The management for legendary heavy metal vocalist Ronnie James Dio (HEAVEN & HELL, BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW, DIO) has released the following statement to BLABBERMOUTH.NET:

"[We] just want to quash any rumors that HEAVEN & HELL have broken up. [HEAVEN & HELL guitarist] Tony Iommi has to have surgery on his hand and [needs] some down time for recovery. Therefore DIO will be performing some dates in the U.K. and Europe in November/December during this time off. HEAVEN & HELL are already making plans for dates next year."

In a recent interview with The Aquarian Weekly, Iommi stated about his upcoming surgery, "I've got to have an operation on my hand, and that's sort of a major thing I need to get done and I've been putting it off now. So we're going to have some time off while I get that done. That'll be a bit of a break, I think. Not for everybody, but it'll be some time off from touring for me for sure."

When asked what happened to his hand, Iommi replied, "The cartilage is gone from the thumb in my fingering hand. It's been like that now, to be honest, for a year and I've been taking anti-inflammatories and all sorts of stuff to try and calm it down, but it's inevitable I've got to have the operation because the bone is rubbing on the bone. Funny enough, I talked to Eddie Van Halen this morning, because he's had the same sort of problem, so I'm seeing him to have a chat about what happened to him. He thinks it's very successful, so we'll see."

Unofficial BLACK SABBATH web site Black-Sabbath.com has uploaded the cover artwork (see below) for HEAVEN & HELL's "Follow The Tears" single. It features two versions of the title track — a "radio edit" and "album version". The running times vary significantly. The "radio edit" is just 3:43, whereas the standard version is 6:10. The inside of the jewel case paper insert has U.S. tour dates on it, with no additional artwork. There will be no video filmed for the single and it won't be available at retail.

"Follow The Tears" is the second single (following "Bible Black") from the group's new album, "The Devil You Know", which has sold more than 70,000 copies since its April 28 release, according to Nielsen SoundScan. It debuted at position No. 8 on The Billboard 200 chart with first-week sales of 30,000 units.

HEAVEN & HELL's June 16, 2009 concert at Museumsmeile in Bonn, Germany was professionally filmed by WDR's (German public TV) series "Rockpalast" and was premiered on July 13. Watch the "Follow The Tears" performance below.

HEAVEN & HELL was forced to cancel its June 21 appearance at the Metalway Festival in Zaragoza, Spain due to back pain suffered by Iommi.