TONY IOMMI On Making Of His New Solo Album 'From The Dark': 'It Was All Very Casual'

In a new interview with Brent Porche of Philadelphia's 93.3 WMMR radio station, legendary BLACK SABBATH guitarist Tony Iommi spoke about his upcoming solo album, "From The Dark", which will arrive on Friday, October 23 via BMG. Asked when did the idea for the LP first started taking shape, Iommi said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, I've been busy doing a lot of other stuff, of course, when we were doing the SABBATH thing, and I've done a couple of other projects. And so I thought, well, yeah, it'd be nice to do another solo album. It's been 21 years. [Laughs] So, yeah, I've enjoyed it, and I've taken me time doing it. Like, when we do a SABBATH album, it's always you've got a certain time to do it, then you've gotta record it, and then you're touring. In this case, there's no pressure. I've been able to do it when I want. I've got my own studio here [at home]. So I just come over and I start working on putting ideas down."

"From The Dark" sees Tony Iommi joined throughout by Jorn Lande, who shares writing credits on all songs, as well as bassist Becky Baldwin and drummer Karl Brazil. The effort was co-produced by Tony and Mike Exeter, his longtime creative partner, co-writer, producer and audio engineer.

Regarding why he decided to call the album "From The Dark", Tony said: "It's the mood of it, really. Jorn came up with all the lyrical side of it. So, I'd done all the music. But 'From The Dark' seemed like an appropriate title for the album."

Asked what it was about Jorn's voice that stuck with him all these years and made him think, "He's the guy I want for this album", Tony said: "Well, Jorn did some work with us on the [Ronnie James] Dio [tribute]. Once Ronnie passed, we'd done a Dio tribute in London for him. And we had Jorn sing two or three of the SABBATH songs, and [legendary DEEP PURPLE bassist/vocalist] Glenn Hughes. So, I like Jorn's voice. He's a nice guy as well — good to get on with. And it just seemed ideal. It sort of goes with what I play, and I like that idea."

Iommi also talked about his songwriting approach on "From The Dark", explaining: "Well, I think it's more or less the same way as I've always written. I put ideas down, and then when we got Jorn in, 'cause Jorn lives in Sweden, so we flew him in and then played him some of the ideas and then adjust them as we went on. I might change the verse part or we might put a new chorus bit in. And it was same as I've done everything else in the past. Same idea."

As for how old the musical ideas on "From The Dark" are, Tony said: "Well, how this started, really, was I started doing an instrumental. I was gonna do an instrumental album, so I put about four or five tracks down instrumentally. And then I thought, 'Oh, I don't know. I think I'd like to do an album with a vocalist.' So I put them on one side and then started writing riffs for a vocalist. And that's how it sort of started, really. And it's gone on. I haven't... The good thing about this album, there's been no pressure. I haven't had to go out on tour. I haven't had to have it done by a certain time. So I was allowed to be able to take my time on it and live with some of the ideas. So what I'd do, I'd say to Mike Exeter, who's been with me for, like, 30 years, I'd say, 'Let's work on a Monday and Tuesday,' 'cause he's obviously producing other things. And so we always used to put Monday and Tuesday on the side every week, and then if something cropped up, we wouldn't work, if he's busy or I'm busy or doing something else. So we'd work around each other, and then just come in and start putting ideas down. So it was all very casual."

"From The Dark" will be available in several deluxe vinyl and CD formats. The double LP edition will be manufactured in four colors, available from different retailers. Cut at 45rpm on double vinyl for optimum dynamic range the deluxe, gatefold package is premium black card with a die cut of Tony's signature cross, that holds beneath a suitably dark and detailed, illustrative journey across the album. Part visible when in situ and with the full image revealing as the inner sleeve is drawn out. There will also be a CD Amazon exclusive that also has the same die cut sleeve and a deluxe 32-page CD media book edition that includes two bonus tracks.

Two singles from "From The Dark" have been released so far: "World Alone", which arrived in July 29, and "Stormwatcher", which followed in September.

Iommi is widely regarded as one of the most influential guitarists in modern music. As the founding member and primary composer of BLACK SABBATH, Iommi is credited with helping create the sound and vocabulary of heavy metal.

Iommi's contributions have been recognized with multiple Grammy Awards, induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and honorary academic distinctions in the U.K. He was awarded a doctorate from Coventry University, a Lord Mayor's Award and the Freedom Of The City of Birmingham. Most recently, in June 2026 he has been awarded an MBE, one of the highest honors in British public life.

In his youth, Iommi overcame a serious industrial accident that cost him the tips of two fingers — an event that led him to develop a distinctive playing style and the darker, heavier guitar tone that defined BLACK SABBATH's music. Formed with Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward, the band released pioneering albums throughout the 1970s and became one of the most culturally significant British exports of the era.

Across his six-decade career, Iommi has continued to record, perform and collaborate internationally. He worked extensively with the late Ronnie James Dio, released acclaimed solo material, and reunited with the original BLACK SABBATH lineup for the chart-topping 2013 album "13" and the global farewell tour "The End" (2016–2017) which played to 1.6 million fans.

In recent years, his work has expanded notably into broader cultural spheres. In 2023 he collaborated with the Birmingham Royal Ballet on "Black Sabbath - The Ballet", a groundbreaking production based on his early compositions. BLACK SABBATH headlined 2025's monumental metal show "Back To The Beginning" in Birmingham, an all-encompassing show revisiting BLACK SABBATH's origins and a poignant farewell to fans, that took place just a few weeks before the death of his bandmate Ozzy Osbourne.