We recently posted an item about how a growing number of major bands, including Metallica, Judas Priest and Gojira have chosen to release animated videos over performance-based clips. Now, Heaven and Hell (a.k.a. Black Sabbath with Ronnie James Dio) have joined the pack. The band's video for "The Bible Black," the first single from their new album The Devil You Know (out tomorrow) features cartoon imagery of a bored angel who discovers an evil book and plummets into Hell, where he meets the cartoon version of Sabbath and Dio. The clip was produced by Joseph A. Russo II and James A. Fino of 23d Films, Inc. and directed by Ben Ceccarelli. Click "more" to watch the video, stream the full album and hear our podcast interview with Dio and bassist Geezer Butler. Read more...

They returned from the grave in 2007 to write and record three new songs for the greatest hits album Black Sabbath the Dio Years. They had such a good time working together again for the first time in 12 years that they scheduled a gig at New York's Radio City Music Hall, which was filmed for the CD and DVD "Live From Radio City Music Hall." Then Heaven and Hell started touring and wound up co-headling the Metal Masters with Judas Priest.

During that whole cycle, they played their three new songs, but relied more heavily on their three previously released studio albums, Heaven and Hell (1980), Mob Rules (1981) and Dehumanizer(1992) -- to the chagrin of no one. After all, these were classic albums which have had substantial influence and impact upon the metal community. But if Heaven and Hell were to continue to grow, everyone knew they'd need to do a new album. (click "more" to listen to our interview with Heaven and Hell vocalist Ronnie James Dio and bassist Geezer Butler.) Read more...