Heaven and Hell (Black Sabbath song)
Encyclopedia
"Heaven and Hell" is the title track to Black Sabbath
's ninth studio album, Heaven and Hell. It was written mainly by Tony Iommi
, but as with almost all Black Sabbath albums, credit is given to the entire band. The lyrics
were written entirely by then-newcomer Ronnie James Dio
. The song has been performed by several bands of which Iommi and Dio were members including Black Sabbath
, Dio
, and Heaven & Hell.
himself cited it was his over-all personal favorite song of his career, the one that he felt most proud of.
In an interview for VH1
's "Heavy: The Story of Metal," Dio stated that the song is about the ability of each human being to choose between doing good and doing evil, essentially that each person has "heaven and hell" inside themselves. When the song has been performed live by Black Sabbath
, Dio
or Heaven & Hell, it's usually stretched out with an extended guitar solo, audience participation, ad libbed lyrics, or additional lyrics regarding angelic and demonic apparitions and personal judgment.
Many later Black Sabbath lineups included this song in live sets, during which it was sung by future Sabbath frontmen Ian Gillan
, Glenn Hughes, Ray Gillen
, and Tony Martin. An official live recording of the song featuring Tony Martin on vocals was released on the 1995 live album Cross Purposes Live
. Judas Priest
frontman Rob Halford
also sang the song with Black Sabbath on 14 & 15 November 1992, when he filled in on vocals for two concerts.
Keyboardist Geoff Nicholls
, who was a session keyboard player during the recording of this album, is said to have been responsible for this song's famous bass line. The bassline closely resembles the bassline of "Mainline Riders" by Quartz
, of which Nicholls was a former member.
"Heaven and Hell" was ranked No. 11 in Martin Popoff
's book The Top 500 Heavy Metal Songs of All Time
. Popoff put together this book by requesting thousands of metal fans, musicians, and journalists to send in their favorite heavy metal songs. Almost 18,000 individual votes were tallied and entered into a database from which the final rankings were derived.
The song was named the 81st best hard rock song of all time by VH1
.
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
's ninth studio album, Heaven and Hell. It was written mainly by Tony Iommi
Tony Iommi
Anthony Frank "Tony" Iommi is an English guitarist and songwriter best known as the founding member of pioneering heavy metal band Black Sabbath, and its sole continual member through multiple personnel changes.Iommi is widely recognised as one of the most important and influential guitarists in...
, but as with almost all Black Sabbath albums, credit is given to the entire band. The lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
were written entirely by then-newcomer Ronnie James Dio
Ronnie James Dio
Ronald James Padavona , better known as Ronnie James Dio, was an American heavy metal vocalist and songwriter. He performed with, amongst others, Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell, and his own band Dio, which means God in Italian. Other musical projects include the collective fundraiser...
. The song has been performed by several bands of which Iommi and Dio were members including Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
, Dio
Dio (band)
Dio was an American heavy metal band from Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Formed in 1982 and led by vocalist Ronnie James Dio, after he left Black Sabbath with intentions to form a new band with fellow former Black Sabbath member, drummer Vinny Appice. Naming the band Dio made sense from a commercial...
, and Heaven & Hell.
Details
Ronnie James DioRonnie James Dio
Ronald James Padavona , better known as Ronnie James Dio, was an American heavy metal vocalist and songwriter. He performed with, amongst others, Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell, and his own band Dio, which means God in Italian. Other musical projects include the collective fundraiser...
himself cited it was his over-all personal favorite song of his career, the one that he felt most proud of.
In an interview for VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
's "Heavy: The Story of Metal," Dio stated that the song is about the ability of each human being to choose between doing good and doing evil, essentially that each person has "heaven and hell" inside themselves. When the song has been performed live by Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
, Dio
Dio (band)
Dio was an American heavy metal band from Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Formed in 1982 and led by vocalist Ronnie James Dio, after he left Black Sabbath with intentions to form a new band with fellow former Black Sabbath member, drummer Vinny Appice. Naming the band Dio made sense from a commercial...
or Heaven & Hell, it's usually stretched out with an extended guitar solo, audience participation, ad libbed lyrics, or additional lyrics regarding angelic and demonic apparitions and personal judgment.
Many later Black Sabbath lineups included this song in live sets, during which it was sung by future Sabbath frontmen Ian Gillan
Ian Gillan
Ian Gillan is an English rock music vocalist and songwriter, best known as the lead singer and lyricist for Deep Purple. During his career Gillan also fronted his own band, had a year-long stint as the vocalist for Black Sabbath, and sang the role of Jesus in the original recording of Andrew Lloyd...
, Glenn Hughes, Ray Gillen
Ray Gillen
Raymond A. "Ray" Gillen was an American rock singer, best known for his work with Badlands, in addition to his stint with Black Sabbath in the mid-1980s and recording most of the vocals on Phenomena's classic Dreamrunner album....
, and Tony Martin. An official live recording of the song featuring Tony Martin on vocals was released on the 1995 live album Cross Purposes Live
Cross Purposes Live
Cross Purposes Live is a live album recorded by the British metal band Black Sabbath. It was released in 1995. It is the only live-record with singer Tony Martin. It was available only as part of CD and VHS double-pack. The CD was housed within an oversize videotape-case but had its own inserts and...
. Judas Priest
Judas Priest
Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band from Birmingham, England, formed in 1969. The current line-up consists of lead vocalist Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis. The band has gone through several drummers over the years,...
frontman Rob Halford
Rob Halford
Robert John Arthur "Rob" Halford is an English singer-songwriter, who is best known as the lead vocalist for the Grammy Award-winning heavy metal band Judas Priest. He is nicknamed the "Metal God" as a tribute to his influence on metal, and after the Judas Priest song of the same name from 1980's...
also sang the song with Black Sabbath on 14 & 15 November 1992, when he filled in on vocals for two concerts.
Keyboardist Geoff Nicholls
Geoff Nicholls
Geoff Nicholls is a musician and keyboardist, who is best known as the longtime sideman for the heavy metal band Black Sabbath. Nicholls also played in the NWOBHM band Quartz before joining Black Sabbath...
, who was a session keyboard player during the recording of this album, is said to have been responsible for this song's famous bass line. The bassline closely resembles the bassline of "Mainline Riders" by Quartz
Quartz (metal band)
-History:Quartz dates back to as early as 1974 when they were known as Bandy Legs. They signed to Jet Records in 1976 and supported Black Sabbath and AC/DC. The band changed their name to Quartz for their 1977 debut album, Quartz. The album was produced by Tony Iommi and Quartz toured with Black...
, of which Nicholls was a former member.
"Heaven and Hell" was ranked No. 11 in Martin Popoff
Martin Popoff
Martin Popoff is a Canadian-born music journalist and critic who covers the genre of heavy metal music. The senior editor and co-founder of Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles magazine, he has additionally written over twenty books that both critically evaluate heavy metal and document its history...
's book The Top 500 Heavy Metal Songs of All Time
The Top 500 Heavy Metal Songs Of All Time
The Top 500 Heavy Metal Songs of All Time is a book by Martin Popoff who is the editor in chief and writer of the Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles magazine as well as the senior editor of bravewords.com...
. Popoff put together this book by requesting thousands of metal fans, musicians, and journalists to send in their favorite heavy metal songs. Almost 18,000 individual votes were tallied and entered into a database from which the final rankings were derived.
The song was named the 81st best hard rock song of all time by VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
.
Covers
- The American doom metalDoom metalDoom metal is an extreme form of heavy metal music that typically uses slower tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much "thicker" or "heavier" sound than other metal genres...
band Solitude AeturnusSolitude AeturnusSolitude Aeturnus is an American doom metal band that was started in spring 1987 as Solitude, in Arlington, Texas. Their vocalist, Robert Lowe, is also the current singer for the influential doom metal band Candlemass...
covered the song for their album AdagioAdagio (Solitude Aeturnus album)Adagio is the fifth album by Solitude Aeturnus.-Track listing:#"My Endtime" – 0:48#"Days of Prayer" – 6:10#"Believe" – 5:52#"Never" – 2:53#"Idis" – 5:41#"Personal God" – 5:01#"Mental Pictures" – 4:57...
. - The song's intro was used during The Freddie Mercury Tribute ConcertThe Freddie Mercury Tribute ConcertThe Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert for AIDS Awareness was an open-air concert held on Easter Monday, 20 April 1992 at London's Wembley Stadium, for an audience of 72,000. The concert was produced for television by Ray Burdis and broadcast live on television and radio to 76 countries around the...
to introduce Tony IommiTony IommiAnthony Frank "Tony" Iommi is an English guitarist and songwriter best known as the founding member of pioneering heavy metal band Black Sabbath, and its sole continual member through multiple personnel changes.Iommi is widely recognised as one of the most important and influential guitarists in...
. - BenedictumBenedictumBenedictum is an American heavy metal band formed in 2005 in San Diego, California. Their current line-up consists of vocalist Veronica Freeman, guitarist Pete Wells, bassist Chris Shrum, keyboardist Tony Diaz, and drummer Micky Pannone...
covered the song on their debut album, UncreationUncreationUncreation is the debut album by the American heavy metal band Benedictum, released through Locomotive Records on March 14, 2006. The album was originally due to be released in late 2005, but was delayed to 2006 to allow for some creative tweaking....
(which also featured a cover of Black Sabbath's "The Mob RulesThe Mob Rules"The Mob Rules" is a song by British heavy metal band Black Sabbath from their 1981 album, Mob Rules.- Covers :*American heavy metal band Fozzy covered the song on their 2002 album Happenstance....
"). - It was also covered by LiechtensteinLiechtensteinThe Principality of Liechtenstein is a doubly landlocked alpine country in Central Europe, bordered by Switzerland to the west and south and by Austria to the east. Its area is just over , and it has an estimated population of 35,000. Its capital is Vaduz. The biggest town is Schaan...
based gothic metalGothic metalGothic metal or goth metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music that combines the aggression of doom metal with the dark melancholy of gothic rock. The music of gothic metal is diverse with bands known to adopt the gothic approach to different styles of heavy metal music...
band ElisElis (band)Elis is a gothic metal band from Liechtenstein, formed by Sabine Dünser and Pete Streit in 2003 after the split of Erben der Schöpfung in 2002.-God's Silence, Devil's Temptation:...
. - The song was also briefly covered by Tenacious DTenacious DTenacious D is an American rock band that was formed in Los Angeles, California in 1994. Composed of lead vocalist and guitarist Jack Black and lead guitarist and vocalist Kyle Gass, the band has released two albums – Tenacious D and The Pick of Destiny...
for DioDio (band)Dio was an American heavy metal band from Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Formed in 1982 and led by vocalist Ronnie James Dio, after he left Black Sabbath with intentions to form a new band with fellow former Black Sabbath member, drummer Vinny Appice. Naming the band Dio made sense from a commercial...
's music video for the song "Push". At the beginning of the music video, Jack BlackJack BlackJack Black , is an American actor and musician, notably of Tenacious D.Jack Black may also refer to:* Jack Black , late 19th - early 20th Century author and hobo* Jack Black , drummer for 1970s UK punk band The Boys...
and Kyle GassKyle GassKyle Richard Gass , also known as KG or Kage, is an American rock musician, singer-songwriter and actor. He is a member of the bands Tenacious D and Trainwreck. In Tenacious D , Gass plays lead guitar and sings backup vocals, and also plays the role of Black's comic foil in most of their comedy...
are shown standing on a sidewalk busking and singing "Heaven and Hell" with alternate lyrics. They stop when Dio walks up to them and tells them that he will pay them to play some Tenacious D songs. - Thrash band OverkillOverkill (band)Overkill is an American thrash metal band, formed in 1980 in New Jersey. They have gone through many line-up changes, with singer Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth and bassist D.D. Verni remaining from the original lineup. Along with Anthrax , the band is one of the most successful East Coast thrash metal...
can be heard rehearsing the song at the end of their 1994 album W.F.O.W.F.O.W.F.O. is the seventh full-length album by thrash metal band Overkill, released in September 1994 on Atlantic Records. The album contains a "hidden songs" on tracks 97 and 98, featuring the band warming up in the studio, playing "Heaven and Hell" by Black Sabbath, and "The Ripper" by Judas...
, along with "The RipperSad Wings of Destiny-CD Track listing:The 1995 CD reissue by Repertoire Records had track 3 labeled as "Dream Deceiver" rather than "Dreamer Deceiver", this was later changed back to its original title on the 1998 release by Snapper Music. None of the reissues of Sad Wings of Destiny are endorsed by Judas Priest. -...
" of Judas PriestJudas PriestJudas Priest are an English heavy metal band from Birmingham, England, formed in 1969. The current line-up consists of lead vocalist Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis. The band has gone through several drummers over the years,...
. - Progressive metalProgressive metalProgressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...
band Dream TheaterDream TheaterDream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of their studies to further concentrate on the band that would...
covered the song and released it under their official bootleg "Uncovered 2003–2005". - Heavy metalHeavy metal musicHeavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band Manowar covered the song at the Sonisphere Festival in BucharestBucharestBucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
. - Thrash metalThrash metalThrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
band AnthraxAnthrax (band)Anthrax is an American heavy metal band from New York City, formed in 1981. Founded by guitarists Scott Ian and Danny Lilker, the band has since released ten studio albums and 20 singles, and an EP featuring Public Enemy. The band was one of the most popular of the 1980s thrash metal scene...
covered some of the song at "The Big 4The Big 4 Live From Sofia, BulgariaThe Big 4 Live from Sofia, Bulgaria is a DVD/Blu-ray featuring live concert performances by Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, and Anthrax, collectively known as "the big four" of thrash metal. The event took place on June 22, 2010 at the Sonisphere Festival at Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia,...
" Sonisphere concert in SofiaSofiaSofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
, Prague, WarsawWarsawWarsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
, BucharestBucharestBucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
, IstanbulIstanbulIstanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, Stockholm and AthensAthensAthens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, and also at other Sonisphere events such as Knebworth HouseKnebworth HouseKnebworth House is a country house in the civil parish of Knebworth in Hertfordshire, England.-History and description:The home of the Lytton family since 1490, when Thomas Bourchier sold the reversion of the manor to Sir Robert Lytton, Knebworth House was originally a genuine red-brick Late Gothic...
. - ChristianChristian metalChristian metal, also known as white metal, is a form of heavy metal music usually defined by its message in a song's lyrics as well as the band's dedication to Christianity...
glam metalGlam metalGlam metal is a subgenre of hard rock and heavy metal that arose in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the United States, particularly on the Los Angeles Sunset Strip music scene...
band StryperStryperStryper is a Christian glam metal band from Orange County, California. The group's lineup consists of Michael Sweet , Oz Fox , Tim Gaines , and Robert Sweet...
released a cover of the song as the first single from their 2011 album, The Covering.
Appearances in other media
- A live version from DioDio (band)Dio was an American heavy metal band from Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Formed in 1982 and led by vocalist Ronnie James Dio, after he left Black Sabbath with intentions to form a new band with fellow former Black Sabbath member, drummer Vinny Appice. Naming the band Dio made sense from a commercial...
's A Special from the SpectrumA Special From The SpectrumA Special from the Spectrum is a live concert performance by the band Dio.It was only available on VHS, although most of the performance has been repackaged on the We Rock DVD, minus the opening track of "Stand Up and Shout"...
was featured in the 2005 documentary Metal: A Headbanger's JourneyMetal: A Headbanger's JourneyMetal: A Headbanger's Journey is a 2005 documentary directed by Sam Dunn with Scot McFadyen and Jessica Wise. The film follows 31-year-old Dunn, a Canadian anthropologist, who has been a heavy metal fan since the age of 12...
. - The song was featured in the 2008 video game Grand Theft Auto IVGrand Theft Auto IVGrand Theft Auto IV is a 2008 open world action video game published by Rockstar Games, and developed by British games developer Rockstar North. It has been released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 video game consoles, and for the Windows operating system...
.