Vinny Appice and briefly teamed up with Dokken bassist Jeff Pilson in the band Flesh & Blood. Appice joined World War III in 1990 and in 1992 he returned to Black Sabbath for the "Dehumanizer" album and tour. "I like Vinny – he's a nice chap," Tony Iommi reflected to the Sabbath fanzine "Southern Cross". "Vinny was asked to continue with the Sabbath thing, but he didn't. I like Vinny's playing." Appice rejoined Dio and they recorded "Strange Highways" (1994) and "Angry Machines" (1996). Prior to the 1996 tour, Appice played drums for Las Vegas–based guitarist, Raven Storm, on his album The
Vinny Appice each unfamiliar song. A sudden rain storm made the ink run on Vinny's notes. According to an interview conducted at NAMM in 2012, Vinny stated that at the end of the show during the bows he tossed the notebook into the crowd. Appice subsequently appeared on the Black Sabbath albums "Mob Rules" (1981) and "Live Evil" (1982). In late 1982 he left Black Sabbath along with vocalist Ronnie James Dio and formed the band Dio. They recorded "Holy Diver" (1983), "The Last in Line" (1984), "Sacred Heart" (1985), "Intermission" (1986), and "Dream Evil" (1987). In December 1989 Appice left Dio