You're Listening to The Bible Black
4 Out of 5 Stars
The unexpected swansong of Ronnie James Dio was 2009's best heavy metal album, a relatively inspired reunion of the late model Black Sabbath. Even if they took the name Heaven and Hell because of legal entanglements over the Sabbath moniker, this is kind of molten lava sludge burning that the quartet excelled on for Heaven & Hell and Mob Rules.
Iommi in particular seems recharged here, his riffing is better than anything since the underrated "Headless Cross." Dio is his usual leather-lunged self and, in a more unusual twist, is not dwelling on his usual dungeons and dragons lyrical philosophy. "Rock and Roll Angel" comes close to that realm, but the bulk of the songs are back to vintage Sabbath looks at the misery of the world, as oblique as the songs may be. This is at an absolute peak on "Bible Black," where an old man finds the ultimate book of evil, but can't escape its demonic lure. Naturally, the band rips into this song like raw steak.
In fact, only twice does "The Devil You Know" falter, and that's on the ridiculous "Eating The Cannibals" and the record company diatribe "The Turn of The Screw." There's plenty of morbid to make up for it, like the creepy organ that opens "Follow The Tears" or the migraine marches on of "Breaking Into Heaven." It's an honorable way to pulverize, and if Dio had to go out on any album, "The Devil You Know" is as good an exit as he could have been associated with.
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