Tony Iommi says the lack of deadlines on “From The Dark”, his first solo album in 21 years, allowed him to work at his own pace. The album is released by BMG on Friday, 23 October.
“`Speaking to Brent Porche of Philadelphia radio station 93.3 WMMR, he explained the difference: with Black Sabbath, there was always a set time to record and then tour. This time there was no pressure; he had his own studio at home and worked whenever he wanted.
He set aside Mondays and Tuesdays each week with Mike Exeter, his producer, engineer and collaborator for around 30 years. “It was all very casual,” he said, describing exactly what is usually missing from an album.
Jorn Lande sings on every track on “From The Dark” and wrote the lyrics, with Becky Baldwin on bass and Karl Brazil on drums. Iommi had started the project as an instrumental, writing four or five tracks, before deciding he wanted vocals.
He met Lande at a Ronnie James Dio tribute in London sometime after 2010, when the Norwegian singer performed two or three Black Sabbath songs. “I like his voice, it fits what I play,” he says.
The single “Stormwatcher” came out last month, and album listening sessions are taking place in 18 cities. It is his first solo release since 2005’s “Fused” with Glenn Hughes, and follows Ozzy Osbourne’s death in July 2025, a few weeks after “Back To The Beginning” in Birmingham — as he has said about his age.
See also
For the period when he shaped his sound, see the review Black Sabbath – Paranoid.
