573. Tony Iommi / Iommi. 2000. 3.5/5

As we entered into the new millenium, it was becoming more and more obvious that Black Sabbath as a real and functioning band was finished. Ozzy didn't look as though he wanted to do new material with the original line-up, and the Tony Martin-fronted line-up had also probably gone its distance as well.
What, then, was to become of the brilliant and genre-defining guitarist Tony Iommi? Back in 1984 when he tried to put together a solo album, it got tagged as a Black Sabbath release. Could he do something again, this time just as his own project? As it turned out, he could, although it would take a few years of prepping and recording, and a lot of guests to help out.

Here then is Iommi, an album written by Tony and co-written and co-guesting different vocalists on each track. As a result, it feels and sounds more like a 'collection' than an 'album', as there is not a lot of cohesion between tracks. That doesn't make it a bad album as such, but if there are vocalists that you don't like involved (there are) then it makes it difficult to enjoy the songs that they are involved in (it does).
Probably what also hinders the concept is that a lot of the riffs sound like they have been recycled from those more recent Black Sabbath albums, and to be fair a lot of those songs just don't rate highly. It wouldn't be fair to say that Iommi has run out of riffs, but they just don't seem to come so good as frequently as they used to.
The favourites for me on the album include Henry Rollins on "Laughing Man (In The Devil Mask)", Dave Grohl with Brian May on "Goodbye Lament" and Billy Corgan on "Black Oblivion", though it does stretch on a little too long. The songs with high profile vocalists, such as "Time Is Mine" with Phil Anselmo, "Who's Fooling Who" with Ozzy and "Into The Night" with Billy Idol, just don't live up to the hype, and perhaps suffer a little because of it.

Again, as I said, as a collective of songs based around the centrepiece of Tony Iommi's guitaring, it isn't a bad effort. Those looking for a post-Sabbath future, like myself, were left to further ponder what it may hold beyond this.

418. Tony Iommi & Glenn Hughes / Fused. 2005. 4/5.

After a number of years, Tony Iommi finally got his head around what he wanted to do, and so came forth this collaboration with Glenn Hughes.

Following on the demise of the Black Sabbath era with Tony Martin and Cozy Powell, the one-off Iommi album with many guest musicians and the annual reunion of the original Black Sabbath to play at Ozzfest – but not to record – Iommi really needed to find a project that was outside of this Sabbath scene. By coming together with Glenn Hughes again, there was an opportunity for them both to do something that was different.

I love this for the fact that it isn’t a Black Sabbath album. It is the coming together of two wonderful musicians, and gelling their different styles into one album. It isn’t like Seventh Star, where they tried to sell it off as a Black Sabbath album, which it quite obviously wasn’t. This has been packaged and released as a separate entity, which is exactly correct.

So settle back and listen to this NOT expecting Black Sabbath, and I think you will be pleasantly surprised for how good it really is. Glenn Hughes has one of the most amazing voices in all of music, and it is showcased here again. Combined with those awesome Tony Iommi riffs and you have a terrific album. The album’s tempo and mood are constant all the way through, which helps to set it apart from the previous work of both these artists. I think the best songs are the ones that bookend the album, “Dopamine” and “I Go Insane”. Both are perfect examples of where Hughes’ vocals and Iommi’s guitaring are the leading features. “The Spell” and “Face Your Fear” and “Wasted Again” are others that I believe are standout tracks.

Rating: Not what you expect, and probably better for it. 4/5.