A pair of original members of UK rock outfit Grim Reaper have reunited for a home isolation video performance of the Black Sabbath classic, “Heaven And Hell.”
Organized by guitarist Steve Stine, the track sees a pair of the band’s original members – vocalist Steve Grimmett and guitarist Nick Bowcott – joined by bassist Brian Hollenbeck of Hairball and drummer Joel Stevenett for the title track to Sabbath’s 1980 album and first with singer Ronnie James Dio.
"It's all Steve Stine's fault," jokes Bowcott. "He's the guy who was nice/dumb enough (delete as you deem fit) to extend the invitation. I knew he'd get a great rhythm section, but it obviously all hinges on the singer as we're talking about a song sung by the late, great Ronnie James Dio, here. So that was my first, pivotal question. 'It's our mutual friend and your old bandmate Steve Grimmett,' was the reply, and so I immediately said, 'Hell yes, I'm in!!' In my humble opinion, there are only a handful of singers who can do RJD justice, and Steve is definitely one of said few."
The final version was mixed from clips filmed in five locations: Grimmett in the UK; Bowcott in Fort Wayne, IN; Stine in Kindred, ND; Hollenbeck in Minneapolis, MN; and, Stevenett in Salt Lake City, UT.
Formed in Droitwich, UK in 1979, Grim Reaper released three albums – including 1985’s “Fear No Evil” – before disbanding in 1988; Grimmett reformed the lineup without Bowcott in 2006 as Steve Grimmett’s Grim Reaper and continued to tour, issuing two more studio records in recent years (2016’s “Walking In The Shadows” and 2019’s “At The Gates.”)
While on tour in Ecuador in 2017, Grimmett, a diabetic, suffered an infection in his right leg that required multiple operations and ultimately resulted in an amputation three inches above the knee; he was fitted with a prosthetic metal leg and had to learn to walk again through physical therapy.
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