Band:	Heaven And Hell
Album:	The Devil You Know
Style:	Doom metal, Heavy metal
Release date:	April 28, 2009
Guest review by:	Doc G.

01. Atom And Evil
02. Fear
03. Bible Black
04. Double The Pain
05. Rock And Roll Angel
06. The Turn Of The Screw
07. Eating The Cannibals
08. Follow The Tears
09. Neverwhere
10. Breaking Into Heaven

Have you ever sat back listening to your old school Black Sabbath records wondering what it would sound like had they the same production abilities we have today? Well, if you have, this is your answer - so have a fresh pair of undies ready, there's a likelihood your bowels might get ruptured.

OK, you can rename it anything you like, we all know this is the resurrection of Dio-era Black Sabbath. This album really makes up for any shortcomings the albums Dehumanizer, Mob Rules, and Heaven & Hell may have had. Whether you enjoyed the albums or not, its hard to deny that the signature depressive guitar work of Tony Iommi wasn't as present as it was in previous albums. Ironically this album sounds more Sabbath-y than when they were using the Black Sabbath moniker.

But enough about the past, here we have a fresh new album. Tony & Geezer continue to prove to be the core of the band with crushing, plodding riffs, and bass-lines capable of causing earthquakes that read somewhere at about a 9.5 on the Richter Scale. Mix these kind of abilities with some thick, top-notch production and what you've got is some pure, solid heavy metal. What about the vocals? Regrettably enough its easy to overlook Dio for once when we have such incredible riffs presented to us. That doesn't mean the vocals are lacking, in fact they are great, Ronnie puts forth his haunting, foreboding tone for this album which makes the perfect fit, but all in all this album is dominated by Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler.

The Devil You Know does have its lacking points, few as they are. Basically the album has its inconsistent parts. With the crushing doomy songs like "Atom And Evil", "Bible Black", and "Follow The Tears" the band seems to have unmatchable chemistry, its the more upbeat tracks that hold the album back. They aren't terrible, but a little bit of that signature sound is lost, sounding more like Dio's backing band than a collaborative effort.

Definitely one of the must have albums of 2009, damn near perfect in this reviewers honest opinion. Tony and Geezer are back, baby!