New Studio Album in 2009, plus other news

May 20, 2008 by

I received a press release today regarding the upcoming “Rules of Hell” box set, as well as the Metal Masters Tour. Most of what is contained within is information we already knew, but there were a few tidbits in here worth pointing out before you check out the full press release.

  • New Studio album in “Early 2009”: Previously it was expected that the new album Heaven & Hell would have been out late this year, but apparently that’s not happening. According to this press release, the album will be out in “early 2009”. Now before a lot of fans go and get their panties in a knot, remember Early 2009 means more than “Up to January 10th”. Don’t forget, we’re getting a new Sabbath (yeah, yeah, yeah – It’s Black Sabbath, and you know it), album with Ronnie Dio – let’s give ’em a chance to do it right before bitching about WHEN, eh?
  • Album Track Listings: The track listing for the Rules of Hell box set is below. As expected, no new tracks are here. It’s five Discs, with Live Evil being put back to its original two disc configuration when released back in the day. The three Dio era studio albums have no new or unreleased tracks. I did notice that the version of Dehumanizer being used is now confirmed to be the US version, which means both versions of Time Machine will be on there.
  • Tour Dates: Not every date below on the Metal Masters tour will have all the bands. One date will not have Judas Priest, and one will not have Motorhead (not the same date). If you’re in one of these cities, you’ll want to check the listing below.
  • Box Set Pricing: If you’re into buying your tunes from places like Apple and their iTunes store, the pricing will be of interest to you. The box set will be available the same day as the physical version (July 22nd) for a suggested retail price of $24.99. 25 bucks for all the Dio era albums is quite a nice price, so if you’re into buying your tracks digitally, that will be of interest to you.

Here’s the entire press release for you to check out:
Five-CD Boxed Set Features Newly Remastered Versions Of
Every Dio-Era Sabbath Album, Available July 22 From Rhino
Ronnie James Dio, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Vinny Appice Are Currently Recording Long Awaited New Heaven & Hell Studio Album, Set To Be Released By Rhino In Early 2009
Heaven & Hell Will Return to the Road This Summer for the Metal Masters Tour With Judas Priest, Motörhead, and Testament
LOS ANGELES – Heavy metal pioneers Black Sabbath were reborn in 1980 when founding members Tony Iommi and Terry “Geezer” Butler added vocalist Ronnie James Dio to the lineup. The band’s short but memorable time together added an unforgettable chapter in Sabbath’s storied history. Rhino relives the demonic fury conjured by the Dio era with THE RULES OF HELL, a boxed set featuring all three of the band’s studio releases (Heaven And Hell, Mob Rules, Dehumanizer) and their double live collection (Live Evil) – each recently remastered for the first time. The set comes packaged in a deluxe slipcase with extensive liner notes featuring all new interviews with the band. This five-disc boxed set will be available from Rhino on July 22 at all physical outlets, as well as www.rhino.com, for a suggested list price of $54.98. The set will also be available the same day at all digital outlets for a suggested list price of $24.99.
Two years ago, Dio, Iommi and Butler and drummer Vinny Appice reunited to record a trio of new songs for Rhino’s Black Sabbath: The Dio Years before launching a highly anticipated and greatly acclaimed world tour under their new moniker Heaven & Hell. Revitalized by the reunion, the lineup is back in the studio now recording the first ever full-length studio album from Heaven & Hell, set to be released by Rhino in early 2009. To whet the fans’ appetites for the new album, Heaven & Hell will return to the road for a short stint on the Metal Masters Tour, a month-long North American trek with Judas Priest, Motörhead, and Testament. This blistering metal juggernaut will launch August 6 in Philadelphia.
The Dio-era’s first effort, HEAVEN AND HELL, hit the racks on April 25, 1980. Greeted by ecstatic reviews, the album peaked at #9 in Britain. In the U.S., its Top 30 success gave the group its first platinum disc in six years. Opening with the chugging anthem “Neon Knights,” the album also includes the epic title track, “Wishing Well,” “Die Young” and “Lonely Is The Word.”
The group’s follow-up, MOB RULES, was the first without original drummer Bill Ward, who was replaced with Appice. The album bristles with Iommi’s signature dark riffs, Butler’s elaborate bass lines, Appice’s hammering behind the drums and Dio’s inimitable growling. The album includes the high-octane tracks—“Falling Off The Edge Of The World,” “Turn Up The Night,” and the title track—plus the mid-tempo rocker “Voodoo” and the slow-churning epic “The Sign Of The Southern Cross,” a favorite among band members and fans alike.
Released in December 1982, LIVE EVIL stands as a modern metal masterpiece and a testament to the power of the Dio, Iommi, Butler and Appice lineup. Recorded in Seattle, Dallas, and San Antonio, the sound is upfront and aggressive, a virtual front-row seat for epic versions of their classics including “Neon Knights,” “Children Of The Sea,” “The Sign Of The Southern Cross” and “Heaven And Hell.”
DEHUMANIZER (1992) is seen by many metal aficionados as one of—if not the most—underrated work to ever carry the Sabbath name. After the lineup fell apart in 1982, the group reconvened a decade later to release this lost classic. The album forged something new, pushing its legend to a new generation of metal heads with incredible tracks like “I,” “Computer God” and “TV Crimes.”
THE RULES OF HELL
Track Listing
HEAVEN AND HELL
1. “Neon Knights”
2. “Children Of The Sea”
3. “Lady Evil”
4. “Heaven And Hell”
5. “Wishing Well”
6. “Die Young”
7. “Walk Away”
8. “Lonely Is The Word”
MOB RULES
1. “Turn Up The Night”
2. “Voodoo”
3. “The Sign Of The Southern Cross”
4. “E5150”
5. “The Mob Rules”
6. “Country Girl”
7. “Slipping Away”
8. “Falling Off The Edge Of The World”
9. “Over And Over”
LIVE EVIL
Disc 1
1. “E5150”
2. “Neon Knights”
3. “N.I.B.”
4. “Children Of The Sea”
5. “Voodoo”
6. “Black Sabbath”
7. “War Pigs”
8. “Iron Man”
Disc 2
1. “The Mob Rules”
2. “Heaven And Hell”
3. “The Sign Of The Southern Cross/Heaven And Hell”
4. “Paranoid”
5. “Children Of The Grave”
6. “Fluff”
DEHUMANIZER
1. “Computer God”
2. “After All (The Dead)”
3. “TV Crimes”
4. “Letters From Earth”
5. “Master Of Insanity”
6. “Time Machine”
7. “Sins Of The Father”
8. “Too Late”
9. “I”
10. “Buried Alive”
11. “Time Machine” (Wayne’s World Version)
Heaven & Hell North American Tour Dates
(Except where noted, all shows also feature Judas Priest, Motörhead, and Testament)
AUGUST
6 Philadelphia, PA Susquehanna Bank Center
7 Washington, DC Nissan Pavilion
9 Holmdel, NJ PNC Arts Center
10 Wantagh, NJ Jones Beach Theater
12 Hamburg, NY Grandstand Stage/America’s Fair **
13 Toronto, ONT Molson Amphitheatre
15 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Arena##
16 Pittsburgh, PA Post-Gazette Pavilion
18 Detroit, MI DTE Energy Center
19 Chicago, IL First Midwest Band Amphitheatre
22 Dallas, TX Superpages.com Center
23 Houston, TX Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
24 San Antonio, TX Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
27 Albuquerque, NM Journal Pavilion
28 Phoenix, AZ Cricket Wireless Pavilion
30 San Bernadino, CA Hyundai Pavilion At Glen Helen
31 Mountain View, CA Shoreline Amphitheatre
**Featuring Motörhead and Testament ONLY
## Featuring Judas Priest and Testament ONLY

Filed Under: Black Sabbath