Tony Iommi has emerged from the darkness to detail his latest solo album. Today (July 29th), the iconic Black Sabbath guitarist announced the arrival of From the Dark at a press conference in Birmingham, England, where he likewise premiered the record’s first single, “World Alone.”
Iommi’s press conference unveiled the details to the guitarist’s third formal solo album, which follows 2005’s Fused. The single is a mid-paced pounder where stalactite-pointed chugs and scorching, wah-craned solo passages burn beneath the determined, raspy power-howl of Norwegian vocalist Jorn Lande, who co-wrote the album with Iommi. They’re joined on the album sessions by Mercyful Fate bassist Becky Baldwin and English drummer Karl Brazil.
Its music video, which you’ll find up above, is described as portraying “a retrofuture, dystopian universe where the lead protagonist, The Believer, is pitched into a twisted video game to save his life and ultimately find salvation.”
Iommi co-produced the album with Mike Exeter. From the Dark is said to find Lande delivering lyrics “full of dystopian imagery and ruminations on the fleeting nature of the human experience.” Aesthetically, “Godfather of Metal” Iommi suggests he’s just doing what he does best — delivering the riff.
“It’s an album we’ve really enjoyed making,” the guitarist explains in a statement. “We’re not trying to prove anything – it’s a great album, it rocks!”
The eight-song From the Dark is out October 23rd via BMG. A deluxe CD edition adds Iommi’s two songs for luxury perfume house Xerjoff: 2021’s “Scent of Dark” and 2024’s “Deified”. An exclusive pre-order for a double LP pressing on “white and black marble” vinyl (limited to 1,000) is available in Revolver‘s shop, where you’ll likewise find the standard vinyl pressing of From the Dark, CD options, a 7-inch release for “World Alone,” Black Sabbath records and more.
From the Dark tracklisting:
Over the Violent Sun
Black Times
World Alone
Beyond the Dead
Stormwatcher
Death Wake
Return of the Arbalist
Legacy
Scent Of Dark*
Deified*
*CD-only bonus tracks