Black Sabbath: The Dio Years
| Company type | Compilation album |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2007 |
| Founder | Black Sabbath |
| Products | Music albums |
Black Sabbath: The Dio Years is a 2007 anthology album showcasing remastered selections from the English heavy metal group Black Sabbath during the period when Ronnie James Dio served as lead vocalist. This compilation contains tracks from the studio records Heaven and Hell (1980), Mob Rules (1981), and Dehumanizer (1992), alongside a live rendition of "Children of the Sea" taken from Live Evil (1982). Additionally, it presents three newly recorded songs from 2007: "The Devil Cried," "Shadow of the Wind," and "Ear in the Wall."
Originally, the project was intended to be a box set encompassing albums spanning from Heaven and Hell through to The Eternal Idol, but this idea was ultimately abandoned. The concept was later refined to concentrate exclusively on the four albums from the Dio era, which eventually resulted in the 2008 box set The Rules of Hell.
Guitarist Tony Iommi disclosed that while only two new compositions were initially planned, recording sessions yielded three tracks, all of which were included in this release. On 23 February 2007, Sirius Satellite Radio debuted "The Devil Cried," which Rhino Records also previewed online prior to its single release on 13 March 2007.
Following these recordings, the group toured under the name Heaven & Hell. Dio and Iommi took advantage of this renewed partnership by producing the album The Devil You Know.
Special editions
In anticipation of the Heaven & Hell UK tour scheduled for November 2007, a special version named Black Sabbath: The Dio Years Tour Edition was issued on 5 November to mark the occasion. This limited edition CD features four live recordings from the 1981 "Mob Rules Tour," originally appearing on the Live at Hammersmith Odeon release: "Neon Knights," "The Mob Rules," "Children of the Grave," and "Voodoo."
Moreover, a Wal-Mart exclusive two-disc set was offered, combining The Dio Years with Hangin' with Heaven and Hell, an interview video including Dio, Iommi, and Butler discussing their 2007 tour. Recorded in November 2006, this interview aired on VH1 Classic in early 2007 and was subsequently issued on DVD by Rhino Entertainment to coincide with the album's release.
Track listing
All tracks composed by Ronnie James Dio, Tony Iommi, and Geezer Butler except where indicated.
Personnel
- Ronnie James Dio – lead vocals
- Tony Iommi – guitar
- Geezer Butler – bass guitar
- Bill Ward – drums (tracks 1–5)
- Vinny Appice – drums (tracks 6–16)
- Geoff Nicholls – keyboards (tracks 1–13)
- Mike Exeter – engineering and mixing
Charts
| Chart (2007) | Highest position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA) | 179 |
| Norwegian Albums | 35 |
| Swedish Albums | 32 |
| UK Rock Albums | 16 |
| Billboard 200 | 54 |
| Billboard Rock Albums | 16 |
| Billboard Tastemaker Albums | 8 |