TONY IOMMI Recording Second Song For Armenian Fundraising Efforts

BLACK SABBATH/HEAVEN & HELL's Tony Iommi is currently laying down guitar on a second track to raise money to rebuild a music school in Armenia. He says, "I'm really excited with what we have produced."

In an early 2010 interview, Iommi stated about his Armenian fundraising efforts, "We did an album more than 20 years ago to raise money for the 1988 earthquake appeal and a few months ago we visited the country to receive an Award of Honor from the President and to see how the money had been spent.

"We went to one music school where the kids had got no instruments to speak of and the buildings were damp and horrible so we said we'd do another record for them and maybe a couple of gigs there to raise more money for the school."

Tony also donated some instruments and Ian Gillan, the vocalist of DEEP PURPLE, performed solo shows with the Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra in Yerevan which were recorded for a DVD.

In October, Iommi and Gillan headed back into the studio, joined by keyboardist Jon Lord (DEEP PURPLE, WHITESNAKE) and drummer Nicko McBrain (IRON MAIDEN) to record a new track, "Out Of My Mind", to raise money to rebuild a music school in Armenia.

Iommi recently revealed to U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine that he has begun work on new material with the hopes of launching the "next phase" of his career alongside longtime SABBATH and HEAVEN & HELL bandmate/bassist Geezer Butler. He said, "What I'm doing now is writing. I've gone mad, writing loads of riffs again. I'm really enjoying it, putting stuff together. We will be doing something. I'm in touch with Geezer a lot now and we've been talking about what the next phase is going to be. It'll be great to get out and do something again. I don't normally say this, but there's some great ideas coming out. That's all I've got to do right now. Sit and write riffs!"

Surviving HEAVEN & HELL members Iommi, Butler and Vinny Appice played a very special tribute to their fallen bandmate, Ronnie James Dio, on July 24 at the High Voltage festival at Victoria Park in London, England. The musicians were joined by legendary former DEEP PURPLE and BLACK SABBATH man Glenn Hughes and Norwegian vocalist Jorn Lande, who sings for power metallers MASTERPLAN and recently released his own tribute to Ronnie.

Wendy Dio, the wife/manager of Ronnie James Dio, has told VH1 Radio that she encourages the surviving members of HEAVEN & HELL to work together again under a different moniker.

"I don't know what they're doing right now," she said. "I know that Geezer's been asked several times, and he's just ... he took it very hard. I don't really know what they're doing right now. They should do something else, with Vinny, too. I mean, the band was amazing, an amazing band and they should carry on to do something. It won't be called HEAVEN & HELL but whatever they call it, it will be great, it will be amazing."