Special Report By Martin Popoff

In our ongoing series regarding the lyrical content of the three new tracks the HEAVEN AND HELL boys - Ronnie James Dio (vocals), Tony Iommi (guitar - BLACK SABBATH), Geezer Butler (bass - Black Sabbath) and Vinnie Appice (drums) - have cooked up for BLACK SABBATH: The Dio Years (due out via Rhino Records in early 2007), Ronnie gives the story behind the song Tony calls “the slow one.”

Says Dio, “‘Shadow Of The Wind' really could be explained a lot of different ways. There is no shadow of the wind, so you're dealing with inconsequential things here. So that kind of simile, I really like a lot, as you know from all the things I've written. But this one is more about a guy who used to be a severe drug addict, who went into rehab to solve his problems. So it's really the drug talking to him through this whole song. And the guy has decided that I guess he's going to have another go at it. So the drug says to him, ‘This time I'm back and I'm stronger, and the first one is always free, and it lasts much longer.’ So it's a much better drug than it used to be. ‘You can bet your sanity.’ So anyway, it's about the needle, or something, slipping under the guy’s skin. And that’s ‘Shadow Of The Wind’.”

As an extra cool tidbit surrounding these sessions, we just talked to drummer Vinny Appice, and he said that he performed his parts on a set sitting in Tony’s studio that once belonged to the deceased Cozy Powell, also, of course, a drummer for Black Sabbath, during the Tony Martin era.

As previously reported, Heaven And Hell will be commencing their World Tour in Vancouver, BC on March 3rd and they will play at least seven shows across Canada, ending in Toronto. Other possible stops include South America, Japan, Korea, Australia and Europe before returning to North America for a US tour in August.

Watch for a massive Heaven And Hell feature in BW&BK; #102 ... out in February 2007!