SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: TONY IOMMI – FROM THE DARK

TONY IOMMI
FROM THE DARK
BMG

The godfather of heavy metal itself, Tony Iommi, has returned with his fourth solo album, and fist under his full name, From The Dark. With Norwegian singer, Jørn Lande (Masterplan, Ark, Beyond Twilight, Vagabond, The Snakes) on lead vocals, From The Dark is not only Iommi’s first solo record in over two decades, following 2005’s collaboration with Glenn Hughes, Fused, but is the first original studio offering from the pioneering guitarist since Black Sabbath’s final album, 2013’s 13.

From The Dark opens with a dissonant guitar riff that builds until a point of pure eruption. “Over the Violent Sun” comes to life and Lande’s howling, full throttle vocals kick off atop the heavy foundation, weighed down by Iommi and his rhythm section, consisting of bassist Becky Baldwin and drummer Karl Brazil. “Over The Violent Sun” is relentless, demonstrating the power of Iommi and his band, as well as the timelessness of his approach to both songwriting and the guitar. The onslaught continues with “Black Times,” a brutally sludgy track that drags along. There is a spaciousness to the song that was entirely absent from the album’s opener, likening the song to the music Sabbath was creating on 13, so much so that “Black Times” feels as if it was unearthed from these sessions. As the song develops, so too does the intensity, making for one of the strongest performances on From The Dark.

Iommi remains in a class of his own on From The Dark. While there is not a moment of weakness on the album, certain tracks stand above the pack. “Beyond The Dead” feels monolithic in scale as the band marches on at a menacingly slow tempo. There is an air of dread and doom to the song that makes everything feel larger than life. Another example, the most recent single, “Stormwatcher,” another thunderous hard rocker that taps into that classic Sabbath vein. Finally, the album comes to a close with “Legacy,” a seven-minute, absolute ripper of a track that builds in intensity and aggression with every passage. Here, Iommi displaces a masterclass of songwriting that teeters between metal and hard rock that plays with dynamics to create somber lows and fiery peaks. “Legacy” casts aside any final doubts, bringing From The Dark to an epic conclusion.

Across eight songs, Iommi continues to demonstrate that, even as he approaches his 80s, he has not softened. While entirely new, there is something so familiar to his playing on From The Dark, a testament to his not only his signature style and sound, but how ubiquitous Iommi remains among metal. In this context, From The Dark is a strong, latter career highlight that sees Iommi seamlessly pickup from where he left off over a decade ago in what hopefully ignites the start of a new era for Iommi.

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