TONY IOMMI On Still Making New Music At Age 78: 'I Enjoy Doing It, And It Keeps Me Going'

In a new interview with Krishnan Guru-Murthy, who fronts Channel 4 News ' podcast "Ways to Change the World", legendary BLACK SABBATH guitarist Tony Iommi spoke about his latest solo album, "From The Dark", which was released on Friday, October 23 via BMG. The LP sees 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.

Asked why it took him more than two decades to release another solo album, Tony said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "The thing is I can come in here [at my home studio], just put some ideas down, and that's it. Always in the past with SABBATH stuff or any stuff, you've had a time limit. You've had to have a rehearsal for six weeks to write the stuff, and then, of course, book the studio and do that. And then you're on tour for 18 months. But this time I've had no pressure. I could just come in and do it when I want. And so I worked on it with my engineer. I'd say, 'Let's work on Monday and Tuesday, and do that every week for a bit. And if you've got something [to keep you] busy, we'll cancel it. And if I can't do it, we'll...' And we worked like that, really. 'Cause I still had to go for hospital appointments for my cancer checkups, and he had things popping up. So we'd work when we could and put the ideas down, and build it like that, really. So it's been quite relaxing."

Asked if his "greater sense" of his own mortality now drives his work at all or if he just carries on because that's what he does, the 78-year-old Tony said: "I carry on wondering when I'm gonna keel over. Yes, I do that. [Laughs] But I enjoy [being creative]. I enjoy doing it, and it keeps me going. And even when I was diagnosed with cancer, when we'd done the last album, SABBATH album [2013's '13'], I wanted to work through that just to get my mind off it and not just give in. And it worked. And I was flying back, flying to L.A. when we'd done the recordings with [producer] Rick Rubin. Then I had to fly back to have a treatment and fly back again to carry on recording. But I enjoyed [staying busy]... I had to keep my mind focused on the music, really, and it helped me a lot."

On the topic of "From The Dark"'s first single, a song called "World Alone", Tony said: "Well, I'd done all the music. Myself and my engineer, Mike Exeter, we worked putting the basic idea down, and then we'd get Jorn in, 'cause Jorn lives in Sweden now. And the other guys, they live in Birmingham. I wanted to try and keep a lot of it in Birmingham, the whole thing. All the merchandise was done around Birmingham. But Jorn was the only one that was [not in the U.K.]. So we'd bring him in, and then play him the track and the ideas we'd got, and then see what he'd put to that and then build it up from there, really. So he'd done all the lyrics, done the melody lines. So it's great. I believe — I think it's good that the vocalist can do his own melody line and their own lyrics, 'cause they know how to pronounce those words better. Sometimes if things are written for them, they don't do it the same."

Regarding the lyrical themes covered on "World Alone" and the rest of "From The Dark", Iommi said: "It's the things that's happening in the world. And even in them [early BLACK SABBATH] days with the old 'War Pigs' we did, [the inspiration for the lyrics] was the Vietnam War. All the wars were going on then. It was relevant, and it is today. They're the same thing — the wars and wars, and nuclear things now. And it's hard to get away. How do you get away from it? It's on the news every day. It's constantly there. It's in people's heads, and it was obviously in Jorn's head when he wrote all the lyrics. And it goes with the music. It goes with what we're putting over."

Asked if there is any other track he wanted to highlight from "From The Dark", Iommi said: "Well, we've got one called 'Death Wake', which I've got [QUEEN's] Brian May playing on, who's my dearest friend. And he came up, and I said, 'Bring your guitar up. You're playing on this track.' 'Oh, well.' And, yeah, he's played on that. Great player. And that's about a vampire, by the way."

"From The Dark" is available in several deluxe vinyl and CD formats. The double LP edition is 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 is also 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.

Three singles from "From The Dark" were released prior to the LP's arrival: "World Alone", which came out in July 29, and "Stormwatcher", which followed in September, and "Over The Violent Sun", which came out last week.

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.