BLACK SABBATH: THE DIO YEARS - BLACK SABBATH
When one of the three new songs on this compilation begins “One fine day in hell . . . ” and refers to Satan as “the master,” it’s hard not to smile and realize this incarnation of Black Sabbath is exactly where we want it to be. With its 17 tracks, “The Dio Years” adds some import to the relatively historical blip that is Ronnie James Dio’s four-album stint fronting the seminal heavy rock outfit. “Neon Knights,” “Heaven and Hell,” “The Mob Rules” and “Neon Knights” hold up 25-plus years later, and the leaden grooves of the fresh material are as vintage as a devil’s horn salute. The net result: 80 minutes of heavenly hell. Billboard
