Tony Iommi, the legendary guitarist of Black Sabbath, has shared exciting news with his fans: he is gearing up to release a new solo album. In a heartfelt New Year’s message, Iommi reflected on the past year and revealed his plans for the future, including the much-anticipated solo project.
The 74-year-old musician had a year filled with both triumphs and challenges. One of the highlights was his performance at the Commonwealth Games’ opening and closing ceremonies. However, 2022 also brought sorrow with the passing of his long-time guitar technician, Mike Clement, who had been with him for 33 years. Iommi also expressed his dismay over the ongoing war in Ukraine, which has impacted the completion of his new recording studio.
“I’m having a new studio built, which I’m really pleased about. Well, actually, the studio is built. It’s almost ready to go, I’m just waiting for some equipment. Because of the war [in Ukraine], it’s sort of stopped some of the parts coming through,” Iommi explained in his video message. “But we’re almost there. In another couple of weeks, I think I’ll be ready to go in and start work in there, which I’m really looking forward to… writing another album.”
The prospect of new Black Sabbath material seems unlikely, as the band members have shown little interest in creating a follow-up to their 2013 album, “13.” Instead, Iommi appears to be focusing on his solo career or possibly starting a new project. His previous solo albums include the star-studded “Iommi” from 2000 and “Fused” from 2005, which featured Glenn Hughes on vocals and bass. Additionally, “The 1996 DEP Sessions,” a collaborative recording, was released in 2004.
In his video, Iommi also confirmed that he would be working on reissuing the IRS Records era of the Black Sabbath catalog. This includes four of the five albums featuring Tony Martin as the vocalist, as well as “Dehumanizer” from 1992, which marked the return of Ronnie James Dio to the lineup.
“I’m looking forward to that, because a lot of people have asked about that, which is great,” Iommi said. “They wanted to see when it’s coming out. And we’ve done them in succession, really, with these albums. So we’ve had all the original Sabbath stuff come out, box sets, and then we’ve got the Dio stuff. And then the next thing will be the Tony Martin and then my solo stuff. So it’s gonna be busy again. But it’s great. And it’s nice to be doing the interviews and talking about what we did and all the rest of stuff.”
Iommi concluded his message by wishing his fans a happy new year and hinting at a possible live performance in the future. “Anyway, happy new year to you all and I hope to see you sometime on tour, whether it’s playing or a talks thing. Thanks for all your support over the years, I really appreciate it.”
The guitarist’s announcement has generated significant excitement among rock and metal fans. Should the new recordings be for another solo album, it would be Iommi’s third solo effort. Although details about the release are still scarce, Iommi did mention that external circumstances, such as the war in Ukraine, have delayed the development of his studio.
Last year, Iommi contributed to Ozzy Osbourne’s latest solo album, “Patient Number 9.” Reflecting on his involvement, Iommi shared, “I’ve done two tracks for Ozzy’s album, which I really enjoyed doing. … [We also] got a Grammy nomination for it, which was very pleasing. We’ll see what happens; if we do get a Grammy in February.”
As fans eagerly await the new solo album, Iommi’s dedication to his craft and his ability to overcome challenges continue to inspire. His upcoming project promises to be a significant addition to his already illustrious career, and fans can look forward to more groundbreaking music from the metal icon.
