When you have helped launch an entire genre of music and spent decades influencing generation after generation of musicians, the pressure to prove anything largely disappears. At this stage in the career of Tony Iommi, the attraction likely lies in following creative instincts and surrounding himself with players capable of bringing their own ideas to the table. From The Dark is the latest expression of that approach, remaining aligned with a vision that has shaped heavy music since the late ’60s.
Tony Iommi – From The Dark
Release Date: Out Now
Words: Rhys Tagg
More than two decades have passed since Tony Iommi’s last solo album, and From The Dark arrives without any sense of a man attempting to reconnect with former glories. The record carries the confidence of somebody still driven by curiosity and able to find fresh directions within a sound that bears his unmistakable fingerprint.
Originally conceived as an instrumental project, From The Dark gradually evolved over a two-year period as ideas emerged and took shape.
Working alongside vocalist Jorn Lande, bassist Becky Baldwin, drummer Karl Brazil and co-producer Mike Exeter, Iommi assembled a record that feels expansive but firmly rooted in the weight and character that have defined his career for more than six decades.
A fascinating aspect of the album’s creation lies in the process itself.
Rather than occupying the same studio and building songs in the traditional fashion, much of the material was developed remotely, with each musician contributing from afar. Any concerns that such an approach might dilute the chemistry are quickly dispelled. The connection between the players feels natural throughout, with every contribution serving the songs rather than competing for attention.
Opening track Over The Violent Sun wastes little time establishing the album’s identity. A riff-heavy opener with plenty of movement, the song introduces the dark, often theatrical atmosphere running through the album.
Much of that comes from Jorn Lande, whose performance brings both power and character to the material. Echoes of Ronnie James Dio occasionally surface, a comparison that feels entirely appropriate given Lande sang for Heaven And Hell at the 2010 High Voltage Festival.
That balance between force and melody continues on Black Times and Beyond The Dead. Both tracks lean into doom influences, allowing strong vocal melodies to sit comfortably alongside Iommi’s trademark guitar work. The solos remain sharp and purposeful throughout, never feeling included simply because convention demands them.
World Alone, the album’s first single, makes an immediate impression. Supported by its dystopian visual companion, the song bursts into life and rarely loosens its grip. Alongside Return Of The Arbalist, the track leans further into a straight-ahead heavy rock approach, providing some of the album’s most memorable hooks while retaining the darker atmosphere established earlier.
Stormwatcher demonstrates just how well this group functions together, with Mike Exeter’s keyboard work providing added texture around the edges. Much of the song’s success comes from the interplay between Becky Baldwin and Karl Brazil.
Brazil may not have been the obvious choice given a career built largely through high-profile session work, yet every performance feels instinctively right. Nothing feels excessive, and nothing feels absent, his drumming serves the songs perfectly.
Alongside him, Baldwin continues to establish herself as one of the most exciting bass players currently operating in rock and Metal. Whether performing with Mercyful Fate, Fury or Delilah Bon, she has developed a reputation for elevating everything she touches, and that quality runs throughout From The Dark.
While Iommi’s riffs will naturally dominate much of the discussion surrounding the album, repeated listens reveal the movement and personality Baldwin brings beneath those riffs.
Stormwatcher benefits enormously from her presence, while the darker passages of Black Times and Beyond The Dead gain additional depth through bass performances that never settle for simply mirroring the guitar.
Sharing a record with the man who helped invent Heavy Metal could leave lesser musicians struggling for space. Baldwin sounds completely at home from start to finish, her contribution becoming more apparent with each listen.
A thread of blues remains woven through the album as well, surfacing most clearly on Death Wake. Featuring a guest appearance from Brian May, the song adopts a measured pace and allows the musicians room to stretch out in different directions, broadening the album’s palette without disrupting its flow.
Legacy brings proceedings to a close with the album’s longest performance and the only song to stretch beyond seven minutes. Across eight tracks and a little over forty minutes, very little feels wasted and even less feels rushed.
From The Dark finds Tony Iommi doing what Tony Iommi has always done best, following ideas, trusting instinct and creating music on his own terms. Supported by an excellent cast, the record feels both relaxed and purposeful.
More than sixty years after helping shape the foundations of Heavy Metal, Iommi remains a singular presence whose creative spark shows little sign of dimming.
From The Dark is out now via BMG. For more details, visit tonyiommi.lnk.to/fromthedarkPR.
