Heaven & Hell - The Devil You Know revisisted...

Put this one while working out the other day and really enjoyed it. It's overall a bit slow and doomy, but incredibly heavy and Dio sounds great! I was really enjoying it, much moreso than I remember when it first came out. Anyone else like this album more over time?

Yep! Love this album! As sad as it was to see Dio go, at least he went out with one of the best albums of his career!

I don't like it much, just a few parts here and there. It's the worst of the Dio Sabbath albums, maybe the worst of the non-Ozzy Sabbath albums too.

I really like "The Devil Cried" though. Much better than any of the other material that went on that album.

I like it about the same and think the early stuff with Dio was better. Still a wothy album.

I liked it right off but didn't really find it anything special initially. Think my expectations for it were a bit unreal. But with more plays it grew into a great album for me.

I like it about the same as I did when it came out. It's good but nothing special. Easily my least favorite of the Dio era.

I think it's a really good album with some great songs. "Bible Black" is one of the best Sabbath tunes ever, rivals the classics.

I liked it right when it came out and still like it. I think that it is a great album with lots of good songs on it.

I revisited this album in the car this week. I think it is pretty strong. Dio's voice is amazing, especially considering he was in his mid-60s when it was recorded. Easily matches the other Dio-era Sabbath albums.

Dio and the band sound great, the production is flawless, some nice riffs here and there, but the songs themselves are mostly dull.


I give it a 6/10, which is "above average".

My opinion hasn't changed, I thought it was an excellent album when it came out and I still do. It's a classy album from a classy band.

I rank it just below Heaven & Hell and Mob Rules, it's a better album than Dehumanizer.

I agree w/ S.D.

I love it...

skullkrusher wrote:

Dio and the band sound great, the production is flawless, some nice riffs here and there, but the songs themselves are mostly dull.


I give it a 6/10, which is "above average".

This is why I don't trust anyone else's opinion of albums. A "mostly dull" album is not a 6/10.

I am gonna "blast" it tonight after the company splits.

Quote :

it's a better album than Dehumanizer.

Yeah, I'll give you that.

James B. wrote:

I am gonna "blast" it tonight after the company splits.

I like Dehumanizer...

Temple of Blood wrote:

I don't like it much, just a few parts here and there. It's the worst of the Dio Sabbath albums, maybe the worst of the non-Ozzy Sabbath albums too.

I really like "The Devil Cried" though. Much better than any of the other material that went on that album.

This sums my thoughts up.

There's something about Iommi's playing that I do not like, it's way too simplified. However it has nothing to do with the whole impact of a song, a good song is a good song and I give him full credit for that (Most Sabbath songs are good BTW) . While i do not even rank this album above Dehumanizer, it's kinda OK, I mean Lock-Up-The-Wolves-Magica-MasterOfTheMoon-Strange-Highways OK...

EmoElmo wrote:

There's something about Iommi's playing that I do not like, it's way too simplified. However it has nothing to do with the whole impact of a song, a good song is a good song and I give him full credit for that (Most Sabbath songs are good BTW) . While i do not even rank this album above Dehumanizer, it's kinda OK, I mean Lock-Up-The-Wolves-Magica-Strange-Highways OK...

I love those last three. As for the Devil You Know, I like it and think it' pretty good but it just didn't live up to my expectations. It has been a while though, maybe I need to give it another listen.

EmoElmo wrote:

There's something about Iommi's playing that I do not like, it's way too simplified. However it has nothing to do with the whole impact of a song, a good song is a good song and I give him full credit for that (Most Sabbath songs are good BTW) . While i do not even rank this album above Dehumanizer, it's kinda OK, I mean Lock-Up-The-Wolves-Magica-MasterOfTheMoon-Strange-Highways OK...

There is no such thing as "too simple" in music. There is only good music and bad music and whatever lies in between.

Eyesore wrote:

There is no such thing as "too simple" in music. There is only good music and bad music and whatever lies in between.

x2

I'll go one more, there's only "what I like and what I don't like."

A total snoozefest. A record that lacks any pep or hooks. I was, and still am, extremely disappointed in the album. I shouldn't have been surprised though, as Dio had churned out album after album of plodding tunes since the early 90's (with the notable exception of Killing The Dragon.) This album is the aural equivalent of a ponderous dinosaur stuck in a tar pit. No thanks.

Eyesore wrote:

EmoElmo wrote:

There's something about Iommi's playing that I do not like, it's way too simplified. However it has nothing to do with the whole impact of a song, a good song is a good song and I give him full credit for that (Most Sabbath songs are good BTW) . While i do not even rank this album above Dehumanizer, it's kinda OK, I mean Lock-Up-The-Wolves-Magica-MasterOfTheMoon-Strange-Highways OK...

There is no such thing as "too simple" in music. There is only good music and bad music and whatever lies in between.

Sabbath is the Nirvana of Metal...Or....