The restless and ever creating riff master is back with a fantastic new album, ‘From the dark’. It has been some time since his latest solo studio album (2005 and ‘Fused’ featuring Glenn Hughes), and a lot of things has happened in between, both for him individually (health issues for example) but also for Black Sabbath and other bands or projects he has been involved with. But then, this new album comes and you can easily confirm yourself that Tony Iommi has never left the ‘playground’ he has always loved, been busy with and created masterpieces on. He might not be interested any more for long enduring tours or showing up every now and then for different reasons, but, when he decides to make a new solo studio album, then you can be assured that this is meant to step forward full throttle and as it should do.
The overall feeling and impression I have had while listening to ‘From the dark’ is that it strongly brings back to me the studio album of Heaven and Hell ‘The Devil you know’ with the great Ronnie James Dio. The specific songwriting, the riffs’ pace and the general ‘setup’ of this record matches in a lot of ways and resembles the sound and outcome of Heaven and Hell back in 2009. The Norwegian Jørn Lande is of course no stranger to Tony Iommi and a connecting link of ‘From the dark’ to that era back at the ending of the 00s. Lande was included – together with Iommi’s friend Glenn Hughes – in the lineup of H&H when they played the one off tribute to RJD at the 2010 High Voltage festival.
‘From the dark’ has a clear and definitive proximity to the Heaven and Hell days of Iommi. The way the songs carry everything from the melodies, the long chorus lines together with the doomy heavy riffs makes the album reflecting Iommi’s late years with RJD. Moreover, the expectations of the fans for someone like Iommi, the founder (to many of us) of heavy metal, in making an exceptional solo album have been met, to my humble opinion. I still and will always worship his s/t album of 2000, which is a brilliant and stand out record, an album very diverse, experimental but also reflecting his unique identity and self-mastery. If you are wondering, I agree, ‘From the Dark’ cannot be compared with that. We talk about 2 (very) different eras, that first one included synergy with so many artists, styles and backgrounds and showcased how much can Iommi excel, when he works together with such varied musicians.
However, I must admit that, this new one still carries the flame, and the artist’s will to give us his best self, and even though years have passed, he’s still got it, and he’s got it for damn good! Every Iommi-esque riff, every melody played in his favorite SG guitar, every second that passes leaves a proof of authenticity and music craftmanship, the same way a legendary human being can leave. This is heavy metal at its best, and some people might argue about the supporting line-up, and it might not seem to their eyes as ‘flashy’ or ‘appropriate’, but let me tell them, that they all kick ass and they all deliver the goods in class! Any argument that, ‘the old man sucks’, or ‘these guys should not be playing with Tony’, or ‘He has made a bad choice, etc.’ can go and … Becky Baldwin (Bass); Karl Brazil (Drums); and Mike Exeter (a friend from old times, Keyboards, Mixing, Engineer, Writer, the list is endless..) provide the necessary depth and charisma on the album, they all work perfectly paced and balanced, without any doubt. Especially bringing their different background and experience, that adds up a lot to ‘From the dark’ being a magnificent record.
As the riff master said it himself in a recent interview, talking about ‘From the dark’: “It’s part of what I have always done. That’s the way I write from day one, I still have the same way of writing. So, it’s going to sound like me”. This is who Tony Iommi is. This is his craftmanship. This is what makes a heavy metal fan crave for, by the sound of a new Iommi album: to immediately connect and relate with what the left hand and the brilliant mind of this man can really create. ‘From the dark’ is a magnificent record carrying all the DNA elements of what the name Iommi stands for. Play it very loud and you will not lose.
8/10
Text by Antonis Mantzavinos
Tracklist:
- Over The Violent Sun
- Black Times
- World Alone
- Beyond The Dead
- Stormwatcher
- Death Wake
- Return Of The Arbalist
- Legacy
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