Like many of the other iconic heavy metal bands, Black Sabbath’s original lineup all had solo endeavors over the decades. Ozzy’s solo work after his original departure from the group in the late 70s, but Geezer Butler, Bill Ward, and Tony Iommi have all had various solo projects emerge over time. Iommi’s solo work has been an interesting rollercoaster to follow over time, as whether you count 1986’s Seventh Star as a solo effort despite it being released as a Black Sabbath effort due to record label requirements or start with 2000’s star-studded whirlwind that is Iommi the lore around the music sometimes seemed to overshadow the actual material. Following that self-titled effort there would be two albums with Glenn Hughes released back-to-back, which brought back some elements from Seventh Star while also channeling a bit more of that modern 2000s sound. After 2005 things went quiet on the solo front for some time, which makes sense during the six-year period Black Sabbath had resumed activity. Two decades have now passed since the Fused collaboration with Glenn Hughes, and Tony Iommi has assembled a new lineup with Jørn Lande behind the mic. The resulting effort From the Dark sticks close to the heavy metal and doom template Iommi pioneered, but it also feels like the most focused effort he’s offered to date.
From the Dark makes a strong first impression, as opening track “Over the Violent Sun” kicks things off with some fuzzier guitar before bringing in the low-end and letting slower doom grooves drive things forward. It’s clear that Iommi and his newly assembled band have stuck much to his bread and butter on this album but considering that the 2000 album sometimes felt a little all over the place with all the guest collaborators this isn’t a bad thing. The song doesn’t rush things, as it lets the main groove drive things and layers melodies and other elements over top before reaching a huge peak. “Black Times” also opts for a slower build-up, but the melodies have a more introspective and somber slant to them that lead in well to Iommi’s soloing. It isn’t until “World Alone” that things pick up towards more scorching heavy metal, and this is where the instrumentals let loose a bit more but still throw some catchy melodies into the mix. The bulk of From the Dark does skew towards the slower, doomier side, but songs like “Beyond the Dead” and “Death Wake” showcase how good Iommi tends to be when constructing these moodier numbers. The latter features Queen’s Brian May on guitar and lets Brian Exeter’s sweeping keyboards steal the show, and it’s moments like these that give the album some real staying power. I also like “Stormwatcher” quite a bit, which straddles the line between that crunchier doom tone and earlier hard rock and has a considerable amount of weight from the low-end. Admittedly the emphasis on slower build-ups does make some of the songs feel too similar stylistically and closer “Legacy” does begin to drag and feels like it could’ve come to a conclusion following the acoustic guitar solo at the four-and-a-half-minute mark. But even with these downsides, the strength of the riffs as a whole and the chemistry this lineup has with Iommi makes for an enjoyable listen that I’ve been drawn back to.
When thinking about who might make sense to put behind the mic for Tony Iommi’s particular brand of doom and heavy metal, there are a slew of candidates that likely come to mind. Jørn Lande definitely proves to be the right choice here, and what’s important to note is that he co-wrote this album with Iommi so this isn’t one of those albums where you can tell someone came in and just sang as a hired gun. Lande has one of those voices that immediately pulls you in and keeps you engaged from beginning to end, and he hasn’t lost any power or range over the decades. Songs like “Black Times” and “Beyond the Dead” stand out due to how expressive his performance is, and the dramatic nature of the singing flows perfectly with Iommi’s soaring solos. The only flaw is that with the way the production sticks the vocals front and center, sometimes Jørn overpowers the rest of the band and this leads to a few sections where I personally would’ve preferred to hear the guitar and bass pop out just a bit more.
Tony Iommi certainly doesn’t need to prove anything at this stage, but there’s something to be said for the strength of the material on From the Dark. He sticks to his bread and butter on this release, opting for plenty of epic and moodier doom as well as some faster heavy metal that feels like a cross between some of the Tony Martin era Black Sabbath and Heaven & Hell. Jørn Lande is a great fit on vocals, and despite some songs being a bit harder to tell apart and the closer overstaying its welcome I really like what this album has to offer. It may just dethrone Fused for my favorite Iommi solo release, and it’s exciting that at this stage he’s still as invested in writing and releasing new material. From the Dark is available from BMG.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg