Tony Iommi released From the Dark on October 23, 2026, ending a twenty-one-year wait for a new solo studio album. The Black Sabbath guitarist presents eight songs with Jørn Lande on vocals and sharing writing credits throughout. Queen's Brian May adds a guest solo to Death Wake, while the core group includes Becky Baldwin, Karl Brazil and longtime production collaborator Mike Exeter.
Tony Iommi has released From the Dark, his first new solo studio album since 2005's Fused. Available through BMG from October 23, the record brings eight songs together with Norwegian singer Jørn Lande. Brian May appears as a guest on one track, adding another shared musical moment to a friendship between the Queen and Black Sabbath guitarists that stretches back decades.
Fused featured Glenn Hughes on vocals and bass, but the long interval since that release was not a period of musical inactivity. Iommi continued recording with Black Sabbath, working with Heaven & Hell and pursuing other collaborations. The twenty-one-year gap refers specifically to a new solo studio album, rather than to the absence of any music involving him.
The project was announced on July 29 with World Alone, introduced during a special presentation in Birmingham. The first single supplied an initial view of the record's guitar-led sound almost three months before the complete release. Tony Iommi worked with Lande across the album rather than assembling a different vocalist for each track, giving the recordings a consistent front line.
Lande shares writing credits on all eight songs. Known for traditional and melodic heavy metal, his singing has often been linked with the legacy of Ronnie James Dio, another major voice in Black Sabbath's history. That musical association offers context for the partnership without making it a claim that the new album simply reproduces older recordings.
The rhythm section combines Mercyful Fate bassist Becky Baldwin with drummer Karl Brazil, whose work spans different musical settings. Mike Exeter contributes keyboards and co-produces with Tony Iommi. His longstanding relationship with the guitarist provides continuity in the recording process, while the chosen group gives the release a stable ensemble rather than a succession of unrelated guest combinations.
Over the Violent Sun opens the album, followed by Black Times and World Alone. The single's video creates a dystopian setting around a character called The Believer, who faces a world resembling a dark video game. That visual narrative is attached to the song as a separate production, developing an imagined struggle for survival alongside the recording.
Beyond the Dead occupies the fourth position and introduces a slower approach with orchestral elements around the guitar. Stormwatcher follows, using nautical images and the idea of navigating unknown waters. It was released ahead of the album on September 30 and accompanied by animated imagery, offering another preview of the wider range within the complete program.
Death Wake is the sixth track and the setting for Brian May's guest contribution. Tony Iommi invited his longtime friend to participate, with May choosing to add a specific solo. His role should not be expanded into an appearance on every recording or a joint album by the two guitarists. The core identity remains that of Iommi's project with Lande and the regular musicians.
The friendship goes back to the early 1970s, connecting performers who developed highly recognizable sounds through different bands. Their meeting on Death Wake adds to that history without changing the personnel structure of the full album. The solo is a particular guest moment within a set otherwise organized around the same voices and instrumental team.
Return of the Arbalist and Legacy complete the basic eight-track edition, whose running time is approximately forty-two minutes. The former turns toward a faster metal approach, while the latter closes with a longer composition and changes in emphasis. The order allows differences in pace and arrangement rather than holding every song to an identical rhythmic pattern.
The deluxe CD adds Scent of Dark and an extended Deified, instrumental pieces previously associated with Tony Iommi's Xerjoff fragrance collaborations. They are bonus recordings, separate from the eight new main tracks. Physical formats also include double vinyl cut at forty-five rpm, with several color options and packaging that uses the guitarist's signature cross as a visual feature. The deluxe CD is presented with a thirty-two-page booklet, while other CD configurations use a shorter booklet. The vinyl's die-cut outer sleeve reveals an illustration beneath the cross, with more of the image appearing when the inner sleeve is removed.
The release follows Black Sabbath's final concert at Back to the Beginning in Birmingham in July 2025, where Iommi performed with Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward. Osbourne died later that month. The guitarist has spoken about the loss, but From the Dark has not been announced as a tribute album or officially attributed to that event as its creative starting point.
Tony Iommi has described the sessions as an enjoyable process rather than an attempt to prove something. That account matches a project built around selected collaborators and a steady band. From the Dark is now available with Lande across the eight main songs and May appearing on Death Wake, placing another complete solo record after the long interval since Fused.
