The Iommi.com team is taking some time off over Christmas
so there won’t be any news added to the main site.
However, we will be posting the playlists for Tony’s
Christmas and New Year radio shows on the
messageboard, and we’ll be transferring them to the
radio section of the main site at the beginning of
January.
19th December 2005
Playlist for Tony’s first radio show available now!
Tony began his radio career last night with his ‘Black
Sunday’ show on the UK’s Planet Rock radio station, and he
chose to launch the show with ‘Black Sabbath’, the song
that launched his career in music. The full list of tracks
played during the two hour broadcast is available now
here or by clicking on the
banner at the top of this page. We’ll be updating the site
with the details of all of the tracks chosen by Tony & his
guests every week.
16th December 2005
Announcing
the first guest on Tony’s radio show…
Tony’s brand new radio show kicks off
this Sunday, 18th December, at 7pm (UK time) on
Planet Rock. As we mentioned previously, Tony will be
having a weekly guest slot on the show and this week’s
guest is none other than Black Sabbath band-mate Bill Ward
who will be talking about five of his favourite tracks.
Tony will also be featuring a track from one of the
unsigned bands who sent in their demo to the show. Planet
Rock is available online worldwide at
www.planetrock.com, listeners in the UK can also tune
in via DAB Digital Radio and via Sky Channel 861, NTL
channel 680 or Telewest Channel 924. We’ll be updating
the site next week with the full playlist from Sunday’s
show.
2nd
December 2005
Tony out and
about in London this week
Tony was in London this week to attend a special evening for
former Iron Maiden drummer Clive Burr at the Hard Rock Café.
Clive donated his drum kit from the Beast on the Road tour
to the Hard Rock and in return received a £10,000 donation
from the Hard Rock towards his treatment for multiple
sclerosis. The event, which also coincided with the launch
of the Hard Rock’s new DVD ‘Hard Rock Treasures’ (which
includes an interview with Tony), was also attended by Bruce
Dickinson, Adrian Smith & Janick Gers from Iron Maiden as
well as Deep Purple’s Ian Paice and members of Girlschool.
Check out photos of the event at the
Iron Maiden website.
Tony also stopped by the Planet Rock radio studios where he
chatted to the station’s Nicky Horne about 10 of his
favourite songs for the ‘My Planet Rocks’ slot, ahead of the
launch of his own show on the station. Tony’s ‘My Planet
Rocks’ will be going out on Saturday 10th December at 7pm;
his own show kicks off at 7pm UK time on Sunday 18th
December (see our story from 25th November for full details
of the show and how you can get in touch to send song
requests and your band’s demos). Listen live around the
world at
www.planetrock.com
30th November 2005
‘Grace’ on Bill Ward’s Radio Show
Bill Ward will be featuring the track ‘Grace’ from Tony’s
‘Fused’ album on his next radio show. The show goes out on
Saturday December 10th, between 11am and 1pm PST and the
track will be at the top of the show. More info about this,
and forthcoming, shows from Bill’s page on the Rock 50
website (www.rock50.billward.com).
30th November 2005
Black Sabbath Summer 2005 Performances on DVD
To coincide with the 10th Anniversary of Ozzfest, Clear
Channel Entertainment Home Video and Ventura Entertainment
Enterprises have released a DVD and bonus CD of live
performances from the Donington, UK and Camden, NJ shows in
the summer of 2005. Black Sabbath’s performances of ‘War
Pigs’, ‘Iron Man’ and ‘Paranoid’ feature on both the DVD and
the CD, alongside tracks from artists such as Velvet
Revolver, Anthrax, H.I.M., Alter Bridge and Trivium and lots
of behind the scenes footage.
25th November 2005
EXCLUSIVE NEWS: New Tony Iommi Radio Show launches in
December!
Tony Iommi joins Planet Rock next month to present Black
Sunday on the nation’s favourite classic rock radio station.
Beginning on 18 December at 7pm, the launch of the two-hour
programme coincides with Tony’s induction into the UK Music
Hall of Fame, confirming his status as one of rock’s most
influential and enduring talents. Each week, Tony will be
joined by colleagues and friends from all walks of life who
indulge in a common passion for rock music. He will also
share his experiences from over 30 years at the top table of
rock’s aristocracy, and reveal the stories behind Black
Sabbath’s most famous songs. Tony will also invite unsigned
bands to send in their demos and will play his pick on air.
Speaking about his new show on Planet Rock, Tony said: ‘It’s
brilliant to have the chance to do this. It’s something very
different for me and I’m really looking forward to it.’
Trevor White, Executive Producer at Planet Rock added: ‘To
have Tony join the Planet Rock team is a highlight of my
career. I‘ve been a fan since I was 15 years old and saw
Black Sabbath at Watford’s top rank suite. There are only a
handful of artists who have genuinely influenced rock music
since it’s inception and Tony is one of them.’ Tony joins
fellow rocker Rick Wakeman on Planet Rock, which is at the
forefront of the rock revival in the UK. Planet Rock is
available on DAB digital radio across the UK, 861 Sky, ntl
880, telewest 924 and at
www.planetrock.co.uk.
Listeners can send requests for their favourite tracks to
Tony at
tony.iommi@planetrock.com.
Demos from unsigned bands should go to: Tony Iommi, Planet
Rock, 7 Swallow Place, London, W1B 2AG.
24th November 2005
Exclusive News: Black Sabbath to be inducted into Rock &
Roll Hall of Fame
We are delighted to confirm that Black
Sabbath will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
at the Twenty-First Annual Induction Ceremony in New York
next March. There are plans to broadcast an edited version
of the ceremony on VH-1. We'll keep you posted as the
details come in!
23rd November 2005
‘Wasted Again’ on Classic Rock’s ‘Best of 2005’ CD
Classic Rock Magazine’s December 2005 issue features a free
CD of their pick of the best new and reissued albums of the
year and they have chosen ‘Wasted Again’ from Tony Iommi’s
2005 album ‘Fused’ as track 2 of 15 on the compilation.
‘Wasted Again’ was deemed by Classic Rock as ‘a brisk four
minutes: heavy, dense and full of soul’. The CD also
features tracks from the likes of Deep Purple, Dio, Journey,
Small Faces & Fish.
23rd November 2005
Tony featured in Hard Rock Treasures DVD
Tony
took part in a new documentary produced by Hard Rock to
showcase the donations they have received from musicians
over the years. The documentary celebrates the 69,000 pieces
of rock n roll material currently housed by the Hard Rock
around the world, and includes an interview with Tony as
well as footage of him handing over his famous ‘Monkey’
guitar to the Hard Rock’s Don Bernstine. The DVD, which was
released this week, also features the likes of Jimmy Page,
Metallica’s James Hetfield, Zakk Wylde, Richie Sambora,
James Root & Corey Taylor from Slipknot, Gene Simmons, and
Velvet Revolver’s Scott Weiland and Matt Sorum among others.
21st November 2005
Guitar signed by Tony raises $1.6million for charity
A
guitar signed by a host of music legends including Tony
Iommi has raised a record $1.6 million for charity. The
project was the brain-child of Bryan Adams who approached
his many contacts in the music industry to get involved in
an effort to raise money for the victims of the Boxing Day
Tsunami in 2004.
The guitar was purchased by Sheikha Miyyasah Al Thani of the
Royal family of Qatar at a charity auction to benefit the
Reach Out To Asia foundation.
Other musicians who signed the guitar include Jimmy Page,
Brian May, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Mick Jagger, Keith
Richards, Ronnie Wood, David Gilmour, Paul McCartney, Pete
Townshend, Mark Knopfler, Angus & Malcolm Young, Ritchie
Blackmore, Ray Davies, Liam & Noel Gallagher, Sting, Def
Leppard and of course Bryan Adams himself.
17th
November 2005
Sabbath UK Music Hall of Fame performance on BBC
Radio 2
Black
Sabbath’s performance of ‘Paranoid’ at last night’s UK Music
Hall of Fame ceremony was broadcast on BBC Radio 2 during Mark
Radcliffe’s show from backstage at the Alexandra Palace in
London. Radcliffe also interviewed Tony, Geezer, Bill and Ozzy
after the show. Like all BBC Radio programmes, it is available
to listen on demand for a week at
www.bbc.co.uk/radio2. The Sabbath segment begins at 2hrs
29mins 45secs into the programme with ‘Sweet Leaf’; the live
version of ‘Paranoid’ is at 2hrs 37mins, and the interview
starts at 2hrs 41mins. (Photo: BBC)
Black Sabbath were inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame
last night by Queen guitarist Brian May. Other acts inducted
on the night were Aretha Franklin, The Who, Eurythmics, Pink
Floyd, New Order/Joy Division, The Kinks, Jimi Hendrix & Bob
Dylan. John Peel was made an Honorary Member of the Hall of
Fame.
The full show will be televised in the UK on Channel 4 tonight
at 9pm. It will also be broadcast on VH1 in the USA on
Saturday 26th November at 9pm, and on VH1 Classic on Sunday
27th November at 8pm ET/5pm PT and again at 11pm ET and 8pm
PT.
14th
November 2005
UK Music Hall of Fame on UK Radio
As well as the TV broadcasts of the UK Music Hall of Fame, BBC
Radio 2 in the UK will be broadcasting from backstage during
the show on Wednesday night (16th November). Mark Radcliffe
will be live from the Alexandra Palace in London between 9pm
and midnight.
Listeners in the UK can tune in on 88-91FM. The show is also
available to
listen live worldwide online, and should also be available
to
listen on demand for a week after broadcast.
9th
November 2005
New Official Tony Iommi Ozzfest 2005 T-Shirts Available
Now!
We are delighted to announce that the remaining Official Tony
Iommi Ozzfest 2005 T-shirts are now available to purchase from
the online store. These are a ‘once-off’ item created for the
summer live shows. Numbers are very limited and once they’re
gone, they’re gone – we won’t be doing any more. So be quick!
4th November 2005
Black Sabbath to
be inducted into UK Music Hall of Fame
Black Sabbath join the list of inductees
for the 2005 UK Music Hall of Fame, alongside Jimi Hendrix,
The Who, Bob Dylan and Pink Floyd among others. The original
line-up of Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Bill Ward and Ozzy
Osbourne will be performing at the event which takes place at
London's Alexandra Palace on Wednesday 16th November 2005.
Tickets for the event can be purchased from www.seetickets.com.
The show will be broadcast in the UK on Channel 4 on Thursday
17th November 2005, and in the USA on VH1 on Saturday 26th
November.
25th October 2005
Official Statement
Regarding Black Sabbath and Ronnie James Dio
We’d like to thank Wendy Dio for talking
sense about the rumours concerning
Ronnie
Dio and Black Sabbath.
To reiterate, Warner Bros Records have been looking at putting
out a Sabbath Box Set featuring Ronnie for some time and
recently the search for previously unreleased material began.
Amongst this, there are unfinished demos but they may not be
considered worthwhile, in which case the guys might write
something new.
This is a long-term album project and no release date has been
set.
13th
October 2005
New Iommi Competition Launched
We’ve just launched an exclusive new competition to win one of
two official Tony Iommi t-shirts from this year’s Ozzfest. Full
details available on the Message Board –
click here for the questions and how to enter. The closing
date is Wednesday 19th October so get cracking! We’ll be
announcing the winners next week.
But don’t despair if you can’t answer the questions, or don’t
end up being picked as one of the winners – from next week we’ll
be adding a limited number of these t-shirts to the Tony Iommi
online store. Previously only available at the Ozzfest shows
during the summer, these official t-shirts will now be available
to purchase via the website while stocks last.
22nd
September 2005
Vote for iommi.com in the Digital Music Awards!
Iommi.com has been nominated for the ‘People’s Choice Award’ in
this year’s BT Digital Music Awards.
You can cast your vote by clicking on the following link.
The awards are run by BT in conjunction with iTunes, Intel,
Yahoo! Music and Motorola. They take place in London on 18th
October 2005 and will be broadcast on both Channel 4 and E4 in
the UK.
VOTE NOW!!!
22nd
September 2005
Black Sabbath nominated for Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Black Sabbath are amongst the nominations for the next batch of
inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They sit alongside
Miles Davis, Blondie, Cat Stevens, the Sex Pistols, Grandmaster
Flash & The Furious Five, John Mellencamp, The Stooges, The
Patti Smith Group, Lynyrd Skynrd, Dave Clark Five, J. Geils
Band, Chic, Joe Tex, the Paul Butterfield Blues Band and Sir
Douglas Quintet.
Votes are compiled from industry professionals, journalists and
musicians who have been previously inducted into the Hall of
Fame. The final list of inductees is likely to be announced in
December of this year, with the induction ceremony taking place
in Spring 2006.
16th September 2005
New Iommi TV interview on ITV1 tomorrow
TV viewers in the UK can check out a new interview with Tony
recorded during the Black Sabbath tour rehearsals earlier this
year. The interview features in an hour-long documentary called
‘Ozzy Osbourne: In My Life’ which goes out at 22.10 on ITV1 on
Saturday 17th September. Geezer Butler and Bill Ward are also
interviewed for the programme which focuses on Ozzy’s career
both as part of Black Sabbath and as a solo artist.
8th
September 2005
Tony’s feature on Music Choice 's Rock Show continues
As reported last month, Tony was featured on the August edition
of the Music Choice exclusive programme ‘Rock Show’. The show
has now been extended to run right through September. If you’ve
got Comcast High Speed Internet or Comcast Digital Cable you can
access the show by clicking on music on comcast.net or go to
Music Choice on your Comcast On-Demand Menu! For more
information, go to
musicchoice.com.
8th
September 2005
Tony interview for Metal Documentary to premier in Toronto
Tony was interviewed at the end of 2004 for a documentary on the
history of heavy metal which premieres next week at the Toronto
Film Festival. The film, entitled ‘Metal: A Headbanger’s
History’ looks at metal from an anthropological point of view,
and also features Ronnie James Dio, Lemmy Kilmister, Rob Zombie,
Alice Cooper, Bruce Dickinson plus members of Slipknot and Lamb
of God among others. The premiere takes place on Wednesday
September 14th, with a subsequent screening at the Festival on
Friday 16th. Details, and ticket information available
here.
For the full details on the film, check out an interview with
the film’s producers Sam Dunn, and Scot McFadyen
here
8th
September 2005
Tony talks to MTV
Tony chatted to MTV.com journalist Jon Wiederhorn before one of
the recent Ozzfest gigs. Read the full interview, which includes
Tony’s thoughts on recording Sabbath albums versus recording
solo albums,
here.
22nd
August 2005
Tony checks in with Classic Rock Revisited from the road
While he is travelling around the U.S. with Ozzfest, Tony has
been taking the time to talk to some of the American press. His
interview with Jeb Wright of Classic Rock Revisited is now
available online in full. Wright talks to Tony in detail about
‘Fused’, which he says “may prove to be the best metal release
of the year”. Read also about Tony’s thoughts on the cancelled
Ozzfest gigs, his daily walks with Bill Ward, the coughing on
‘Sweet Leaf’, plus his interest in experimenting with many
different instruments, including the flute, sitar and bagpipes,
over the years.
Click here.
16th
August 2005
Tony on Music Choice’s ‘Rockshow’
Every month on the digital cable channel Music Choice, their
‘Rockshow’ features interviews and video clips from 3 different
artists. This month, Tony is on the line-up alongside Billy
Corgan and Papa Roach. The show is available on-demand to
digital cable customers at no extra cost – just set your channel
to Music Choice, go to the video on demand section and select ‘Rockshow’.
Music Choice are also planning a giveaway of signed ‘Fused’ CDs
– more details to follow when we have them, or keep checking out
the station.
Click here.
10th
August 2005
Paranoid is Total Guitar’s Trailblazer
The ‘Trailblazer’ column in Total Guitar magazine is devoted to
albums that changed the face of guitar music. This month’s issue
features Black Sabbath’s second album ‘Paranoid’ and we can
treat you to a few quotes from the article that illustrate just
how important the album is to many of rock and metal’s major
guitarists:
“There’s just something about that whole record that, when
you’re a kid and you’re turned onto it, it’s like a whole
different world. It just opens up your mind to another
dimension….Paranoid is the whole Sabbath experience; very
indicative of what Sabbath meant at the time. Tony’s playing
style – doesn’t matter whether it’s off Paranoid or if it’s off
Heaven and Hell – it’s very distinctive.” - Slash
“Sabbath got me started on all that evil-sounding s*it, and it’s
stuck with me. Tony Iommi is the king of the heavy riff.” -
James Hetfield
“Paranoid is an amazing album. I always get the question in
every interview I do, ‘What are your top five metal albums?’ I
make it easy for myself and always say the first five Sabbath
albums, especially Paranoid.” - Scott Ian
“I love Black Sabbath. They made an amazing contribution to
music today. Almost every band that made it big in the 1990s
owes a debt to them.” - Dave Grohl
“It’s pretty much the trademark album of the originators of
heavy metal. Tony Iommi is very different to a lot of guitar
players, his phrasing is very different…his riffs and his rhythm
playing is the s*it on that album.” - Mark Tremonti
The article also outlines the history of the album and the
stories behind some of the tracks as well as a few words from
Tony himself. ‘Iron Man’ is also featured in the magazine’s
‘Learn To Play’ section.
The Iommi.com team is taking a well-earned break during August
so there won’t be any news added to the main site. However, do
not fear, you will be able to get regular fixes of Iommi news on
the
message board, and we’ll be transferring all of August’s
news updates from there to the news page on the main site at the
beginning of September.
28th July 2005
Tony & Geezer on VH1 Classic
Tony & Geezer visited the VH1 Classic studios in New York last
week for a chat about their new solo albums. We've just heard
that the interview will go out on VH1 Classic in the USA this
Saturday (30th July) at 11am and 11pm EST. Hopefully it will
also turn up on their UK and International channels at some
point too!
Photo by Bill Tompkins
28th July 2005
The Vintage Guitar Interview
We mentioned a few weeks that Tony was on the cover of the
August issue of ‘Vintage Guitar’ magazine. We’ve finally managed
to get our hands on the interview which discusses the Hughes
collaboration on ‘The 1996 DEP Sessions’ and ‘Fused’, as well as
in-depth details about Tony’s equipment set-up for the recording
of the album:
The main tracking was done with the Gibson Iommi Custom SG. Then
I did an overdub with a Les Paul for another rhythm track, so
we’d have the two different sounds. Some of the solo stuff was
done on either the SG, or on one track I used a Strat, which I
haven’t used for many, many years. I haven’t used one on an
album since the first album. It’s pretty weird, but I wanted
something with a different sound for one track. The Strat is
only a couple of years old and has a maple fingerboard.
Loads more info about guitars, effects, amps, strings and picks
in the article itself, which also features exclusive photos of
some of Tony’s personal guitar collection.
28th July 2005
Yet more album reviews…
A solidly heavy beast of a record….If you are a fan of any sort
of impressive guitar wizadry, you’ll find plenty of that on
‘Fused’...The likes of ‘Face Your Fear’ and ‘The Spell’ remind
you more of the immense influence Iommi’s guitar playing has had
on recent metal. ’Fused’ is proof that finally for Tony Iommi,
there is a musical future beyond the confines of Black Sabbath.
8/10
Metal Hammer
Without a doubt one of the best classic rock albums for 2005 so
far.
Blistering
…Two stalwarts are seen uniting in a battle of strong harmonies
and hand-of-doom rifferama….these are grails for Sabbath fans
who’ve been looking for quality, not quantity for years.
8/10
BraveWords
27th
July 2005
EXCLUSIVE: Black Sabbath Ruined My Life by Hugh Gilmour
Read the fascinating story of Hugh Gilmour’s involvement
with Tony & Black Sabbath exclusively here on iommi.com.
Hugh recently designed the cover artwork for Tony’s new album
‘Fused’ and has worked on Black Sabbath projects for the past
ten years. We’ll be running this in three instalments –
click here to read.
22nd
July 2005
Tony on US TV
Whilst Tony was in the New York area for Black Sabbath’s Camden
& Buffalo shows this week, he managed to fit in a few TV
interviews.
Next Monday (25th July), you can see him on Fuse TV’s ‘Metal
Asylum’ show where he discusses his new album ‘Fused’, working
with Glenn Hughes, touring with Black Sabbath and headlining
Ozzfest. We’re also told that the producers have got their hands
on some very rare Sabbath live footage. A crew from Fuse TV will
also be at the Pittsburgh Ozzfest this Saturday (23rd July) to
film Tony & Geezer signing autographs at the FYE tent, so if
you’ve got tickets for the event you may even get the chance to
be on TV yourself!
Click here for more info on the show, which airs at 11pm
EST.
Tony and Geezer also visited the VH1 Classic studios in New
York. Details of the air date to follow soon!
22nd July 2005
Talking to the press again
The latest edition of The Aquarian magazine (dated 20-27 July,
with a special Ozzfest cover) features an interview with Tony.
Journalist JJ Koczan discusses the new album ‘Fused’, including
how Tony feels about working on solo projects as opposed to
Sabbath ones, working with one singer rather than a collection
as on the first Iommi album, and the origins of the album title
‘Fused’.
www.theaquarian.com
Another interview with Tony, this time by the Asbury Park Press,
is available online
here
22nd July 2005
The latest batch of ‘Fused’ reviews
Flowing from song to son, through sludgy riffs, classic Sabbath-esque
solos, and soulful vocal patterns, you end up wading your way
through a thick mix of some of the best music that heavy metal’s
creator could possibly ever dish up. Iommi is relentless in his
six string work, driving his guitar into the ground, lick for
lick, note for note; he’s on a par for each and every song. The
man’s library of gripping guitar riffs is definitely showing no
sign of letting up = parts of the album will leave even the
likes of Zakk Wylde and K.K. Downing scratching their heads
asking themselves, “Where on earth did he come up with that?”…I
can do nothing more than urge you to purchase this album…10 out
of 10.
SMN News
The 10 tracks on ‘Fused’ are solid, memorable tunes with a
bluesy swagger and heavy delivery. Hughes sets them afire with
one hell of a soulful performance. Given the pair’s past
collaborations, the chemistry heard on ‘Fused’ is not
surprising….Competently performed and refreshing.
Blabbermouth
From the opening riff of ‘Dopamine,’ the Iommi-Hughes pairing
clicks and continues throughout a 10-track disc that blends
classic Sabbath power chords with a nu-metal sensibility that
should satisfy both camps….Iommi’s solos are typically squealing
and fluid, as timeless in 2005 as they were in 1970.
Associated Press
The beauty of this record is that it sounds totally in harmony
with today’s metal stylings and every bit as contemporary as
rivals Audioslave and Velvet Revolver – just better! At the same
time, it still has that classic vibe, which ensures it should
cross over between new and old metal fans.
Melodic Rock
20th
July 2005
Important news for fans attending Darien Lakes Ozzfest,
Thursday 21st July
Due to unforeseen last minute schedule changes, Tony & Geezer
will not be arriving at the venue in time for the signing event
tomorrow. Apologies to anyone who was hoping to get their CDs
signed.
20th July 2005
‘Dopamine’ on the radio
‘Dopamine’, the opening track on the new Iommi album ‘Fused’ is
doing well at radio this week. It’s currently on Ian Camfield’s
Top 5 on Xfm and is
A-listed on
Total Rock radio.
It was also featured on the BBC’s
Radio 1 Rock Show last week.
20th July 2005
Tony in Volume Mag
Check out Tony’s interview for Volume Magazine, downloadable at
volumemag.com, where
he talks about the new album ‘Fused’ and touring with Sabbath
this summer. The issue also features an interview with Geezer
Butler.
20th
July 2005
Tony & Geezer on Rockline tonight!
Don’t forget that Tony & Geezer will be appearing on Rockline
radio in the USA tonight. Full details of air times and local
stations broadcasting the show at
www.rocklineradio.com.
20th July 2005
Bill Ward to feature ‘Fused’ on his radio show
Bill Ward will be featuring Tony’s new album ‘Fused’ on his
‘Rock 50’ radio show which goes out on WPMD.ORG this Saturday,
July 23 at 11:00 AM Pacific time. Tune in to hear Bill kick off
the show with a segment featuring the tracks ‘Face Your Fear’,
‘Resolution Song’ and ‘Grace’.
Click here for more details on the show at Bill Ward’s
website.
20th July 2005
Tony & Geezer on Headbangers Ball
Just a reminder that Tony & Geezer will be on MTV2’s
‘Headbangers Ball’ show this coming Saturday (23rd July). Full
details of the showtime in your area (USA only) on
www.mtv2.com
20th July 2005
Fused – Highest New Entry!
Tony’s latest album ‘Fused’ is the highest new entry on this
week’s Indie charts in the UK.
20th July 2005
4 stars from the New York Post
A glowing review of ‘Fused’ in the New York Post on 17th July by
Dan Aquilante:
This hard-rock masterpiece is everything you want out of metal:
It's heavy, bombastic and melodic. The advantage of a
guitar/drums/bass power trio like this one is each man gets to
shine in every song. Hughes, who doubles up on bass, is pure
thunder at the bottom, and Kenny Aronoff's beats illustrate why
he's so sought after as a session drummer. The 10 tunes revolve
around Iommi's trademark guitar riffs: the kind that propelled
Black Sabbath down the stairway to hell. While you might want to
download "I Go Insane," be warned: It's nine minutes long.
Download this (instead): “Dopamine”.
20th July 2005
Tony on new Jethro Tull DVD
Although scant footage of Tony’s time with Jethro Tull exists,
one of the bonus features on the band’s new DVD ‘Nothing Is
Easy: Live at the Isle of Wight 1970’ is a video of ‘My Sunday
Feeling’ featuring Tony on guitar, taken from the Rolling Stones
‘Rock and Roll Circus’. According to Guitar One, ‘his jangly
blues slide – on a Fender Strat, no less – stands in stark
contrast to his later Black Sabbath grind’.
Click here for further details on the DVD.
20th July 2005
More views on ‘Fused’ from the clubs around the UK
‘A welcome return, a good album!’ - R Simms – Costers,
Birmingham
‘Classic Rock overload. Awesome stuff.’ - A Day – The Club That
Cannot Be Named, Oxford
‘Full on powerful!’ - J Hickman – Edwards No.8, Birmingham
‘This album rocks! Everything is huge!’ - Zammo – Hybrid,
Surbiton
‘Well crafted piece of metal that is as good if not better than
previous!’ - K Strickson – KRXX.com, Lincoln
‘Wasn’t expecting to like this at all – highly impressed!’ - L
McKay – UKC Venues, Canterbury
‘Back to basics proper rock ‘n’ roll!’ - J Pike – Groove,
Newcastle
‘Love the sound – almost perfect!’ - P Charlesworth – Rocking
Fish, Leeds
12th
July 2005
Guidelines for the FYE signing area at Ozzfest
As we are sure you are all aware, Ozzfest kicks off this Friday
in Boston, and as previously mentioned, Tony will be dedicating
an hour of his afternoon before every show to meeting fans and
signing copies of 'Fused'. As a result of some enquiries we’ve
had, we'd like to reiterate the protocol for anyone intending to
come to the 'FYE' area to meet Tony at Ozzfest: THE ONLY THING
THAT TONY WILL BE SIGNING IS COPIES OF 'FUSED' PURCHASED ON SITE
FROM THE FYE BOOTH ON THE DAY OF THE SHOW. We've already advised
you not to bring any other Iommi or Sabbath CDs, and we'd like
to clarify that items such as guitars or any other memorabilia
or merchandise will not be signed either. Security will be
extremely strict on the day, so please do not jeopardise either
your chance, or anyone else's chance to meet Tony by trying to
get extra items in. We want to make sure that as many people as
possible get to say hi Tony at each show.
12th July 2005
More Fused Reviews
Iommi balances his ponderous fretwork with a more feverish and
kinetic dynamic than usual, showcasing escapist shredding at its
zenith, especially on tracks like ‘What You’re Living For’ and
‘I Go Insane’. Guitar World magazine
[I Go Insane] is by far and away the best thing on the album.
It’s so good, I can’t think of any good words to describe
it…..This is probably the strongest of the three albums [Tony
has] recorded with Glenn Hughes. If you have ever considered
yourself a Black Sabbath fan, you owe it to yourself to buy this
album…this album deserves all the attention it can get. Black-sabbath.com
…this is the album I’ve been waiting 20 years for. ‘Saviour of
the Real’, ‘Resolution Song’ and ‘Grace’ are exemplary songs,
showing just how heavy you can be, while still remaining
melodic. The bluesy ‘Deep Inside A Shell’ takes a different
tack, but without sacrificing any power. But in finest
tradition, the best is saved for last, with the nine minute
epic, ‘I Go Insane’…the best track you will hear this year, and
one of the finest these two legends have put their name to. This
is an incredibly good album.
Metaluk.com
…very impressed. It’s a great album. Glenn Hughes has a great
voice, and he does the album justice. Of course, Tony is the
guitar master. His riffs are hard, crunchy and
Sabbath-like….Bottom line is GO BUY THIS ALBUM.
Ozzyhead.com
The new Iommi/Hughes CD is probably the BEST Heavy Metal record
ever made! Riff wise, Tony Iommi sounds fresher than any new
band out there. The guitars are tuned low, the rhythm section is
as tight as it gets, & Glenn Hughes voice sounds amazing. Five
stars.
Rock n Roll Experience
A gem of an album without too many fancy adornments, full of
sweat-inducing riffs, inspired vocals and excellent rhythm work,
this should be intensely enjoyable for Black Sabbath fans as
well as fans of classic heavy rock…The nine-minute "I Go Insane"
is the absolute masterpiece of the album, the pièce de
résistance which displays the major strength of Iommi: less is
often a lot more! It's bound to be absolutely amazing live…This
album deserves nine doomy-sombre ROCK TIMES clocks. (Thanks to
Martin Harvey for the translations). Rocktimes.de
12th July 2005
Xfm Rock Show interview – change of date
For reasons unbeknownst to us at iommi.com, Tony’s interview
with Ian Camfield of Xfm’s Rock Show was not broadcast last
Friday as originally thought. We have been told by Xfm that it
will go out this coming Friday (15th July), and there will be an
Iommi-related giveaway on the show too! To recap, the show goes
out between 10.00pm and 11.00pm on 104.9fm in the UK, or online
at www.xfm.co.uk.
12th July 2005
Tony & Glenn in the International Press
Fans in Japan should check out the latest edition of BURRN!
Magazine where Tony & Glenn are interviewed by Valerie Potter.
Apparently ‘Fused’ gets a glowing review too. And for fans in
Europe, the Iommi/Hughes partnership adorn the cover of Headache
Magazine, plus the latest issue of Aardschok contains an
interview with the guys by Gerd Jan Vleugels.
It’s all dutch to
us though!
12th July 2005
Another chance to win ‘Fused’
We’ve heard of another online ‘Fused’ giveaway, this time at
hardrockhaven.net –
check it out here
8th
July 2005
'Fused' Bonus Tracks - A reminder of what's available
where!
Just to recap where you can get your hands on the three precious
bonus tracks which were recorded during the 'Fused' sessions at
Monnow Valley Studios last year:
Let It Down Easy
This will be the bonus track on the Japanese edition of the CD.
However, we can now confirm that this will also be available as
a bonus download for anyone purchasing advance copies of 'Fused'
via the Tower Records website. As reported earlier, Tower are
also running a limited edition offer to get a signed copy of the
album via their website, so this really is a great offer. Time
is very limited, but there are still some signed copies
available as of today...don't leave it too late to order if you
want to get one!
It will also be available to UK fans purchasing the album via
Napster.co.uk.
8th July 2005
New Iommi Interview Online
Tony recently chatted to the people at Get Ready to Rock - check
out the interview
here.
There's lots of other online press stuff coming in as we speak -
we'll bring you the details next week!
8th July 2005
More 'Fused' competitions
Now that our 'Fused' competition has closed, why not try your
luck at entering some of the other competitions being run on the
web at the following locations:
We can now confirm that ‘Slip Away, the third additional track
from the ‘Fused’ recording sessions, will be available as a
bonus track download as part of a link up with magazine Rolling
Stone and real.com.
Click here for real.com’s Iommi homepage. Please note that
there is no pre-order facility on this site. Feature placement
for ‘Fused’ will begin when the album is released on 12th July,
and the exclusive version of the album, including ‘Slip Away’,
will not be available until then.
The good news for UK fans is that this track will also be
available as a bonus track for fans purchasing ‘Fused’ from
Napster. We’re just finalising all the details now, and hope to
have a link for you soon.
6th July 2005
Listen again to Tony on Radio 1 Rock Show
Tony’s interview with Radio 1’s Mike Davies went out in the
early hours of this morning on BBC’s Radio 1 Rock Show. The show
is available online for listeners for a week
here. The interview is introduced approximately 47 minutes
into the show. It opens with the track ‘Iron Man’ and closes
with ‘Dopamine’.
6th July 2005
Helsinki Applauds Iommi
As any of you attending Sabbath’s European gigs this summer can
testify, the shows have been absolutely outstanding. Last
night’s show in Helsinki was no exception, as the following
quote from Heta Hyttinen in today’s Iltalehti (one of Finland’s
major national newspaper) shows: "Even if Ozzy was undoubtedly
the character of the evening, the band didn’t remain in second
place either - especially the applause Tony Iommi received when
the band was introduced”. (Thanks to Katja Toivanen at SonyBMG
for the translation!).
4th
July 2005
Announcing a new iommi.competition – win signed copies of
‘Fused’!
With only a week to go to the release of the new Iommi album
‘Fused’, we are launching a new competition to win a copy of the
album SIGNED by Tony. The full competition details are available
on the Message Board -
click here for the questions and how to enter. Closing date
is Friday 8th July so get cracking! We’ll be announcing the
winners next week.
4th July 2005
Fused Reviews from the web
Glowing reviews of the new album are surfacing all over the
internet:
[A] hard rock album of great depth that literally gets better
with every spin….Easily one of my favourite albums of the year
so far.
9 out of 10.
Pitriff
[Iommi] has yet again unleashed a solo CD upon us to
devour….This CD is what happens when you mix two musicians of
legendary status and the results are amazing.
8 out of 10
Metal-Exiles
The real highlight of this album is the guitar work by Tony
Iommi. Every riff is impeccable, and every solo fits
fantastically in each song.
Gigwise
Tony still knows how to pull out those killer riffs and with
Glenn’s soulful vocal style this is a very stylish album.
Justin-Case
The album flows well and is solid from start to finish…One of
the best, and most pleasantly surprising albums of the year so
far. Metal
Mayhem
4th July 2005
The word from the clubs
We’ve also had some great feedback about ‘Fused’ from clubs
around the country:
‘Good, solid, with excellent guitar work!’
Bik – The Mill, Preston
‘There are excellent riffs on this album!’
K Hawkins – The Venue, Belfast
‘This is a great album filled with non stop classic rock
anthems. Brill stuff pleases across the board.’
L Griffin – Standard, London
‘A brilliant album from two greats of the rock world. Iommi’s
guitar work is excellent!’
K Hall – The Sportsman, Sheffield
‘Another great album for two giants of rock! All tracks hit the
spot!’
A Fox – Bierkeller, Bristol
‘This is right on the button. A really, really good album!’
JJ Haggar – Krazy House, Liverpool
‘Thank you – Christmas comes early – classic!’
R Fields – Back Cave, Glasgow
‘Pretty heavy and groovy!’
R Bills – Red Rose Theatre, Staffs
‘Excellent looking forward to hearing more!’
T Marshall – The Cellar, Oxford
‘Really good, sounds very promising!’
JB - The Voltz, Kettering
29th
June 2005
Tony & Geezer on Headbanger’s Ball
Tony & Geezer will be paying a visit to Headbanger’s Ball when
they are in New York next month during their Ozzfest tour. The
show will be broadcast on Saturday 23rd July at 10pm on MTV2 in
the USA.
29th June 2005
Iommi Radio 1 Rock Show interview to air next week
Tony’s interview with Mike Davies from BBC Radio 1’s ‘Rock Show’
is scheduled for next week’s show (Tuesday 5th July). The show
airs between 1 and 3am on Tuesday night (technically Wednesday
morning!) on 97-99FM in the UK, or online at the BBC website,
click here to visit.
As with all BBC shows, you will be able to listen to the
programme via the web for a week after it has been broadcast.
29th June 2005
‘The Dark Lord and The Voice of Rock’ in Classic Rock
The August 2005 issue of Classic Rock features an interview with
Tony & Glenn by Philip Wilding. Wilding says ‘Fused is exquisite
and ferocious and laden with songs. Iommi thunders, Hughes
sings, a simple equation that bring striking results.’ Tony and
Glenn chat about when they first met back in the early 70s, when
they first worked together on 1986’s Seventh Star as well as
their partnerships for The 1996 DEP Sessions, and of course the
new album Fused. Tony also talks about taking his solo stuff on
the road: ‘…I feel really good about it, because it’s not under
the Sabbath banner and we can play what we want to play –
anything. That includes DEP and the Sabbath stuff we did….You
know, it’s been so much fun so far, there’s no reason not to do
it.’
Read the full interview in Classic Rock magazine, in stores now.
29th June 2005
Get Ready To Rock’s Album of the Month is ‘Fused’!
Rock website
www.getreadytorock.com is featuring the new Iommi album
‘Fused’ as its Album Of The Month. Their reviewer gives it 4
stars and says ‘the vocals and guitar solos remain clean and
coherent while the riffs rattle your bowels from the depths of
hell. It’s ‘an excellent album full of modern metal’.
29th June 2005
Tony gets ‘Trashed’ on new Ian Gillan album
Tony recently took time out of his schedule to record the guitar
part for a remake of Trashed from Black Sabbath’s ‘Born Again’
album, which featured Ian Gillan on vocals. The new track will
feature on Ian’s album, ‘Gillan’s Inn’ which is a celebration of
Ian's fortieth year on the road, and features remakes of tracks
spanning Ian's entire career. This particular remake is heavier
than the original, and also features Ian Paice and Roger Glover.
As Ian Gillan’s manager says: “It's a very cool pairing of
musicians, bringing the rhythm section of Purple with Tony”.
Other musicians on the record include Jon Lord, Don Airey, Steve
Morse, Joe Satriani, Jeff Healey, Janick Gers, Michael Lee,
Johnny Rzeznik, Robby Takac, Redd Volkeart and many others. The
album is currently scheduled for an autumn release. More info
available at Ian's website -
www.gillan.com.
29th June 2005
More Iommi interviews hitting the stands
A heads-up on a couple of interviews that should be currently
available:
We’ll try and get hold of some copies and give you a few clips!
29th June 2005
Iron Men – Iommi & Hughes in ‘Guitarist’
The July 2005 issue of Guitarist magazine contains an in-depth
interview with Tony & Glenn by journalist Greg Prato who met the
pair when they were in New York a couple of months back. Here’s
a selection of snippets to whet your appetite:
Indeed, unlike its melodic predecessor, Fused puts the focus
back on Iommi’s almighty guitar. “It’s a lot more riff-oriented
that the DEP Sessions, which was a much softer album,” says
Iommi. “But we wanted to do a few things differently this
time.”…While Fused contains enough familiar riffage to satisfy
Iommi’s legion of fans, it also sees the guitarist penning some
very aggressive songs, such as the album-opener Dopamine and
epic closer Insane…..Iommi is non-committal when it comes to
selecting a favourite track: “I haven’t got a favourite yet,
because it’s still relatively new. I think that normally comes
down the line.”
Remembering the sessions Iommi, in time-honoured fashion, is
able to recall a tale of substance abuse: the substance in
question being…coffee. “One memory I’ve got was when Glenn and
myself first got back together again,” explains the guitarist.
“The first day of writing and I hadn’t worked with him for 10
years – we sat down and both had coffee. And he doesn’t drink
coffee. Bloody hell, he bombarded me [mimics someone talking a
mile-a-minute]! I though, God, is this what it’s going to be
like? Then the next day, he came in and said, Oh, I’m so sorry
about yesterday – I don’t drink coffee! We had some great times,
it’s all been so much fun because we’ve all been into it.”
The July issue of Guitarist is on-sale now. For more information
click here.
29th June 2005
Call & Response with Tony in Decibel
Check out the next issue of Decibel Magazine (out at the
beginning of July) to see Tony’s thoughts in their ‘Call &
Response’ feature. For those of you not familiar with it, Tony
was sent a CD of 8 tracks, each identified only by title and was
asked to give his opinions. We’re told there will be a review of
‘Fused’ in there too. More news as we get it. In the meantime,
click
here to check out the magazine’s website.
27th
June 2005
EXCLUSIVE NEWS – Get ‘Fused’ signed by Tony this summer!
Want to meet Tony & get a signed copy of ‘Fused’? FYE (For Your
Entertainment) is on board the Ozzfest tour for the fifth
consecutive year as the official music retailer and will be
hosting the FYE autograph tent. Purchase a copy of ‘Fused’ at
the FYE booth at Ozzfest and you can get it signed by Tony. For
full details, visit the FYE booth at the show.
Obviously we’re expecting huge numbers, so you should be aware
of the following:
- Only copies of ‘Fused’ purchased on the day at the FYE booth
will be signed.
- Do not bring your entire Sabbath back catalogue as you won’t
be allowed bring it in!
- Tony will be signing for 1 hour only at each venue - it’s
first come, first served.
Not going to one of the Ozzfest shows, but would still like a
signed copy of the album? Tower Records have a limited number of
signed copies of the album for pre-order customers in the USA &
Canada while stocks last.
Click here for pre-order info.
27th June 2005
Bonus tracks update – ‘The Innocence’ for iTunes
Those of you that have been devouring the wealth of press
surrounding the new Iommi release will be aware that there are 3
tracks from the ‘Fused’ sessions that do not appear on the
album. As reported last week, ‘Let It Down Easy’ will be the
bonus track on the Japanese edition of the album which is
released on 21st July. We can now confirm that ‘The Innocence’
will be available as a download from iTunes from the day of
release (11th July 2005 – UK, 12th July 2005 – USA). iTunes will
be sending us a link for the track closer to the date which we
will post so that you can access the track easily in your
territory. Keep checking the site for the details of what’s
happening with the third bonus track!
27th June 2005
Iommi interview on Xfm
Tony was down in London recently, speaking to Xfm’s Ian Camfield.
Regular listeners to Ian’s ‘Rock Show’ will have heard the
album’s lead track, ‘Dopamine’, and the latest update from the
Xfm camp is that the interview will go out on Friday 8th July
between 10.00pm and 11.00pm on 104.9fm in the UK, or online at
www.xfm.co.uk.
27th June 2005
Tony & Glenn talk to glennhughes.com
In a recent interview with the webmaster of the Glenn Hughes
official website – www.glennhughes.com – Tony & Glenn chatted
about making their new album ‘Fused’. Some clips from the
interview below,
click here for the full transcript.
Tony on working with Glenn: “You know in the past for me,
working with other people, there has always been a sort of
limitation of how far you can go with someone. Some singers
won’t sing on riffs and some won’t sing on chords. But Glenn
will sing on everything so you’re not limited on what you’re
gonna play. You can sort of play whatever you like. There’s no
restrictions there which really opens up a whole new world.”
Tony on lyrics: “I am never involved in the lyrics at all. I can
probably come up with riffs ‘til forever and a day, but lyrics
I’m not good at. And I don’t profess to be, I’d rather leave
that to Glenn.”
Glenn on Tony in the studio: “I’ll say two words: ‘Loud’ and
‘Genius’. I never worked with anybody ever in the studio that
plays that loud. I didn’t even think we’d be able to make a
record that loud…but we did. (Tony laughs)”.
There is also a short interview with Hugh Gilmour, designer of
the ‘Fused’ album artwork.
23rd
June 2005
Dopamine on Ozzfest Sampler
Mastering on the 2005 Ozzfest sampler has been completed and the
track listing announced. We can confirm that ‘Dopamine’, the
opening track on the new Iommi album, will appear on the CD,
alongside tracks by GZR, Ozzy Osbourne and Bruce Dickinson
amongst others. Those of you attending any of this summer’s
Ozzfest gigs will be able to pick up the CD for FREE at the
Ozzfest Summer Sampler tent. Full details of the tracklisting
available at the
Ozzfest website
21st
June 2005
Clips Of All Ten ‘Fused’ Tracks Available Now!
Less than 3 weeks to go now until ‘Fused’ is released and to
whet your appetite we are giving you an exclusive one minute of
each of the tracks:
We can confirm that the new track ‘Let It Down Easy’ will
feature as a bonus track on the Japanese edition of the new
Iommi album, ‘Fused’. The track was recorded alongside all ten
of the other ‘Fused’ tracks at Monnow Valley Studios in Wales
back in late 2004. Japanese fans will be able to get their hands
on this version on 21st July when it is released by JVC. The
idea of a bonus track for Japanese fans often sparks debate
amongst fans – to clarify, this is standard practice in the
industry and has been traditionally done for the Japanese to
stop cheaper imports from the USA flooding the market. So there
you have it!
21st June 2005
Guitar Magazine Interview with Tony
Following on from our news item earlier in the month regarding
Tony’s cover feature for the UK’s ‘Guitar’ magazine, the
Iommi.com team received its copy of the magazine this morning.
Journalist Teri Saccone writes:
“Fused’s opener Dopamine ignites with a full-frontal sonic
assault of guitar riffs and a killer hook – and the adrenalin
rush doesn’t let up until the very last note has been played. ‘I
came in with a riff on the spot for that,’ Iommi concedes…..Fused’s
magnum opus is the closing track, I Go Insane. With four
movements, transitional passages and a superannuated solo, it’s
proof that Iommi is willing and eager to experiment within a
different format. ‘It started out to be quite a lot longer than
it ended up,’ he explains. ‘We wanted something progressive.
It’s easy to do verse-chorus-verse-chorus…we wanted to do
something different, and we hope we achieved it.’”
“For a man who has devoted his life to music, Iommi confesses
that he just doesn’t listen to much of it. ‘I hate to say it,
but I avoid a lot of music,’ he admits, ‘purely because I don’t
want to pick up other people’s ideas subconsciously. I’ll listen
to [jazz guitarist] Joe Pass. He’s my favourite. But at home, a
lot of the time I watch the TV. It sounds boring, but I find if
I stay uninvolved with music, when I go to write, I get more
excited about it.’”
As well as discussing Fused, the interview covers Tony’s
thoughts on Ozzfest, the inside details on Tony’s equipment from
technician Mike Clement and a chat with Glenn Hughes. For
Sabbath fans, there is also an interview with Geezer Butler in
the Bass section of the same issue.
21st June 2005
Tony on cover of Vintage Guitar
Tony
adorns the cover of the current issue of ‘Vintage Guitar’
magazine. The issue features an in-depth interview with Tony by
Lisa Sharken. More info as we get it.
20th
June 2005
‘Fused’ Listening Parties Online Soon
With only 3 weeks to go to the release of the new Iommi album,
‘Fused’, we can bring you exclusive news of two listening
parties happening online soon. The Gauntlet (www.thegauntlet.com)
will be streaming the album from 27th to 30th June. If you miss
that, you can check out the Blistering website (www.blistering.com)
on 1st and 2nd July to hear the album being streamed there. The
album is released on Monday 11th July in the UK and Tuesday 12th
July in the USA. For pre-orders, go to
www.amazon.co.uk or
www.amazon.com
15th
June 2005
Tony & Glenn scheduled for Total Rock
Tony & Glenn recently spoke to Andy King from Total Rock Radio
about their new album ‘Fused’. We’re still waiting on
confirmation of the exact broadcast date, but check out the info
on the interview at the Total Rock website –
click here
15th
June 2005
5K Review of Sabbath’s Download Set In Kerrang
This week’s Kerrang magazine (issue 1061) contains a glowing
review of Black Sabbath in Donington on Saturday 11th June:
“Black Sabbath defy age and cynicism by playing the set of their
lives. The sound is immaculate, as Tony Iommi’s crushing riffs
sweep across the site and Bill Ward’s brutal drumming hammers
each doom-laden chord home….A grinding, malevolent ‘Black
Sabbath’ and an immense ‘Children of the Grave’ are the
highlights, but there isn’t a second that doesn’t roar this
band’s supremacy from the rooftops. Magnificent. (KKKKK)’
15th
June 2005
Tony interviewed for Radio 1 Rock Show
Mike Davies from BBC Radio 1’s Rock Show stopped by Tony’s
trailer backstage at Download on Saturday for a chat.
Click here to check out the photo and listen to the
interview (it starts at 1 hour 21 mins 20 secs into the show).
14th
June 2005
Download Dog Q&A
Tony answered questions gathered from fans via the forum on the
Download website ahead of the Sabbath show. Check out the
responses
here.
With only four weeks to go to the eagerly awaited release of the
new album ‘Fused’, iommi.com are bringing you the full version
of the lead track ‘Dopamine’. As with all of the
tracks on the album, ‘Dopamine’ was written by Tony & Glenn
Hughes along with producer Bob Marlette and features Kenny Aronoff on drums. The full album will be available on Monday
11th July in the UK and Tuesday 12th July in the USA.
14th
June 2005
Here is a
selection of new shots of Tony & Glenn taken in London recently
by photographer John McMurtrie. John is a music photographer who
worked with Tony last year on some promo shots at the time of
the release of ‘The 1996 DEP Sessions’ and has an extensive
portfolio of magazine cover shots available to view at his
website
www.picturedesk.co.uk
14th
June 2005
And the winner is…
Tony
and Geezer picked up the ‘Spirit of Hammer’ award for Black
Sabbath at the Metal Hammer awards in London last night. The
‘Golden Gods’ event, which is in its third year, was held at the
Astoria and was attended by the likes of Motorhead’s Lemmy, Zakk
Wylde, Anthrax, Lost Prophets, plus members of Slipknot and HIM
amongst others. Glenn Hughes & Chad Smith, fresh from two
fantastic shows in Holland, were watching the show from the
balcony before Chad headed down to present the Sabbath award.
Tony was also on hand to judge the winners of the Air Guitar
competition.
Check out the
message board for our new section ‘Mike’s Diary’. Over the
summer we are going to be bringing you the lowdown on what’s
happening on the road courtesy of Tony’s guitar tech, Mike. We
hope to be posting regular updates in ‘Mike’s Diary’ throughout
the European Tour and Ozzfest.
7th June 2005
And the crowd chanted ‘Tony’…
The Iommi fans were strong in force at last night’s Black
Sabbath tour warm-up gig in Aylesbury as they gathered around
their idol in the right-hand corner of the stage to show their
appreciation and were entertained by fantastic solos on tracks
including ‘The Wizard’ and ‘Dirty Women’. More tour news as we
have it…
7th June 2005
The first ‘Fused’ review is in…and it’s 4 stars!
The first of the ‘Fused’ reviews arrived in the office
overnight, and we are delighted to report that allmusic.com have
given it 4 stars:
Joined by session ace drummer Kenny Aronoff, Iommi and Hughes
made a conscious decision to come up with a heavier, more
riff-based album than DEP (which Iommi felt was more
melodically-based). Well, the trio definitely accomplished their
desired goal, as evidenced by such riff mongers as "Dopamine,"
"Wasted Again," and "Face Your Fear." But surprisingly, the best
tracks are the ones where a bit of melody slips in, especially
"Grace" and "Deep Inside His Shell." And like Sabbath’s classic
early albums, ‘Fused' ends on a truly epic note, with the near
ten minute long "Insane." Soulful vocals, heavy riffs, and
mighty drumming — is ‘Fused' a sign that a new powerhouse trio
had been born?
Here’s
a sneak preview of Tony on the cover of the August 2005 edition
of ‘Guitar’ magazine which hits the stands in the UK on 24th
June. The magazine features an in-depth interview with Tony by
journalist Teri Saccone. We’ll have more details on the
interview itself for you when we get them, in the meantime check
out
www.guitarmagazine.co.uk for details of your local ‘Guitar’
magazine retailer.
6th
June 2005
Listen to one of Tony & Glenn’s interviews for the Dutch
press
“The greatest thing for me with Glenn is we can communicate that
well, we bounce off each other that quick, and ideas just fly
out. So it’s a great partnership as far as being able to create
things.”
On making solo albums:
“I’ve sat by now for many years wondering if we’re going to do a
Sabbath album but you can’t just wait around for ever and a day,
you know. I’m too productive, I have to do things.”
On his guitar collection:
“I’ve got a one-off that Gibson made me a few years ago, which
is really beautiful. It’s too nice to use actually. It’s a real
masterpiece. It’s a piece of wood they’d had for many years and
they said ‘would you like a guitar made out of it’? And I said
‘yes’! So they made me a Les Paul and it’s a real one off, it’s
just fantastic. But it’s too nice to use, you know!...
I’ve had a Barney Kessel, there was only three of those made
left-handed, so yeah, I’ve got some rare guitars but I like my
SGs. We’ve got the Iommi model out, it’s been out for a while
now, with my pick-ups…Iommi pick-ups made by Gibson.
On his reaction to being voted Metal Hammer’s ‘best riff master
ever’:
“Yeah, I agree! (laughs). It’s very nice, I’m glad. It’s great
to be recognised after all these years for doing something. You
can’t fail to like that, can you really?”
18th
May 2005
Tony & Geezer together on Rockline!
Put a note in your diaries – Tony & Geezer will be live on
Rockline radio on Wednesday 20th July.
You can email in your questions for the guys and get full
details of air times and local stations broadcasting the show at
www.rocklineradio.com
18th May 2005
A Personal Note from Tony
First and foremost, I want to thank my good friend Geezer Butler
for his kind words about my new album. Geezer’s been working
very hard himself this year on his new album ‘Ohmwork’ which was
released this week. It’s great to see him out there doing his
own stuff, and I think this one is his best album yet.
Glenn and I have spent the past week doing promotion for the
‘Fused’ album in the UK and Europe. We also spent a few days in
New York recently talking to American press and radio.
During the next few weeks I’ll be getting ready for the Sabbath
tour. I’m really looking forward to getting back on the road.
See you over the summer!
Tony
12th
May 2005
Geezer praises ‘Fused’
In the latest message posted on his website, Geezer opens by
saying:
“Congratulations are in order this week. Firstly, I want to
congratulate Tony Iommi for the best album I've heard in years.
Sabbath fans, and Iommi fans, are going to be rejoicing when
they hear this album. If you don't know by now, it's called
"Fused." It's brilliant. Buy it!”
Read his full journal, and get details on his new album
‘Ohmwork’ at
www.geezerbutler.com.
9th May
2005
EXCLUSIVE!
First Glimpse of New Iommi Cover
With the cover artwork for the new album, ‘Fused’, finally
approved, Iommi.com can now exclusively give you a sneak
preview.
The cover was designed by UK based designer, Hugh Gilmour, who
has previously worked on covers for Black Sabbath, Deep Purple,
Iron Maiden, Motorhead, David Bowie & The Beatles amongst
others.
The album is due for release worldwide on the Sanctuary label on
12th July 2005.
9th
May 2005
Additional Ozzfest
Date Scheduled
We can now confirm that Black Sabbath will
play a second date at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, NJ on
27th July
Click here
for the Sanctuary Records press release on the new album,
scheduled for release on 12th July.
More updates coming soon!
29th
April 2004
Tony to guest on Nights with Alice Cooper
While Tony was in New York this week, he stopped by the ‘Nights
with Alice Cooper’ radio studio for a chat.
Tony’s interview with Alice will be broadcast on various radio
stations in the USA on Wednesday 4th May – details of your local
station can be found at
www.nightswithalicecooper.com
Although there is currently no facility to listen to the show
live via the internet, it is likely that clips of the show will
be posted online after the event.
15th
April 2005
New Iommi interview in Q/Mojo Special Edition
The latest in the Q/Mojo series of Classic Special Editions
focuses on Black Sabbath & Ozzy Osbourne and features a
brand-new interview with Tony.
Here’s a short selection of quotes from the piece:
On The Rolling Stones’ Rock’N’ Roll Circus film:
“My God! It was like walking into a dream. Suddenly, I was
surrounded by people who only a couple of years earlier I had
only seen on TV. John Lennon, Pete Townshend, Eric Clapton…It
was unbelievable and it went on for about three weeks. The first
night, the Stones threw a party and played, and I had a chat
with Lennon. I was in the same dressing room as The Who. It was
mind-blowing to think that a few weeks before I was playing in
clubs to a handful of people and now here I was with all my
idols.”
On why he has his hands over his face on the gatefold picture
inside Sabbath Bloody Sabbath:
“I think what happened to me is that I tried to trim my
moustache and I cut too much off one side.
I tried to balance it and in the end I thought, F*ck it!, and I
shaved it off. We both felt strange and I didn’t do that again.”
On Sabbath’s post-Ozzy albums being unfairly overlooked:
“The Mob Rules was underrated. Born Again was the one that got
ignored and I found that frustrating.
I thought that was brilliant. Of the later albums I really like
Headless Cross.”
On whether there’ll be a new Sabbath studio album:
“I’d like to say yes and I think we’re as near as we’re going to
be. We have a few ideas we put together a while back. But of
course a lot of my ideas have gone into my solo stuff.”
The issue also features new interviews with Geezer, Bill & Ozzy
along with articles from the magazine’s archives.
Over 200 classic, rare and unseen pictures are used including
Tony playing the harp at his home in 1974.
Also check out Tony’s 10 Greatest Heads-Down Doom-Laden ‘Fast
Bits’.
The magazine is available from newsstands now as a Q Classic
special edition in the UK, and a Mojo Classic special edition
overseas (including the U.S.).
Tony
is one of a number of big-name artists to get involved with the
‘Rock The Cure’ auction in aid of the breast cancer research
charity Expedition Inspiration Fund. Joining a host of musicians
and celebrities including Jeff Beck, AC/DC’s Brian Johnson,
Aerosmith’s Joe Perry, Mick Fleetwood and Sheryl Crow, Tony
customised a Gibson Les Paul SG Special which will form part of
the auction to take place at the Hard Rock Café in LA on 3rd May
2005. Although the auction is by invitation only, it is possible
to bid for the guitars online at
www.juliensauctions.com. Online bidding opens to the general
public on 24th April 2005.
15th
March 2005
Iommi is Metal Hammer’s No. 1 Best Metal Guitarist
Tony tops the poll of ‘Riff Lords’ - Best Metal Guitarists - in
Metal Hammer’s March issue. The magazine praises Tony’s ‘highly
distinctive style of fretsmanship that’s economical yet
crushingly effective’. And it anticipates the comments from
readers of “it was so obvious that you guys were going to pick
Iommi” by saying ‘any way we tried to cut it, we just couldn’t
escape the fact that Tony Iommi is THE man!’
The top ten (of the 50 listed) are:
1. Tony Iommi
2. Dave Murray, Adrian Smith & Janick Gers – Iron Maiden
3. Jimmy Page – Led Zeppelin
4. Kirk Hammett & James Hetfield – Metallica
5. Glenn Tipton & K.K. Downing – Judas Priest
6. Slash – Velvet Revolver / Guns N’ Roses
7. Daron Malakian – System Of A Down
8. Kerry King & Jeff Hanneman – Slayer
9. Marten Nagstrom & Fredrik Thordendal – Meshuggah
10. Edward Van Halen
Read the full piece in Metal Hammer issue 137 available from
news stands now
14th March 2005
The Story Behind ‘Sabbath Bloody Sabbath’
‘The Stories Behind The Songs’ feature in the latest edition of
Classic Rock magazine focuses on the track ‘Sabbath Bloody
Sabbath’.
Tony recently spoke to Greg Prato from the magazine and shared
his thoughts on the track:
On his writers block:
‘I really panicked: “Oh my God, I can’t seem to think of
anything that we like!” I could play stuff, but it just wasn’t
sinking in; I didn’t like it’.
On combating the problem:
‘We rented an old castle in the Forest of Dean. And it was just
us there. What we did was we set up the equipment in the
dungeons of the castle, to try and get some vibe going. And then
that was it – we came up with Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, and the
rest came fairly shortly afterwards.
The block had gone’.
On shooting the video in Geezer’s garden:
‘What I remember about that is that we just turned up and that
was it, really – we’re doing a video!’
The full story appears in Classic Rock’s April edition (issue
78) on sale now
8th March 2005
5 stars for Epiphone Tony Iommi G-400
The March issue of Total Guitar features a glowing review of the
Epiphone Tony Iommi G-400 guitar, complete with a five star
rating. The magazine describes it as ‘probably the best Epiphone
electric we’ve ever tried. The quality of finish is top class
and the guitar has all the classic elements that we’ve come to
expect from the SG.’
The review details all of the specs of the guitar, which
includes the Tony Iommi Gibson signature humbucker, and suggests
that Epiphone has ‘just released its greatest rock guitar yet’.
With a price tag of £595, it says ‘now that’s what we call value
for money, and no doubt great news for Black Sabbath fans on a
budget’.
The piece concludes by saying ‘it’s true we have fallen for this
wonderful guitar. TG has always had a soft spot for the SG
anyway, but the Tony Iommi version ticks all of our boxes. And
the best part is that now there’s a left-handed version
available – which only seems appropriate since Tony is
left-handed – everyone can get a piece of the action. Of course,
we’d all love to get our hands on the £4,000 custom shop Gibson
Iommi model, but this Epiphone will keep us well happy until
then. You really have to try this superb guitar for yourself.
It’s a little devil.’
Read the full interview in Total Guitar Issue 133, available at
news stands now.
For further information on the Tony Iommi signature guitars:
Click here for the Epiphone site
1st March 2005
Reviews for The 1996 DEP Sessions keep rolling in
Another batch of reviews for ‘The 1996 DEP Sessions’ has found
its way to us - here is a selection of the good words that were
said about the album:
Voted Number 3 in critic Greg Prato’s 10 best albums of 2004
Kerrang – December 2004
…this spirited, heavy duty eight track set is full of Iommi’s
trademarked doom-laden riffs – highlights: the post-grunge Fine
and the melodramatic Gone
Mojo – December 2004
…the quality of the music is first class, cut-glass vocals
riding atop thundering instrumentation. Skull-crunching,
spell-binding tracks such as From Another World and Don’t Tell
Me strut with classic hard rock swagger.
Hartlepool Mail – November 2004
…belated, but welcome release for The 1996 DEP Sessions, a beefy
collaboration between Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi and
former Deep Purple bassist Glenn Hughes
Sunday Life, Belfast – November 2004
Opening up with Gone, Iommi’s fuzz guitar fires up inventive
riffs while the stand out track From Another World blends
orchestral melody with raw metal power in another classic.
The Fife Free Press – October 2004
20th February 2005
Sabbath documentary on Kerrang! radio
Listen out for Kerrang! radio’s documentary ‘Black Sabbath –
Uncovered’ which airs at 10pm UK time on Tuesday February 22nd.
The station is available on 105.2FM in the West Midlands, or
online at
www.kerrangradio.co.uk
19th
February 2005
‘Black Sabbath’ tops the poll in Kerrang’s 100 Best British
Rock Albums Ever!
Readers of Kerrang! magazine have voted the album ‘Black
Sabbath’ number 1 in their poll of the Best British Rock Albums.
It is described as ‘the one that started it all’, and according
to the magazine, ‘if not for Black Sabbath’s pioneering arcweld
of heavy rhythms with Tony Iommi’s minor-chord guitar
pyrotechnics and Ozzy’s evil wail, there’d be no heavy metal,
stoner rock, grunge, black metal, thrash…and half the bands on
this list would never have existed’. Judas Priest’s Rob Halford,
who replaced Ozzy at the band’s Camden show in August 2004, said
of the album:
‘It’s the beginning of metal – a defining moment in that world.
It’s a very important recording, even today. I’m a huge Black
Sabbath fan as everybody knows, and this is just very
inspiring.’
As Tony said in a recent chat to the magazine about the album
topping the poll: ‘The music reflected Aston, and Britain
really, in that time….We went with our instinct, and I remember
with [‘Sleeping Village’], and even the riff for ‘Black Sabbath’
itself, the test for me was whether it made the hairs on my arms
stand on end. It did.’
Read the rest of Tony’s interview, and the notes on the rest of
the Sabbath albums featured in the chart (‘Paranoid’ comes in at
No. 5, ‘Vol. 4’ at No. 14 and ‘Master of Reality’ at No. 63) in
the February 19th issue of Kerrang! magazine.
18th
February 2005
Revolver Q&A with Tony
According to Revolver Magazine, ‘Iommi’s playing was alternately
bruising, shivery and swampy, and Hughes’ versatile, soulful
voice was as reminiscent of Living Colour as it was of Deep
Purple’ on the tracks from The 1996 DEP Sessions. In a recent
chat with the magazine, Tony answers their questions about
putting together the DEP Sessions and more. Here’s a snippet:
R: So why put it [The 1996 DEP Sessions] out now?
TI: ‘Blame it on my guitar tech. I asked him to convert the
thousands of riffs I have on cassette onto CD, and as he was
going through them, he came across these ‘Glenn Hughes’ tapes.
And he said, ‘You should have a listen to those again.’ So I
did, and I thought, Bloody hell, these are really good.’
18th
February 2005
Tony is ‘Under The Influence’ in Guitar One
In the March 2005 issue of Guitar One, Tony talks about the
music that influenced him in their ‘Under The Influence’ column.
Here is a selection of his quotes:
Artist: Hank Marvin & The Shadows:
‘The vibe and sound of the instrumental stuff really appealed to
me.’
Album: Django Reinhardt & Stephane Grappelli ‘Quintette du Hot
Club de France: 25 Classics 1934-1940’. 'Initially! I didn’t
listen to anything that was instrumental. But when I heard his
work with Stephane Grappelli it inspired me to open up.’
Song: ‘Shakin’ All Over’ Johnny Kidd & The Pirates‘ In 1961,
‘Shakin’ All Over’ was different. It had a good solo in it, for
one. When I first heard it, I was at the age when I wanted to
play but couldn’t get very far – wanting to play and being able
to play were two different things!’
Tony is making great progress with his new
album which, as we reported previously, features Glenn Hughes (www.glennhughes.com)
on vocals and Kenny Aronoff (www.kennyaronoff.com)
on drums. They’ve cut 13 tracks, all produced by Bob Marlette,
who worked on Tony’s first solo album in 2000 and the Black
Sabbath ‘Reunion’ album in 1998, and whose recent productions
with Seether and Shinedown are currently in the US Billboard
charts.
The album is now at the mixing stage and discussions are taking
place regarding the release date which will be later this year.
Tony is also hoping to be able to take this album out live.
We’ll keep you posted as things progress!
18th January 2005
Tony on the cover
of Rock Brigade Iommi fans in Brazil can check out the
January 2005 issue of ‘Rock Brigade’ magazine which contains an
interview that Tony did with them late last year,
click
here to see the cover.
10th
January 2005
The 1996 DEP Sessions in Classic Rock’s Top 50 of 2004!
The 1996 DEP Sessions has been voted number 8 in the Classic
Rock list of the 50 Best Albums of 2004.
The list, which appears in the January 2005 edition of the
magazine, is compiled by the magazine’s critics, who said of the
Iommi/Hughes release:
‘Better late than never, eh? Sabbath guitar god and the Voice
of Rock hooked up nearly a decade ago and only now have these
sessions seen the light of day. It’s a classy, mature album
dripping with soul. And we can’t get enough of it’.
7th
January 2005
Vote for Paranoid!
Channel
4 in the UK is currently compiling a programme of the 100
Greatest Albums of all time and Black Sabbath’s ‘Paranoid’ has
been nominated. There are currently 125 albums on the Channel 4
website, which will be whittled down to the final 100. Get
voting now to ensure that ‘Paranoid’ gets the spot on the chart
that it deserves!
Tony
took part in a new documentary produced by Hard Rock to
showcase the donations they have received from musicians
over the years. The documentary celebrates the 69,000 pieces
of rock n roll material currently housed by the Hard Rock
around the world, and includes an interview with Tony as
well as footage of him handing over his famous ‘Monkey’
guitar to the Hard Rock’s Don Bernstine. The DVD, which was
released this week, also features the likes of Jimmy Page,
Metallica’s James Hetfield, Zakk Wylde, Richie Sambora,
James Root & Corey Taylor from Slipknot, Gene Simmons, and
Velvet Revolver’s Scott Weiland and Matt Sorum among others.
A
guitar signed by a host of music legends including Tony
Iommi has raised a record $1.6 million for charity. The
project was the brain-child of Bryan Adams who approached
his many contacts in the music industry to get involved in
an effort to raise money for the victims of the Boxing Day
Tsunami in 2004.
Black
Sabbath’s performance of ‘Paranoid’ at last night’s UK Music
Hall of Fame ceremony was broadcast on BBC Radio 2 during Mark
Radcliffe’s show from backstage at the Alexandra Palace in
London. Radcliffe also interviewed Tony, Geezer, Bill and Ozzy
after the show. Like all BBC Radio programmes, it is available
to listen on demand for a week at
Fans in Japan should check out the latest edition of BURRN!
Magazine where Tony & Glenn are interviewed by Valerie Potter.
Apparently ‘Fused’ gets a glowing review too. And for fans in
Europe, the Iommi/Hughes partnership adorn the cover of Headache
Magazine, plus the latest issue of Aardschok contains an
interview with the guys by Gerd Jan Vleugels. 
Tony
adorns the cover of the current issue of ‘Vintage Guitar’
magazine. The issue features an in-depth interview with Tony by
Lisa Sharken. More info as we get it.
Tony
and Geezer picked up the ‘Spirit of Hammer’ award for Black
Sabbath at the Metal Hammer awards in London last night. The
‘Golden Gods’ event, which is in its third year, was held at the
Astoria and was attended by the likes of Motorhead’s Lemmy, Zakk
Wylde, Anthrax, Lost Prophets, plus members of Slipknot and HIM
amongst others. Glenn Hughes & Chad Smith, fresh from two
fantastic shows in Holland, were watching the show from the
balcony before Chad headed down to present the Sabbath award.
Tony was also on hand to judge the winners of the Air Guitar
competition.
Here’s
a sneak preview of Tony on the cover of the August 2005 edition
of ‘Guitar’ magazine which hits the stands in the UK on 24th
June. The magazine features an in-depth interview with Tony by
journalist Teri Saccone. We’ll have more details on the
interview itself for you when we get them, in the meantime check
out 
Channel
4 in the UK is currently compiling a programme of the 100
Greatest Albums of all time and Black Sabbath’s ‘Paranoid’ has
been nominated. There are currently 125 albums on the Channel 4
website, which will be whittled down to the final 100. Get
voting now to ensure that ‘Paranoid’ gets the spot on the chart
that it deserves!