The reunion of the Ronnie James Dio era Black Sabbath began when their label asked them to record two new songs for a greatest hits CD. They ended up recording three, and things went so well they went on tour as Heaven And Hell. The tour was incredibly successful and spawned the live CD/DVD Live From Radio City Music Hall. Continuing the momentum, Heaven And Hell recorded their first studio CD under that name (the last Sabbath album with Dio was in 1992). The fact that Heaven And Hell is still making heavy metal music in 2009 is amazing. Dio is 66, Tony Iommi is 61, Geezer Butler is 59 and Vinny Appice is a youthful 49. Proving age is nothing but a number, The Devil You Know is vintage Sabbath.

The songs are heavy, with Iommi's patented downtuned guitars front and center. Monster riffs and screaming solos abound. They are also very melodic with plenty of hooks and memorable choruses. From driving up-tempo tracks like "Double The Pain" to the extremely catchy "Follow The Tears," Heaven And Hell really hit their stride. The Devil You Know isn't perfect. A few faster tracks would have been nice, and some of the six plus minute songs drag on a bit and can be repetitive. However, those are minor complaints. Dio can still outsing guys a third his age, Iommi and Butler's chops are top notch, and as the only member not yet eligible for AARP membership, Appice keeps Heaven And Hell on the rails.