The Devil You Know (Heaven & Hell album)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Heavy metal music |
| Founded | 2006 |
| Founder | Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Ronnie James Dio, Vinny Appice |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom / United States |
Key people | Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Ronnie James Dio, Vinny Appice |
| Products | Music albums, live performances |
The Devil You Know stands as the sole studio album by the British-American heavy metal ensemble Heaven & Hell. It marks the third and concluding record featuring Tony Iommi on guitar, Geezer Butler handling bass duties, Ronnie James Dio providing vocals, and Vinny Appice on drums—musicians who previously collaborated on Black Sabbath's Mob Rules (1981) and Dehumanizer (1992). This album also represents Dio's final studio contribution prior to his passing in May 2010.
In Japan, the US import version was released ahead of schedule on 24 April 2009, preceding the official 28 April launch. The domestic Japanese SHM-CD edition followed shortly after, on 27 April. Production credits include the band members themselves along with sound engineer Mike Exeter.
Upon release, The Devil You Know entered the Billboard 200 chart at number eight, moving 30,000 units during its initial week. The album earned the accolade for Best Album at the 2010 Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards.
Conception
During 2007, the lineup of Black Sabbath featuring Ronnie James Dio recorded three fresh tracks—"The Devil Cried," "Shadow of the Wind," and "Ear in the Wall"—specifically for the compilation Black Sabbath: The Dio Years. Guitarist Tony Iommi clarified that these songs were composed due to a lack of releasable material from earlier Dio-era sessions. Among these, "The Devil Cried" was issued as a promotional single. Initially, Dio anticipated departing to rejoin his own band and described another Sabbath album as "the last thing on my mind." However, Iommi disclosed that Heaven & Hell committed to producing an album during their 2007 tour in Japan. Recording took place intermittently both before and after the Metal Masters Tour at Dio’s and Iommi’s residences, with each member contributing individual parts. Iommi characterized the creative process as "really good, pretty powerful."
Title and art
The cover art derives from Per Øyvind Haagensen's painting titled Satan, incorporating the numbers 25 and 41. According to Geezer Butler, these digits reference Matthew 25:41 from the Bible, which speaks of the Last Judgment where those positioned on God's left are condemned to Hell. The album’s title alludes directly to the band's moniker, widely recognized by fans as Black Sabbath. Both Dio and Butler also contemplated naming the album "Villa Yankees," inspired by their favorite sports teams—Butler’s allegiance to Aston Villa and Dio’s support for the New York Yankees.
When selecting final artwork, the band shortlisted two options; one prominently displayed Black Sabbath’s iconic devil emblem and was made available exclusively through Wal-Mart outlets in the United States.
Critical reception
Generally favorable reviews greeted The Devil You Know, with a Metacritic score of 63/100 reflecting mixed to positive opinions. Phil Freeman from AllMusic compared this release to Black Sabbath's classic Paranoid, emphasizing it captures the band at their zenith. He observed that Heaven & Hell unveils a distinctly different aspect of the musicians’ artistry, validating both their separate band identity and darker thematic approach. Metal Hammer described it as "one of the heavy releases of the year" and honored it with their 2010 Golden Gods Award for Best Album. Critic Martin Popoff rated it above Dehumanizer, though beneath Heaven and Hell and Mob Rules, commending Dio’s vocal delivery for its "thespian enunciation" and emotional intensity. Additional positive evaluations came from Blabbermouth.net, Sputnikmusic, and IGN, with ratings spanning from 7.9 to 8.5 out of 10.
Touring
Heaven & Hell embarked on a follow-up global tour to promote The Devil You Know, commencing in Bogotá on 5 May 2009. During select North American shows in August 2009, the progressive rock bands Coheed and Cambria along with The Mars Volta served as supporting acts.
Personnel
- Heaven & Hell
- Ronnie James Dio – lead vocals, production
- Tony Iommi – guitar, production
- Geezer Butler – bass guitar, production
- Vinny Appice – drums and percussion
- Additional Personnel
- Mike Exeter – keyboards, supplementary production, engineering
- Production
- Recorded by Mike Exeter
- Mixing and further recording handled by Wyn Davis, assisted by Mike Sutherland and Adam Arnold
- Mastering completed by Stephen Marcussen
- Art direction and design by Masaki Koike
- Cover artwork created by Per Øyvind Haagensen
- Photography by Chapman Baehler
- Etching artwork by Johann Koch
Charts
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA Charts) | 76 |
| Austria | 37 |
| Flanders | 84 |
| Canada (Billboard) | 24 |
| Denmark | 26 |
| Netherlands | 38 |
| Finland | 5 |
| France | 53 |
| Germany | 17 |
| Hungary | 14 |
| Italy | 45 |
| Japan (Oricon) | 28 |
| Norway | 15 |
| Poland | 20 |
| Scotland | 20 |
| Spain | 95 |
| Sweden | 8 |
| Switzerland | 31 |
| UK Albums Chart | 21 |
| UK Rock Chart | 1 |
External links
- Heaven & Hell on Metal Archives