ALBUM REVIEW: Tony Iommi – ‘From The Dark’

Tony Iommi’s fourth solo album From The Dark dropped on 23rd October. The album is his first solo record in 21 years (since 2005’s Fused) and his first full-length release since Black Sabbath’s 13 in 2013, comprising an all-new band lineup. On frontman duty is Jørn Lande of Jørn, Masterplan and Vagabond; on bass is Becky Baldwin, known for her role in Mercyful Fate as well as addition session work; and on drums, Feeder and Robbie Williams collaborator Karl Brazil.

During some relaxed home sessions with longtime producer Mike Exeter, Iommi originally intended to write a fully instrumental record, but after realising he missed the dynamic of a vocalist and reconnecting with Jørn Lande, the project completely pivoted into a shared creative process. The pair played together in Heaven & Hell at High Voltage Festival back in 2010 in tribute to Ronnie James Dio. Hence the resounding, dramatic metal—more reminiscent of Dio-era Sabbath—is unsurprising. 

The opening track Over The Violent Sun kicks things off with a signature Iommi riff, instantly recognisable. The rolling guitar and rhythm figure and towering vocal imagery command authority right out of the gate. Black Times is doomier and slower, a masterful showcase of momentum build and gothic metal architecture. The single World Alone, the first reveal of this new era, shifts gears as a punchy chugger. Try resisting the urge to raise your horns to this one!

A sense of deep, fog-covered, existential dread is evoked with Beyond The Dead, anchoring the emotional weight of the album. Stormwatcher layers an expansive, cinematic soundscape with a chugging riff; drama is delivered on this track. Death Wake is configured by syncopated, rise-and-fall riffage, and a special guest appearance from the legendary Brian May, a lifelong friend of Iommi. Then comes a shot of adrenaline with Return Of The Arbalist. Karl Brazil’s driving drumming pocket shines especially on this track, keeping the track moving at a lively pulse. Legacy is highly apt, as it grants atestament to the undying essence of the creators and the genre. Across seven minutes, the track weaves electric leads, acoustic Spanish guitar, and a melancholy bridge to wrap up the album.

Exeter’s state-of-the-art production ensures a sleek sonic quality, though this polish can somewhat tend to iron out the gritty danger that gives Iommi’s downtuned world its menace. There’s nothing especially new or unexpected being done in the record, but perhaps that’s not what we really need from Iommi in his sixth decade of work. Seeing the Riff Lord continue to churn out quality heavy metal at 78 years old is enough to please the majority of classic likeminded metalheads.

With the downtempo doom and gloom of Black Times and Beyond The Dead, the fuelled thunder of World Alone, Stormwatcher and Return Of The Arbalist, the five-minute-plus spectacles of Over The Violent Sun, Death Wake and Legacy, and Jørn’s phrasing leaning heavily into slightly campy fantasy tropes, From The Dark serves as a fresh yet nostalgic memo of traditional British heavy metal and the Riff Lord’s monolithic musical legacy (pun intended).

For fans of: Black Sabbath, Dio, Heaven & Hell

‘From The Dark’ by Tony Iommi is out now on BMG.

Words by Gracie MG