Black Sabbath’s Immortal Numbers - Part III

After producing nine albums with Sabbath, Ozzy’s crazy antics and drug addictions would eventually find him a seat outside the band which he helped to make famous worldwide. The guys would find a replacement in due time, in the form of Ronnie James Dio who would change the approach of the band with his strong vocal command. Ronnie would only record a handful of albums, but with his sudden departure he would spur on multiple line-up changes in the years to come.

Here are some of the best songs to be released under the Black Sabbath label, in the period running from the late seventies up till the end of the eighties:

Children of The Sea

Ozzy who? ‘Children of The Sea’ was the first song Black Sabbath completed with Ronnie James Dio behind the microphone, and Ronnie made sure that Ozzy would not be missed heavily with his scintillating performance on the track.

Heaven and Hell

An all time Black Sabbath favourite, ‘Heaven and Hell’ would become the most famous song from the Dio era. Although first released three decades ago, the song has been kept running strong till date, and can be heard regularly at Dio gigs and at metal tribute shows in pubs around the globe.

Neon Knights

Ronnie re-enforced his authority with ‘Neon Knights,’ his contrasting style became evident on this track. Ozzy’s gloomy vocals were clearly forgotten, and were replaced by a more energetic voice, a formula that would be embraced by hundreds of bands, which looked up to, the Metal pioneers.

Mob Rules

The title track from the 1981 album was the creative masterpiece of the riffage king Tony Iommi and drummer Vinny Appice. Vinny’s aggressive style, clearly dominated the track, which added a new dimension to the ever-evolving sound of the band.

Voodoo

‘Voodoo’ provided the opportunity for fans of the band, to have their regular share of slow and sticky riffs by Tony Iommi, but against the unfamiliar voice of Ronnie James Dio, whose unadulterated vocals provided a stark contrast to Ozzy’s trademark piercing shrieks.

Zero The Hero

Ever wondered what would happen if one combined Deep Purple and Sabbath? The end result wouldn’t stray too far from ‘Zero The Hero’ for sure. ‘Zero’ would become the unusual mix of the classic Sabbath evilness and a powerful Rock n Roll swagger courtesy of new vocalist, Ian Gillian.

The frequent changes in the band, would have its toll on the quality of the output. Very soon Tony Iommi would become the only original member to be involved with the band, and it would become his determination to keep the band’s name flyign high that would see Sabbath through these difficult years.