Iommi : "From the Dark"

 

At 78, you can't stop rock n roll; this is the mission statement from which Tony Iommi birthed his new solo album. If Dio were alive, he would have been sining on this, as Masterplan vocalist Jorn Lande is doing his best Dio impersonation. Not sure why he is not marketing this under the Sabbath banner, as he could have grabbed Geezer; they have called it Sabbath with fewer original members before and made some pretty decent music, but this is heavier than everything, but maybe "Dehumanizer: 'World Alone '" has a more metallic drive. Lande keeps belting it out with convincing power; even if Tony's riffs needed to carry the weight, they don't have to with Lande on the mic. Though it also brings them closer to power metal. 

There are plenty of guitar solos that make it clear Iommi is keeping his fingers nimble with age. "Black Times" is much darker and doomier. I could also hear Lande handling some Candlemass, though he is more soulful than the bulk of their singers. "Beyond the Dead feels more Dio-like with its stormy menace. The song moves with more of a throb, and there is a subtle hint of the Glen Hughes era..There is more of a Sabbath chug to "Stormwatcher".  It is not the album's strongest song, but it works for what they are doing. The main verse riff for all it's worth. 

"Death Wake" is closer to the Glenn Hughes era again, though I could also hear Tony Martin singing this."The Return of the Arbaist" feels like the vocals are just belting it out for the sake of doing so.  "Legacy" is another return to the more blues-based format of the Tony Martin era. The song, however, just feels dialed generically; it's the only song that is more like filler. Despite this the strong songs balance this album out, so I will give it a 9.5. While I am more likely to listen to a Tony Martin than this it's worth a listen if you are Tony fan, be a testament to the fact he is one of the best guitarists out there even at his age.