Tony Iommi had a specific bassist in mind when he set out to make his new solo record: his old Black Sabbath partner Geezer Butler. It just wasn’t meant to be.
In a new interview with Rolling Stone tied to From The Dark, due October 23 via BMG, the guitarist explained that he’d hoped to bring Butler into the fold before circumstances got in the way.
“I wanted him to play on this album, but he couldn’t do it,” Iommi said. “He’s doing his own album, I think. Or at the time, something happened there, so he couldn’t come to England. I wanted to get it done and finally get it out, really. Because Becky‘s, as I say, a fan of Geezer, and she plays in that style, I though let’s give it a try. And she was good.”
The “Becky” in question is Becky Baldwin, the Birmingham bassist, also known for her work in Mercyful Fate and Fury, who ended up handling four-string duties across the album. For Iommi, her feel for Butler‘s playing was the whole point.
“Becky lives in Birmingham, and she’s a really good player,” he continued. “And she’s certainly a fan of Geezer, and she plays in Geezer‘s style. And that’s what I wanted. She’s really good.”
From The Dark pairs Iommi throughout with Norwegian vocalist Jorn Lande, who shares writing credits on every track, alongside Baldwin and drummer Karl Brazil. The guitarist co-produced the record with Mike Exeter, his longtime creative partner, co-writer, producer and engineer.
The road to Lande ran back through one of the more emotional nights in Iommi‘s recent history. “We’ve worked with him before. When we’d done the [Ronnie James] Dio tribute after Ronnie passed away [at the 2010 High Voltage festival at Victoria Park in London, England], we had Jorn come and sing a couple of songs with us at the tribute, and I really liked his voice. So, I thought, ‘Well, I’d like to use him.’ I liked his voice. I mean, you could go and pick some named people, but I’ve done that.”
Rather than steer the vocals, Iommi handed Lande the reins on lyrics entirely, saying he gave him no lyrical direction at all — a decision rooted in his years working with the late Ronnie James Dio. “With a singer, it’s good if they can do their own stuff because when they’ve got to sing it, they can put it over better,” he explained. “It’s like with Ronnie — when he used to write the lyrics, there’s certain words that he could really get powerful on. And I think it’s the same with Jorn.”
For all the riffs he’s stockpiled over a lifetime, Iommi said the ones on From The Dark are fresh: “No, they’ve all been new. The thing is, I’ve got loads of riffs on CDs, cassettes, and all sorts of stuff. But by the time I’ve gone back to try and find something on them, I’ve come up with something new.”
The recruitment of drummer Karl Brazil came about almost by accident — a chance meeting that Iommi clearly still finds amusing. “It’s strange, really,” he recalled. “I’ve got a house by the beach, which we go down to now and again. I was walking along the perimeter of the beach, and this guy come up to me and said, ‘Oh, Tony, hello.’ And I thought he’s just a fan. And he said, ‘We’ve got a mutual friend. Mike Exeter is my engineer. I’m Robbie Williams‘ drummer.’ Then Mike, my engineer, he said, ‘Oh, yeah, he’s a good drummer, Karl.’ I used him on one of my instrumental tracks with the perfume thing I did. And then I thought it’d be nice to use him on the album because he’s a good player. Also, he’s from Birmingham, which is really good because I wanted to try and keep it local.”
That “perfume thing” was “Deified,” the 2024 instrumental Iommi recorded to accompany one of his fragrance releases — and the keeping-it-local instinct clearly shaped the whole project, with Baldwin and Brazil both hailing from his native Birmingham.
From The Dark will be Iommi‘s third solo album, following Iommi in 2000 and Fused in 2005. Speaking on the creation of the record, Iommi shared: “It’s an album we’ve really enjoyed making. We’re not trying to prove anything – it’s a great album, it rocks!”
The track listing for From The Dark includes:
- “Over The Violent Sun“
- “Black Times“
- “World Alone“
- “Beyond The Dead“
- “Stormwatcher“
- “Death Wake“
- “Return Of The Arbalist“
- “Legacy“
The release will also feature two exclusive bonus tracks:
- “Scent Of Dark“
- “Deified (Extended Version)“
Yesterday, Tony Iommi officially unveiled “World Alone“.
As the founding member and chief songwriter of Black Sabbath, he is widely regarded as one of the most influential guitarists in modern music, credited with shaping the very sound and language of heavy metal.
His standing has been recognized far beyond the stage. Iommi has won multiple Grammy Awards, been inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, and collected a string of honors in the U.K., including a doctorate from Coventry University, a Lord Mayor’s Award and the Freedom Of The City of Birmingham. In June 2026, he was awarded an MBE, one of the highest distinctions in British public life.
