The Metal Report

TONY IOMMI writing for new HEAVEN & HELL album

Author/journalist Joel McIver interviewed Tony Iommi (BLACK SABBATH, HEAVEN AND HELL) last week for Total Guitar magazine. An excerpt from the chat follows:

Total Guitar: Is it true that HEAVEN AND HELL are writing songs for a new studio album?

Iommi: Yes, we will be. I'm just putting some riff ideas together now. Then Ronnie [James Dio, vocals] will come over to my house and off we go. We're really looking forward to it, I'm interested to see what will come up. When we've got the basic ideas for the songs ready, we'll probably go over to L.A. and rehearse with the other guys.

Total Guitar: You've been asked about the possibility of a new HEAVEN AND HELL album since the project was announced two years ago. Have you just recently made the decision to record again then?

Iommi: Yes. We talked about it on the last part of the tour. In Japan I said to Ronnie, "Are you up for doing a new album, or what?" and everybody seems really keen to do it.

Total Guitar: Presumably this new album pushes any new recordings from the Ozzy Osbourne-led lineup of BLACK SABBATH further into the future?

Iommi: It does, yes. This project will be a lot quicker, because it makes sense to go into a HEAVEN AND HELL album soon after the tour — while it's still remembered, really.

Total Guitar: Ten years ago I bet you wouldn't have predicted that you'd now be recording a new album as HEAVEN AND HELL, right?

Iommi: No! You just never know. It's been like that for our whole lives, to be honest with you. We do things because they seem like a good idea at the time.

Visit www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk to buy the Total Guitar issue (TG175) containing the entire Tony Iommi interview.

Thanks: www.BLABBERMOUTH.net

HEAVEN AND HELL to Begin Writing in April

Artisan News Service has posted a short video interview with legendary heavy metal drummer Vinny Appice (HEAVEN AND HELL, DIO, BLACK SABBATH) in which he confirms that the songwriting sessions for the new album from HEAVEN AND HELL — the band featuring Appice alongside vocalist Ronnie James Dio, bassist Geezer Butler and guitarist Tony Iommi — will begin in April 2008. Watch the footage in three parts at this location.

"We're doing another HEAVEN AND HELL, we're going to do a CD album, so we're going to start writing in April-May and I also have a little thing going on with my original band DERRINGER, the first band I played with in 1976. We're doing a little reunion tour. We got all these great offers and we thought we'd do it. So, it'll be a busy year."

Vinny even went on to say that the initial songwriting with HEAVEN AND HELL is going smooth as well.

"It was cool," he said. "Actually it's been over a year now. I went over there, to England in November and we got together and did three songs and it was great. After like five minutes it was like nothing, we were never apart after that, you know. It just went smooth as silk."

So what's it like playing with the legendary guitarist Tony Iommi on one side and the legendary bassist Geezer Butler on the other side?

"Those guys are, like, I mean it doesn't get much heavier than playing with Tony and Geezer," he said. "Tony on this side and Geezer on this side, it's just a wall of sound. And then you got Dio, who manages to sing over all that, it's just totally incredible. I'm in heaven...and hell."

HEAVEN AND HELL played the final show of its U.S. tour with ALICE COOPER and QUEENSRŸCHE on October 6, 2007 at the Verizon Wireless in Irvine, California. Before the encore, Indie 103.1's Full Metal Jackie presented the band with gold plaques on stage to honor U.S. sales in excess of 25,000 copies of the group's "Live at Radio City Music Hall" DVD. Vocalist Ronnie James Dio thanked the fans for their support, then dedicated the encore song ("Neon Knights") to veteran KNAC DJ Tawn Mastrey, who died in early October of liver failure brought on by hepatitis C.

Thanks to www.metalunderground.com

HEAVEN & HELL Radio City Music Hall deluxe edition review

Black-Sabbath.com has issued an extensive review of the new HEAVEN AND HELL Radio City Music Hall Deluxe Edition, including several pictures. A free copy of the set is also up for grabs. Go to this location for details.

Heaven & Hell to release new album in 2008 states drummer Vinny Appice

BRAVEWORDS & BLOODYKNUCKLES recently conducted a interview with Heaven & Hell drummer Vinny Appice. During the interview Vinny Appice stated the band would record a new album during 2008.

BWBK: The response of the return of Heaven and Hell has been overwhelming. Are there any plans to record a new album in 2008? The demand is certainly there.
Appice: Yes, new album coming in 2008.