Exploring the Rules of Hell - Heaven and Hell

"Heaven and Hell" starts with a classic sounding Sabbath riff, something that would very much feel right at home on Master of Reality or Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. Next the rhythm section eases into the slower pace that will drive the verse. It has a lazy feel to it and it showcases what a great rhythm section Butler and Ward are.

Not surprisingly Dio delivers another great vocal. Singing about the dual nature of man, the lyrics are clever and poetic. There are some incredibly melodic sections over the course of the song that further illustrate the unique skill set that Dio brought to Sabbath.

Over the course of nearly seven minutes the song explores various sonic avenues. Iommi delivers some blistering guitar breaks in the second half that ultimately give way to quiet classical guitars. 

The last track from the opening side of Heaven and Hell is a good time to talk about producer/engineer Martin Birch. After self-producing the final two albums with Ozzy, Black Sabbath brought Birch in to handle production and engineering duties. He had previously worked with Fleetwood Mac, Deep Purple, Wishbone Ash, Rainbow and Whitesnake. It was his association with Rainbow and singer Ronnie James Dio that ultimately lead to his work with Black Sabbath.

The production on the tracks I've listened to so far have been top-notch. Every choice feels like the right one. On the engineering side of things these are some of the best sounding Black Sabbath tracks that I've heard. They have a nice hard edge and a clarity that displays the expert craft that Birch brought to the project.

Stop by tomorrow for "Wishing Well"!