary Tony Iommi.

3. Ozzy Osbourne – no Rock or Metal vocalist has ever sounded like him, or even come close. Ozzy’s vocals are so unique, it is uncanny. I am not saying Ozzy is the greatest vocalist ever, what I am stating is that his vocals are a signature, a trademark if you will, of “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath.” Ozzy’s vocals are so extraordinarily identifiable, just as Tony Iommi’s guitar riffs.

4. Not that this played any factor in my decision whatsoever – the album cover artwork is extremely cool, very much Metal. The artwork depicts a skull, demonic beings, a nightmarish snapshot of a piece of hell. Perhaps, I do not know officially for certain, this was the first album cover of any Rock genre which depicted 666 in it’s artwork. (Again, I would need to really research this).

My summary as to why I believe “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” to be The Greatest Heavy Metal Album Of All Time is this:

Black Sabbath “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” is a tried and true Heavy Metal classic. Every song is a definitive statement of just how talented and forward thinking Black Sabbath was in 1974. These 8 songs are a journey of surreal riffs, post psychedelic musical heaviness, that molded Heavy Metal into what it has become today. The opener “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” has a lead riff that instantly prepares you for the remaining set of songs. The instrumental “Fluff” could only work for Black Sabbath on this album, it’s convenient yet prominent position within these songs makes complete sense. “Fluff” and it’s acoustic beauty embarks on the intelligence Black Sabbath held onto musically. Just look at how many Metal bands since, that have slipped in dreamy, mystical or macabre instrumentals for their respective albums. Ozzy Osbourne is so unmistakably eerie on vocals, he was and always shall be one of a kind. Tony Iommi delves into the world of heavy riffs, formulating one after another throughout, unknowingly becoming the Metal riff king for all time. Geezer Butler on bass and Bill Ward on drums provide a legendary rhythm section, that shapes the dark moodiness of this beyond fantastic Metal masterpiece. I look at 1974, then I realize exactly how prominent Heavy Meal was then. It really was not an embraced genre as yet, Metal was truly in it’s infant stage.

“Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” was the Metal comet that stormed into the musical universe in 1974, making a collision onto a world of Rock & Roll that did not know what hit it. Legions of bands and musicians have been influenced by this album, if not, these bands/musicians are not into Metal and/or do not live on this planet. I strongly urge any and all Heavy Metal or Hard Rock fans to add “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” to their music collection, it is an essential and important work of Heavy Metal. The Greatest Heavy Metal Album Of All Time. 

Just as a sidebar, I struggled with this decision. I was steadfast in deciding on Slipknot “All Hope Is Gone” as the greatest ever. Then, I followed my Metal heart and realized, if it wasn’t for Black Sabbath and “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath,” would there even be Metal music as we know it today?

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Heaven & Hell “The Devil You Know” is Metal greatness!

Posted in 1980's heavy metal music, Black Sabbath, classic rock, dio, Hard Rock, heaven and hell heavy metal band, Heavy Metal, heavy metal album review, heavy metal albums, heavy metal guitarists, heavy metal music, Heavy Metal Reviews, heavy metal vocalists, horror metal, Metal, metal music, Metal Reviews, Music, new heavy metal album, Power Metal, recent heavy metal albums, Rock, rock music, rock music vocals, ronnie james dio, tony iommi heavy metal guitarist, Vocals with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 30, 2009 by Metal Odyssey

92776864Alas, I finally received via U.S. mail, on April 29, 2009, directly from Best Buy online, the brand new Heaven & Hell release – “The Devil You Know” – (I pre-ordered the CD/DVD version) and I am simply ecstatic over this Metal! I feel I am exonerated from all the praise and hype I have been giving Heaven & Hell for their embarking on making this new album. Greatness is not enough of a positive adjective to describe the Metal tunes on “The Devil You Know” – and I mean all ten songs are enormously great. My favorite tune on this album is “The Turn Of The Screw” – it sounds incredible with Tony Iommi on guitar, for Iommi seems as if he let his melodic side take over with the leads and solo. Ronnie James Dio sounds like he is thirty years old again on not just this tune, all ten of these tunes!

Am I going too far with the praise so far? In my personal Metal opinion, nope. Anyone, albeit fan or professionally paid music critic, who does not agree that “The Devil You Know” is Metal greatness should go out and start listening to dance club music from the 80’s. Heaven & Hell sound as if they have let out their finest and most creative ideas musically, for this new album. Oh, yes, the vintage Tony Iommi guitar riffs are abundant, with dark and doom ambiance aplenty. Lyrically, the songs are what you can expect from Heaven & Hell, with the legendary Ronnie James Dio leading the way vocally, accentuating each syllable with Metal precision. Geezer Butler and Vinny Appice sound so tight as a rhythm section, I would swear they play & practice music together weekly, for the past twenty five years! The old school Metal meets a current Metal groove is happening on this album, I find it extremely addicting.

By no means has Heaven & Hell released a retrospective Metal album that carbon copies the work they accomplished during the 1980’s, no way. In my Metal opinion, this is as current a Metal sound as any recent Metal album release, by any band. Heaven & Hell did not just step it up  a notch, they stepped it up with class and respect for us fans – by writing and creating what I consider the highest quality of Metal I have heard in recent memory. I feel Heaven & Hell did reach back to their roots, yet they combined it with the maturation of their musical talents, giving my ears not what Metal used to sound like but what Metal truly is. “The Devil You Know” has instantly become one of those Metal albums, where I cannot believe how great and intense each song is. No skipping over any tune or quick sampling here. Veteran Black Sabbath – Heaven & Hell fans should be thrilled by this new album, new fans most certainly will be Metal impressed. It is not the cliche’ that Heaven & Hell has become of age, it is more that Heaven & Hell proves they are ageless.

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Still waiting patiently for the new Heaven & Hell

Posted in 1980's heavy metal music, Black Sabbath, classic rock, dio, Guitar, Hard Rock, heaven and hell heavy metal band, Heavy Metal, heavy metal albums, heavy metal guitarists, heavy metal music, heavy metal vocalists, Metal, metal music, Music with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 29, 2009 by Metal Odyssey

92776863In my last blog, in regards to the new release from Heaven & Hell, “The Devil You Know,” I mentioned I was hoping my CD/DVD version would arrive on the 28th of April, via U.S. mail. Well, gosh, golly, I received a confirmation of shipment email from Best Buy online – it informed me they (at Best Buy), shipped my CD/DVD out on April 27th. Shucks. I am not faulting Best Buy here at all, yet, when I pre-ordered the new Slipknot CD – “All Hope Is Gone” last Summer of 2008, it arrived in my mailbox right smack dab on the release date!! Go figure. I am a patient Metalhead. Always have been, always will be. Great Metal things come to those Metalheads who wait. 

Since I am on the topic of the legendary Heaven & Hell, let’s face it, Tony Iommi is the super king of Heavy Metal riffs. Stoner riffs, Doom Metal riffs, whatever you want to call it, the Metal masses have followed Tony Iommi’s formula of riff excellence for four decades now. Geezer Butler has his very own signature sound coming out of his bass, just like his partner in Metal, (Tony Iommi), Geezer brings the heavy doom and boom to his playing. Man, I cannot wait to hear the incredible Ronnie James Dio belting out the vocals on these brand new Metal tunes! My favorite Black Sabbath album of all-time is without question, “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath”, in my opinion it really signified the status, of the Heavy Metal sound that this band was about. I am just so smitten, that these four guys are together again – releasing “The Devil You Know” and embarking on another world tour, even after touring last year. The truest spirit of Heavy Metal illuminates from Heaven & Hell, both from their music and lyrics. What an undeniable legacy, in my Metal opinion! Transcending the Metal music they are so talented for creating, Heaven & Hell exemplify that longevity does coexist with quality.

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Heaven & Hell Day is Here! Heavy Metal fans rejoice!

Posted in 1980's heavy metal music, Black Sabbath, dio, Guitar, Hard Rock, heaven and hell heavy metal band, Heavy Metal, heavy metal albums, heavy metal guitarists, heavy metal music, heavy metal vocalists, horror metal, Metal, metal music, Music, new heavy metal album, recent heavy metal albums, Rock, rock music, rock music vocals, ronnie james dio, tony iommi heavy metal guitarist, Vocals with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 28, 2009 by Metal Odyssey

92776862Obviously, it is April 28th, 2009. Today, the new album release from Heaven & Hell is unleashed on the glorious world of Heavy Metal!! It is going on twelve noon – (Eastern Standard Time/U.S.) for me at this moment – I am patiently awaiting the arrival of my new copy of “The Devil You Know,” via U.S. mail. I pre-ordered the CD/DVD version, through Best Buy (online). It seems that the CD/DVD version is a Best Buy exclusive, therefore getting the DVD part of the package is for me, a Metal bonus! Plus, get this – I pre-ordered about two weeks ago, the cost of “The Devil You Know” CD/DVD was $9.99 with free shipping!! (Now, with these tough economic times, that is a Metal bargain). This was such a cool deal, heck, I even bought my best buddy on the planet a copy too. My experiences with purchasing from Best Buy online has been truly, flawless. Best Buy really does offer continuous cool deals on a wide variety of Metal Music CD’s. Well, enough of praising Best Buy, I want my Heaven & Hell new tunes NOW!!

I have to wait until possibly 3:00pm est to get my hands on this new release, for I can never set my watch to the mailman. If I do receive “The Devil You Know” today, I will be the happiest Metalhead in North America. I have been listening to “The Mob Rules” this morning, man, it only got me more pumped up for this 2009 version of Black Sabbath (oops), I mean Heaven & Hell. I will also post my review for this album either tonight or tomorrow morning. (I am quite certain the review will be a good one). C’mon mailman, where are you dude?

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April 28, 2009 is Heaven & Hell Day for the world of Heavy Metal!

Posted in 1980's heavy metal music, Black Sabbath, dio, Hard Rock, heaven and hell heavy metal band, Heavy Metal, heavy metal guitarists, heavy metal vocalists, Metal, Music, rainbow heavy metal band, Rock, rock music, ronnie james dio, Vocals with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 16, 2009 by Metal Odyssey

92776861Mark your Metal calendar – April 28, 2009 – the NEW studio album release from HEAVEN & HELL shall be unleashed to the world of Heavy Metal!! “The Devil You Know” is coming, what a glorious time to be a Metal fan!! I cannot, without doubt, wait for this new Metal material from this prolific, historic, important, musically talented beyond my wildest praise – band. (phew). Can you tell I really, really like Heaven & Hell? I actually find myself referring to them as Black Sabbath more often than not, for that is who they really are. Despite what we Metal fans cannot control in regards to the legalities of – Metal band name rights, Heaven & Hell is one surefire-cool name for this group. Aw, heck, they could call themselves anything they want and I still will be blown away by their Metal tunes, both past and present stuff!

Really, in my honest Metal opinion, how can anyone not agree that this Black Sabbath/Heaven & Hell lineup released 5 insanely great albums? “Heaven and Hell”, “Mob Rules”, “Live Evil”, “Dehumanizer” and  Black Sabbath “The Dio Years” (greatest hits – with 3 new studio tracks) make up the catalog of albums from these super Metal veterans. The combination of Ronnie James Dio on vocals, with Tony Iommi on lead guitar, Geezer Butler on bass guitar and Vinny Appice on drums created what I feel is the ultimate Heavy Metal formula for success. I felt that way since “Heaven and Hell” was released in 1980. Back then, I was in a state of Heavy Metal euphoria! Here was this scenario: the superb frontman of Rainbow is going to join forces with the remaining 3 members of Black Sabbath! Whoa! That was my initial reaction back in 1979/1980, of hearing the news about the new Black Sabbath lineup and that is my reaction now – hearing the solid and factual news that the brand new studio album from Heaven & Hell is coming out on April 28th! 

I really feel the 3 new tracks from Heaven & Hell on “The Dio Years” greatest hits album are Metal worthy and showed that this band still has everything it takes to make quality Metal music. I read about the rumors and hints that maybe a brand new studio album would be released by Heaven & Hell, well, the wait and anxiousness are finally over!! All I can say it this: if you are already a Black Sabbath, Dio and/or Heaven & Hell fan, then you know and can relate as to why I am so incredibly excited. In the event you are unfamiliar with Black Sabbath fronted by Dio and Heaven & Hell, please do yourself the biggest Metal favor – get your hands on this bands material and find out what you have been missing since 1980! Plus, I always live by the motto: quality is far better than quantity – I appreciate the 5 albums that Black Sabbath with Dio have created, their Metal music has been with me for 3 decades now. Album #6 from Heaven & Hell is going to be one terrific milestone for this band and all of their fans worldwide! This new Heaven & Hell album is proof that – Great Metal things happen to those true Metal fans who wait!!

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A few Heavy Metal facts to get you through the day

Posted in 1970's hard rock, Black Sabbath, Extreme, Hair Metal, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Metal, Motorhead, Music, Over Kill, Rock, rock music, ronnie james dio, Thrash Metal, van halen, Vocals with tags , , , , , , , , , , , on April 15, 2009 by Metal Odyssey

412609Metal, Heavy Metal is so gooooooood. That is why I like to know facts about my favorite Metal heros  and bands – Metal trivia/Heavy Metal history. Here are some facts that you may find interesting, informative or just plain boring. In any regard, you found them here!

*  Ronnie James Dio – his real name is – Ronald Padavona

*  D.D. Verni – the incredible bass player for Over Kill – his real name is – Carlo Verni

*  Motorhead – yes, this legendary Metal band has won a Grammy for Best Metal Performance, in 2005.

*  Black Sabbath originated from Birmingham, England – forming their historical Metal band in 1968.

*  It is sometimes easy to forget this – Gary Cherone (lead vocalist from Extreme) – was in fact, a one time lead vocalist for Van Halen. The Van Halen album with Gary Cherone on vocals is titled – “Van Halen III.”

I guess these are enough Metal facts for now. I will routinely post a few more of these Metal tidbits.

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