Black Sabbath Reissues Coming Soon: ‘Vol. 4’ 2/12, Dio-Era ‘Heaven and Hell’ & ‘Mob Rules’ 3/5

2021 already has some big reissue plans for fans of Black Sabbath, spanning key releases from both the Ozzy Osbourne and Ronnie James Dio era.

On Feb. 12, 1972’s Vol. 4 will be re-released in lavish expanded format. It was essentially the first Sabbath record self-produced by the band, as guitarist Tony Iommi was largely responsible for the album’s production after then-manager Patrick Meehan’s role was minimized in the studio.

Click here to pre-order the Vol. 4 reissue on CD from our Rock Cellar Store
Click here to pre-order the Vol. 4 reissue on LP from our Rock Cellar Store

A few weeks later, on March 5, 2-CD and 2-LP editions of the first two Sabbath records with Ronnie James Dio will be released. Dio joined the band in 1979, ushering in a new era of Sabbath — and resulting in 1980’s Heaven and Hell and 1981’s Mob Rules. Full details and context on both records, per a news release:

HEAVEN AND HELL: DELUXE EDITION adds several bonus tracks that have never been released in North America, including versions of “Children Of The Sea” and “Die Young” recorded live in 1980 in Hartford, CT. The set concludes with live rarities like “E5150” and “Neon Knights” that originally appeared in 2007 on the Rhino Handmade’s limited edition collection, Black Sabbath: Live At Hammersmith Odeon.

To follow-up Heaven And Hell, the group returned to the studio in 1981 to begin recording Mob Rules, with drummer Vinny Appice joining the band for the first time. Released in October 1981 and certified gold, the album was another Sabbath classic, including standouts like “The Sign Of The Southern Cross,” “Turn Up The Night” and the title track.

Black Sabbath – Heaven & Hell and Mob Rules Deluxe Editions – Available Mar 5

2-CD And 2-LP Versions Of First Black Sabbath Albums With Ronnie James Dio On Vocals Feature Newly Remastered Audio Along With Rare And Unreleased Music.

More detail: https://t.co/MSyW3f8cdZ pic.twitter.com/Vacnwbs4NJ

— Tony Iommi (@tonyiommi) January 13, 2021

MOB RULES: DELUXE EDITION boasts an expansive selection of rare and unreleased recordings. Along with additional tracks from Live At Hammersmith Odeon, the collection also includes a newly mixed version of “The Mob Rules.” The cherry on top is an entire concert recorded in 1982 in Portland, OR. Highlights include stellar performances of “Neon Knights” “Heaven And Hell” and “Voodoo.”

The Dio-fronted lineup disbanded in 1982 but reunited a decade later to record Dehumanizer and tour before going on hiatus again. The group came together again in 2006 to record three new songs for Rhino’s era-spanning collection, Black Sabbath: The Dio Years. The collaboration led to a highly anticipated world tour in 2007 where the group was billed as Heaven And Hell. Their final album of new material, 2009’s The Devil You Know, again demonstrated the musical bond between the band members was unparalleled.