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Dio Has Been To Heaven And Hell

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By CURTIS ROSS, The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 14, 2007

What began with a record label's request for a couple of new songs turned into the surprise hit of the hard rock concert season.

The most celebrated post-Ozzy Osbourne lineup of Black Sabbath - singer Ronnie James Dio and drummer Vinny Appice plus Sabbath originals Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler on guitar and bass, respectively - is now on the second leg of touring in support of the compilation 'The Dio Years,' and now a CD and DVD of its sold-out Radio City Music Hall performances.

If the band had any unreleased material, the reunion might never have happened.

Rhino, the label which compiled and released 'The Dio Years,' asked if there were any leftover tracks from the band's three studio albums to add to the package of otherwise previously released material.

There weren't. 'So the next question was, 'Are you willing to write?'' Dio recalls by telephone from Los Angeles.

Dio, Butler and Iommi penned 'The Devil Cried,' 'Ear in the Wall' and 'Shadow of the Wind.'

'It was an easy process,' Dio says. 'We fell right back into the same old ways of writing. That coupled with fact that we really loved the songs, it seemed to be the prefect time to tour. All the pieces fell into place.'

Since Sabbath's original lineup reunited in the late '90s, Dio and Co. took the name of their first album together, 1980's 'Heaven and Hell.'

Dio joined Sabbath after Osbourne left in 1979. He knew Iommi from 'various watering holes in L.A.' At the time, Dio says, Sabbath 'was falling apart.'

Dio went to see the Sabs' rehearsal space. 'Instruments were strapped on and sticks were swung around merrily,' Dio says. The band played a new song and Dio quickly added words to what became 'Children of the Sea,' a standout track from 'Heaven and Hell.'

'I said, 'That's it. I want to play with you,'' Dio says.

The 'Heaven and Hell' album put straight any notion that Sabbath couldn't survive without Ozzy, reaching the Top 20 in the United States and spawning a couple of hit singles in England. Drummer Bill Ward left after the recording but was ably replaced by Appice.

The band scored again with 1981's 'Mob Rules' album, but Dio and Appice split acrimoniously following 1982's 'Live Evil' disc.

'Tony was told that Vinny and I had turned up the vocals and drums during mixing of 'Live Evil',' Dio says. 'No one was grown up enough not to believe it.'

Dio formed his own eponymous band and quickly hit pay dirt with 1983's 'Holy Diver.'

Dio and Appice returned to the Sabbath fold for 1992's 'Dehumanizer.' The reunion was short-lived, though. When Osbourne asked Sabbath to open for him, Dio refused.

All sounds harmonious in Heaven and Hell's camp now, though. And while the band's members have other commitments, more new music isn't out of the question, Dio says.

'You need an album's worth of songs for a band like us to be able to stretch its wings and reach its potential,' Dio says.

ON TOUR

Heaven and Hell

WITH: Alice Cooper and Queensryche

WHEN: 6:30 p.m. today

WHERE: St. Pete Times Forum, 401 Channelside Drive, Tampa; (813) 301-2500

COST: $59.75

Curtis Ross can be reached at (813) 259-7568 or cross@tampatrib.com.

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