Black Sabbath Guitarist Tony Iommi To Release Solo Album

Tony Iommi, the pioneering guitarist and founding force of Black Sabbath, has announced his first solo album in over two decades. Titled From The Dark, the record arrives October 23, 2026 via BMG. It marks his first full-length release since Black Sabbath’s final studio album, 13, and his first proper solo outing since 2005’s Fused with Glenn Hughes.

The announcement came on July 29 during a livestreamed event in Iommi’s hometown of Birmingham, England, near the Black Sabbath Bridge. There he debuted the lead single “World Alone” along with its dystopian, retro-future music video and took part in a Q&A with comedian Frank Skinner. A limited-edition 7-inch of the single, backed with an exclusive instrumental version, follows on September 4.

From The Dark features eight original tracks: “Over The Violent Sun,” “Black Times,” “World Alone,” “Beyond The Dead,” “Stormwatcher,” “Death Wake,” “Return Of The Arbalist,” and “Legacy.” Deluxe CD editions add two bonus cuts: the earlier instrumental “Scent Of Dark” and an extended version of “Deified.” Both of those instrumentals first appeared as companion pieces to Iommi’s designer perfume releases in 2021 and 2024. Those tracks planted the seeds for the full album. As the ideas developed, Iommi decided he wanted a proper band rather than a collection of one-off guests.

The core lineup remains consistent across the record. Norwegian vocalist Jørn Lande (known for Masterplan, his own Jorn project, and work with Avantasia) handles all lead vocals and shares writing credits. Bassist Becky Baldwin, who has played with Mercyful Fate, anchors the low end in a style Iommi has compared to Geezer Butler’s. Drummer Karl Brazil, previously heard on the “Deified” single and known for work with Robbie Williams, provides the rhythmic foundation. Longtime collaborator Mike Exeter co-produces with Iommi and contributes keyboards. Queen’s Brian May adds a guest guitar solo on the doomy “Death Wake.”

Iommi has described the process as enjoyable and free of external pressure. “It’s an album we’ve really enjoyed making,” he said. “We’re not trying to prove anything – it’s a great album, it rocks!” In a separate interview he noted that he still gravitates toward heavy, doomy riffs first. “I tend to always start off with the doomy stuff. I just get absorbed with doomy riffs. It’s a feeling I get when I play something heavy and powerful.” He deliberately balanced those darker moments with up-tempo material such as “World Alone” so the album would not feel one-dimensional. All the riffs are new rather than recycled from old tapes or cassettes.

Lande’s connection to Iommi dates to a Ronnie James Dio tribute performance, where the guitarist was impressed by the Norwegian singer’s powerful, dramatic voice. Baldwin lives in Birmingham and plays in a style that suits Iommi’s preference for a solid, band-like foundation. Brazil’s Birmingham roots and prior work on the perfume tracks made him a natural fit. Exeter’s long collaboration with Iommi ensures the production remains crystalline and powerful while retaining the guitarist’s signature down-tuned weight.

The album arrives in a significant personal and historical context. Black Sabbath played its final show, Back to the Beginning, in Birmingham in July 2025. Ozzy Osbourne died just two weeks later. Iommi has spoken openly about the shock of that loss and how he still finds it strange to see Ozzy online, almost as if he remains present. The two stayed in close contact for years and supported each other through health struggles. Iommi has made clear that Black Sabbath as a band is finished. Any future work under that name would feel incomplete without Ozzy, and he has no interest in continuing it alone. It is likely that many (if not most) fans would agree.

Yet the creative drive remains. Iommi has said he is not ready to retire or simply sit back and relax. Music is what he knows, and creating it keeps his mind active. From The Dark grew without the usual album-cycle deadlines, allowing him to live with the material and refine it at his own pace. The result, by early accounts, delivers classic Iommi hallmarks (crushing riffs, dark atmosphere, memorable guitar work) filtered through a modern production sheen and a focused band chemistry.

Pre-orders are already available in multiple formats, including standard and deluxe CDs, black vinyl, and limited marbled vinyl variants. For fans who have waited more than two decades for new solo material from the man who essentially invented heavy metal guitar, October cannot come soon enough. Whether the album leans more toward the doom-laden weight of early Sabbath or the sharper edges of later periods remains to be fully heard, but the early single and Iommi’s own comments suggest it rocks with purpose and without pretension.