heavenandhell

The Royal Photographic Society
		Greg Taylor Photography.co.uk Heaven and Hell - Lamb of God Plymouth Pavilions 17th November 2007

	Tony Iommi - Guitar Geezer Butler - Bass Ronnie James Dio - Vocals Vinny Appice - Drums A vibrant Plymouth Pavilions was treated with the arrival of some true metal legends on Saturday night in the form of Heaven and Hell, the touring name of the classic mark 2 line up of the seminal Black Sabbath. Heaven and Hell is the musical collaboration of Black Sabbath Members Tony Iommi (who owns the Black Sabbath name) and Geezer Butler, along with former members Ronnie James Dio (vocals) and Vinnie Appice (drums). This is the line up that recorded and toured as Black Sabbath between 1980- 82 and again from 1991-92. Last year they produced the compilation album, Black Sabbath – The Dio Years, and decided to tour in support of it because current/founder vocalist Ozzy Osbourne was due to perform a solo tour at this time, Tony Iommi chose not to play under the Black Sabbath moniker but took the touring name from the line-ups first album together. If H&H brought in the older rock generations the two support bands, Iced Earth and Lamb of God brought in the younger. Iced Earth kicked off the evening, and proved to be worth more than an opening act, with a huge power chord sound, and front man Tim Owens producing a very Rob Halford (Judas Priest) sounding vocal, they got the crowd fully charged for the arrival of the much anticipated second band, Lamb of God. It was obvious that this was the band that the younger members of the audience had come to see, and L.O.G didn’t disappoint, power metal at its grinding best, the mosh pit was soon circling, as the raw, growling vocals of Randy Blythe ripped through a fantastic set, my favourite being, Walk with me in Hell. Its been seventeen years since I last saw a version of Black Sabbath, and this was my first sighting of the Dio led version, older they may be, but the music is still sounding as good tonight as when I first heard the Heaven and Hell album in 1980. R.J.Dio still has the vocal range and power, and is pulling all the right hand gestures, but he does have great songs to work with. E5150 kicked it all off, set against an iron railing set with huge backdrop imagery to blend in with the different songs. The crowd was definitely less mobile during H&H set but non-the less enthralled. The Mob Rules, Children of the Sea, Voodoo, and two of my all-time favourites, Die Young and a breathtaking extended version of Heaven and Hell were all present and correct in the run through of songs of which every one was received as an old friend from the highly knowledgeable crowd. The encore produced Neon Knights, which topped a highly enjoyable, nostalgic night of classic metal, but please next time go one step farther and include the full back catalogue of Black Sabbath, and blow us all away. Greg Taylor		Click Image to go to the Lamb of God Gallery

			Click Image to go to The Heaven and Hell Gallery