Heaven & Hell was a short-lived British-American heavy metal supergroup active from 2006 to 2010, featuring guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler, vocalist Ronnie James Dio and drummer Vinny Appice, essentially the Black Sabbath lineup (Appice replaced Bill Ward during the Heaven and Hell album tour) from 1980-82 and from the 1992 album, Dehumanizer.

[2] In an October 2005 interview with the programme "Masters of Rock", aired on BBC Radio 2, Ronnie James Dio revealed his plans to work with Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi once again.

[3] Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward were initially named as the rhythm section completing the project.

Ward, who performed on the 1980 Heaven and Hell album and the first half of the tour, ultimately declined to be the band's drummer before they recorded, citing musical differences.

[5][6] His departure made way for a reunion of the other Dio-fronted Black Sabbath line-up which included journeyman drummer Vinny Appice.

The posthumous live album Neon Nights: 30 Years of Heaven & Hell was released on 16 November, recorded in Germany at the Wacken Open Air festival on 30 July 2009.

[16] In March 2011, after Heaven & Hell's dissolution, Appice joined Kill Devil Hill along with former Pantera and Down bassist Rex Brown.

In November 2011, Iommi and Butler reactivated Black Sabbath with original vocalist Ozzy Osbourne, announcing plans for a world tour and new record with producer Rick Rubin the following year.