Guitarist Tony Iommi On HEAVEN AND HELL - "We’ve Met A Lot Of People Who Say That This Lineup Of The Band Was Their Introduction To BLACK SABBATH"
June 9, 2007, 17 years ago
BLACK SABBATH guitar legend Tony Iommi spoke to Scott McLennan from Telegram.com recently about a number of topics including the current HEAVEN AND HELL tour with band-mates Geezer Butler (also Black Sabbath - bass), Vinny Appice (ex-DIO, Black Sabbath - drums) and of course singer Ronnie James Dio. Iommi said he is marveling at Dio’s stamina.
“The guy is amazing. He doesn’t warm up or anything. He just hits the stage and delivers every night,” Iommi said of the singer who turns 55 in July.In addition to new energy, Dio brought a new style to the Sabbath sound. His operatic tone marked a shift from Ozzy’s demonic bark, and his approach to arranging songs likewise opened up new opportunities for the metal gods who first rose in 1970.
“The biggest difference of course is in the way they sing,” Iommi said in comparing Osbourne and Dio. “Ronnie likes to sing across my riffs while Ozzy follows the riff. Ronnie also has quite a different way of writing.”
The song 'Heaven And Hell' became this ensemble’s most prominent signature. Structured in three distinct parts, the song is part parable, part diatribe and all epic. The tune anchored an album which also yielded metal standards 'Neon Knights' and 'Die Young'.
“We’ve met a lot of people who say that this lineup of the band was their introduction to Black Sabbath,” Iommi noted.
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