Heaven & Hell
Vancouver Pacific Coliseum, Canada
11th March, 2007

View: lower tier, stage-right

This was the first show for the Ronnie James Dio-era Black Sabbath since 1992. The reunion of the inventor of the horn salute with heavy metal’s godfathers delighted the 10,000-strong, headbanging mob, and while opening act Down riled the audience and Megadeth impressed with technical abilities, Heaven & Hell did both. On a stage resembling a ruined church, the quartet delivered a super set with two hours of operatic vocals and uncompromising riffage.

Through the first four songs, everyone seemed awed to behold the masters at work. Kickstarting the excitement was the world premiere of a concussive new number, Ear In The Wall, punctuated by Vinny Appice’s muscular drum fills. Tony Iommi provided an eerie, bluesy guitar intro to I, its majesty and aggression another highlight. Geezer Butler’s stupendously fat bass groove fuelled Die Young, while Dio, the diminutive, medievalminded singer, didn’t miss a note all night, even quipping, “at least it’s black”, when someone threw a bra on stage, before a triumphant Neon Knights encore.

Reviewed by Lucas Aykroyd
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