Black Sabbath – Mob Rules (Release Year 1981)
Black Sabbath’s Mob Rules is the band’s 10th studio disc and 2nd featuring Ronnie James Dio on vocals. Mob Rules also features the 2007 lineup of the Heaven and Hell Tour, Tony Iommi on Guitar, Geezer Butler on bass, and Vinnie Appice on Drums.
Mob Rules starts off where Heaven and Hell left off, by opening up with a heavy up tempo track Turn Up the Night. Iommi starts jamming early and Dio is in fine form here.
I find myself head banging to Voodoo each time I listen to it. Ronnie James Dio is probably one of the few singers on earth that can make a track like this work. Voodoo has a very good rhythm to it, and the guitar work is quite good, but Dio’s vocals are what stands out the most.
The Sign of the Southern Cross is one of the heavier tracks on Mob Rules. This song is essential to any Sabbath fan. Awesome!
E5150 is a dark instrumental track that will scare the hell out of your parents. This track flows right into the title track, The Mob Rules. This is a heavy track that is essential to any Sabbath fan. Great stuff!
Mob Rules
Something about Country Girl reminds me of an Irish drinking song, albeit a very heavy one. I didn’t really care for this track much at first, but it has grown on me somewhat.
Slipping Away is an upbeat rocker that has a simple rhythm about it. Its pretty much the same guitar riff over and over by Iommi. Geezer Butler has some funky bass grooves in this track. It is a cool track but not essential.
Falling Off the Edge of the World is one of the better tracks on Mob Rules. This tracks starts off as a dark low tempo number that only Black Sabbath could pull off, and then blasts off into a heavy guitar noodling , Dio screaming monster. This is probably my second most favorite track off this disc.
Over and Over ends this disc with a heavy low tempo track. Dio belts out the lyrics in fine fashion, and Tony Iommi ends this disc the same way it began, by jamming out. The song itself would just be an average track, by Iommi’s playing turns this into something much more enjoyable. While not this is not the best Sabbath track I have ever heard, it is still a solid way to close out this disc.
Mob Rules is an excellent slab of Black Sabbath metal. This disc isn’t quite as good as Heaven and Hell, but it still very much essential to any fan of hard rock and heavy metal!
Rating: 
Out of 10
Track Listing:
- Turn Up The Night
- Voodoo
- The Sign of the Southern Cross
- E5150
- The Mob Rules
- Country Girl
- Slipping Away
- Falling Off the Edge of the World
- Over and Over
Black Sabbath is:
Ronnie James Dio – vocals
Tony Iommi – guitar
Geezer Butler – bass guitar
Vinny Appice – drums
Geoff Nicholls – keyboards
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One of the greatest records ever. “Over and Over” is probably one of the greatest songs ever. Epic. The drumming of Vinnie Appice made this album sound much more heavier due to his mammoth drumming style.
Mob Rules or Heaven and Hell? C’mon guys, we’re talking about Black Sabbath here, let’s not nit-pick. They could do no wrong at this pivotal point in the evolution of metal. One other thing, how come more people haven’t come by to pay their respects to the Godfathers of metal? All these other albums would never had happened without them. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath!
The guitar solo on the end of ‘Over and Over’ is, to my mind, one of the best I’ve ever heard. Heavy, melodic and measured. It doesn’t seem to be a common sentiment, though.
Mob Rules is Heavier than Heaven and Hell.
Fav songs are Sign and Over and Over.
I don’t care for the title track on the album. It sounds kinda Rock-ish and not Heavy.
I like the song Live though
Other good songs
Turn up the Night, Slipping Away, and Falling
I prefer Heaven & Hell over Mob Rules but both are great albums. Both were essential records back in the day.
I prefer Mob Rules to heaven and hell, but both are good. Heaven and hell tapers off a little towards the end, but Mob Rules is fairly solid throughout.