It’s hard to believe that despite Black Sabbath being one of the top metal concert attractions throughout the ‘70s, the band never issued a live at any point during the initial Ozzy era. And while the unofficial Live At Last was issued in 1980 (from performances in early ’73), it was not until 1983’s Live Evil that metalheads received the Sab’s first fully sanctioned concert release – the last gasp of the initial Dio era – which has now been issued as an expanded edition.

There has been much said about the mixing of the album (which eventually led to Ronnie James Dio and Vinny Appice exiting the group after failing to see eye to eye with Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler), it does show that the band was still an extremely potent live act while touring in support of their classic Mob Rules LP. And unlike their former singer (who would only perform three Sab-era tunes in his set…tucked away at the very end), the Dio era of Sab split their set evenly between material from both singers throughout.

As a result, there are extremely enjoyable/inspired renditions of “NIB,” “War Pigs,” and “Children Of The Grave,” as well as “Neon Knights,” “Voodoo,” and “Heaven And Hell.” And what makes this newly expanded edition different than the original?

It’s been remixed from the original analog multitracks by longtime associate of the band, Wyn Davis, while the packaging also includes a 40-page hard back book, a new remix as a double LP, plus the original double album (newly remastered in 2022 by Andy Pearce). Or, if it’s the CD edition that you fancy, it includes four discs, with a 60-page hardback book.