Heaven & Hell (band)
Heaven and Hell was a collaboration between the current Black Sabbath members Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler, and former Black Sabbath members Ronnie James Dio (who died on 16 May 2010) and Vinny Appice.
Background
The record company was planning a Black Sabbath box set with songs from the two phases in which Ronnie James Dio was the singer of the band. This box set should also get new songs if possible. Dio then met with Iommi and Butler. The collaboration even brought three new songs. Bill Ward took part in the rehearsals and demo recordings, but later stated that he will not participate in this cooperation. He was replaced by Vinny Appice. Appice replaced Ward as early as the Heaven -and -Hell tour in 1980.
The band was called Heaven and Hell after the first Black Sabbath album, which was sung by Ronnie James Dio. Tony Iommi justified this by saying that it was not about the current Black Sabbath line-up the band. The band also had the choice of name has the advantage that you " Iron Man " did not have to play Black Sabbath classics like " Paranoid" or, if the band was not afterwards.
Together, the band went in 2007 to a successful world tour. The quartet was accompanied by keyboardist Scott Warren. The first leg of the tour took the band across North America. The concert at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on 30 March 2007 was recorded for a Live-CD/DVD-Veröffentlichung. In summer 2007, Heaven and Hell played at European festivals and were one of the opening acts for Metallica at the concert in Vienna on the rotunda space.
On 12 February 2009 Heaven and Hell have been confirmed for the Wacken Open Air 2009.
The announced 2009 new studio album, was released in April 2009 entitled " The Devil You Know" in the cast Dio, Iommi, Butler Appice.
On 5 May 2010 Heaven and Hell announced on its web site that shows in Europe have to be canceled because it would no longer provide Dio because of his stomach cancer in time to the stage. Eleven days later, the singer died in Houston, Texas. On 24 July 2010, the remaining members staged a final performance under the name Heaven and Hell as a tribute show for Dio. As a singer Glenn Hughes and Jørn helped out the country.
Previous collaborations
The four members of the latest cast of Heaven and Hell played the Black Sabbath albums Mob Rules (1981) and Dehumanizer (1992 ) a. On the album Heaven and Hell (1980 ) Bill Ward plays drums. On the following tour Ward was replaced by Vinny Appice. In the Dehumanizer tour, the band played the last two concerts with Rob Halford of Judas Priest as a singer, because Dio did not want to participate as the opening act at this farewell concert of Ozzy Osbourne and left the band.
Discography
- 2007: Live from Radio City Music Hall (CD and DVD)
- 2009: The Devil You Know