Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath, Heaven And Hell)

Main years active: 1970 to date

With his playing given renewed inspiration by the example of Django Reinhardt, Iommi spent the late 60s refining a taut, choppy style that – despite the relatively primitive effects and amplifier technology of the day – was still heavier than anyone before him. By the time Black Sabbath were up and running in 1970, Iommi was writing music that literally had never been heard before. Just as Jimi Hendrix had pioneered the art of overdriven lead guitar a couple of years before, Iommi had all the as-yet-unwritten riffs in the world to play with, such as the immortal ‘War Pigs’.

Black Sabbath ‘War Pigs’

Total Guitar issue 210 (originally on sale 24 December - 20 January) featured Tony Iommi on the cover and contained 11-pages of Iommi coverage, including an in-depth interview and a complete tab of 'Planet Caravan'.