Black Sabbath fans, assemble, our lord and master of the riff Tony Iommi has just announced a new solo album. Titled From The Dark, it drops on October 23, but you can check out the first single, World Alone, now.
This is vintage Iommi. He has the Norwegian vocalist Jørn Lande on the mic, whom some will know from his eponymous hard rock project, or from fronting power metallers Pentakill. Others will remember him from when he stepped in to take Ronnie James Dio’s spot to fulfil Heaven & Hell’s 2010 touring commitments after the death of the legendary metal frontman. Here, Iommi gives him plenty to work with.
Thematically, the video follows The Believer through a retro-futuristic dystopia in which, like Jeff Bridges in Tron, he is thrown into a videogame, and has to save his own life and find salvation in the process.
Iommi has made mention that he has a solo album percolating in the background but he has had a full schedule. There have been his Black Sabbath commitments, with the Birmingham metal godfathers bringing down the curtain on their career at Back To The Beginning last year, the metal all-dayer to end all metal all-dayers. Just 17 days later, Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne died.
Iommi had been working on perfume lines, in ballet, too, when he teamed up with the Birmingham Royal Ballet to rework Sabbath’s early work in dance. Then there was the Gibson documentary and the reissue of his signature Gibson pickups. Finally, the album is ready.
“It’s an album we’ve really enjoyed making,” says Iommi. “We’re not trying to prove anything – it's a great album, it rocks!”
From The Dark was produced by Iommi with his long-standing tech, cowriter and engineering whiz Mike Exeter. Becky Baldwin of UK thrashers Fury and Mercyful Fate plays bass guitar. Karl Brazil, who played on Iommi’s 2024 single, Deified, returns on drums. Deified, however, does not. It remains a standalone single. Lande handles the album’s lyrics. Expect existentialism, “nautical metaphors” and downtuned riffola. World Alone is more uptempo but you can be rest assured there will be some low and slow doomy groovers.
Iommi is unveiling From The Dark in his hometown Birmingham, in a livestreaming event. Check it out above – and check out the video for the single above. Iommi will be releasing World Alone on foil-sleeved 7” vinyl, with an instrumental version on Side B. Gibson is adding it to the catalogue of songs you can learn on the Gibson App. From The Dark will be released in various formats, including deluxe gatefold vinyl.
See Iommi for more.
