On April 25, 1980, Black Sabbath released their ninth studio album, Heaven and Hell . The album was the band's first release after Ozzy Osbourne 's turbulent dismissal in 1979 due to the singer's personal and creative burnout, directly related to drug and alcohol abuse.
Amidst an atmosphere suggesting the end might be near, Tony Iommi needed to find a replacement of equal caliber who would keep the band relevant. The guitarist not only achieved this, but found someone responsible for changing the history of metal: Ronnie James Dio, who had just left Rainbow. With a stature disproportionate to the range of his voice, the American vocalist was about to save Sabbath and take new steps towards becoming one of the greatest vocalists of all time.
Check out 4 interesting facts about one of the most important albums in the history of heavy metal, which turns 46 this Saturday.
The irony of fate surrounding Dio's entry into Black Sabbath
Ronnie James Dio's entry into Black Sabbath carries one of the greatest ironies in rock history: Tony Iommi learned about the vocalist from none other than the young businesswoman Sharon Levy, who years later would marry Ozzy Osbourne and go on to manage the Prince of Darkness's career. At the time, Sharon worked for her father, Don Arden, who was Sabbath's manager.
In an interview on the podcast The Magnificent Others, the manager recalled the moment the musicians met. “It was when the band definitively decided that Ozzy needed to leave. Tony asked me, 'Who do you think could be the vocalist?' And I said, 'I know this guy, Ronnie Dio.' So, I introduced them. They got along very well because Ronnie was a very sociable and easy-going guy,” she said [transcription via Whiplash].
The shift in lyrics: from occultism to epic fantasies
Until Dio's arrival, bassist Geezer Butler was the main lyricist, focusing on themes such as occultism, darkness, war, and science fiction. The new frontman took over the lyrical compositions on Heaven and Hell, causing a major shift in the group, embracing new themes such as metaphors involving the duality between good and evil, castles, kings, and the world of fantasy. This transition not only saved Black Sabbath but also helped define what Power Metal would become in the following years.
Origin of the iconic Black Sabbath album cover
The striking cover, depicting angels playing cards and smoking, perfectly matches the theme of the title track, and appears to have been commissioned by the band itself. However, the artwork has a different origin. It is a painting made in 1979 by the American artist Lynn Curlee called Smoking Angels, inspired by a 1928 photograph showing costumed women relaxing backstage at a university theater play. Tony saw the artwork in a gallery, bought the rights to use it, and made it part of the story.
In a interview Black Sabbath Online , Curlee explained how his painting became one of the most iconic album covers in metal: “They [the band and Warner Bros. Records] had a new album and the original cover art wasn’t working, so they found themselves at an impasse. They asked me if I had something suitable on hand. I had already painted Smoking Angels to be a gallery-quality piece, and they simply chose it to be the cover,” he said.
The "metal horn" that became a trademark
In his performances, Ozzy had a habit of making the "peace and love" sign with his hands. Upon taking over the position, Ronnie knew he would need to create his own signature gesture that was consistent with the band's sound. That's when he introduced a gesture his grandmother used to ward off the evil eye, called Maloik, which would end up becoming one of the most used expressions not only in heavy metal music, but in pop culture itself.
“I’m of Italian descent; my maternal and paternal grandparents came from Italy to the United States, and they had superstitions. When I was a child, walking hand in hand with my grandmother down the street, I saw her making the 'devil horns' hand gesture at someone. I learned that this sign was called malocchio. Did I invent it? No. But did I perfect it to make it important? Yes, because I used it a lot, especially with Sabbath. Because I made this gesture so often, it ended up being associated more with me than with anyone else. Although Gene Simmons says he invented it. But then again, he invented breathing and footwear,” Dio told Sam Dunn in the documentary Metal: A Headbanger's Journey (2005) .
READ ALSO: Ronnie James Dio liked to compose while watching sports, says Wendy Dio
