Live Evil

Though it precipitated the ousters of Ronnie James Dio and Vinny Appice, Live Evil remains one of the great documents of the Sabbath live machine in action. Though the exact whereabouts of the performances are unknown, it's clear that the recordings are taken from the band’s 1982 tour of America, in support of Mob Rules. The sonic quality is raw and in your face, and the band roars like a well-tuned engine. Along with vigorous interpretations of Dio-led classics like “Neon Knights,” “Voodoo," and “The Mob Rules,” it’s astonishing to see this lineup apply itself to Sabbath standards from the Ozzy era. The primary difference is in the drums. Whereas original drummer Bill Ward treated the doom-metal riffs with a touch of swing, Appice was all about unmitigated battery. Therefore, these versions of “Black Sabbath,” “War Pigs," and “Iron Man” are less likely to coax you into a trance and more likely to remind you of the awesome power of a martial artist. A rock god if ever there was one, Dio shows his command of the stage with an extended call-and-response medley of “Heaven and Hell” and “The Sign of the Southern Cross.”