Tony Iommi may have been momentarily diverted by the recent “Back To The Beginning” event and a special Black Sabbath reunion performance, but the iconic guitarist hasn’t slowed down creatively. On the July 8 episode of SiriusXM’s Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk, he opened up about multiple ongoing projects — including a new solo album that’s still in the works.
“Well, at the moment, well, I was doing my own album until [the Back To The Beginning event] came up, and then, of course, I had to stop and concentrate on [preparing for] the Sabbath [performance]. But I’m continuing next week on trying to finish off what I started with this album. And then who knows what I’m gonna do then? It’s great, really, ’cause if something pops up, I’ll do it, if I want to do it. So it’s a good thing,” Iommi shared (via Blabbermouth)
While many fans might be expecting another collaborative album in the vein of Iommi (2000), that’s not exactly where he’s headed right now.
“At the moment, no. I’ve got one singer on it at the moment, which I originally thought of as different singers. But it started off as it’s gonna be an instrumental album, and it’s gone from I’ve got some instrumental stuff, but then I thought, ‘Oh, I wanna try it with a singer.’ And so that’s what I’ve been doing.”
Beyond his own solo work, Iommi has also taken a surprising turn into unexpected territory, teaming up with British pop icon Robbie Williams for a guitar-driven rock track called “Rocket,” the lead single from Williams’ upcoming album Britpop.
“[Robbie] asked me if I’d play on this track, and I didn’t realize he was gonna release it as a single,” Iommi said. “And then he wanted to do a video with it. Oh my God. But it was great to do that. And I enjoyed doing that. And it’s great now — I can do different stuff when I want, really, and I’m enjoying it.”
Even as he explores new sounds and unlikely partnerships, Iommi insists that music continues to drive him forward.
“I can’t stop. I have to carry on. I enjoy what I do. And it’s great being creative. And I love to create music. That’s what started me off and that’s what will finish me off, probably. But I love it. And there will be — yes — more from me. And I’m getting more involved in — we spread our wings with the Black Sabbath ballet and different things. And there’s a lot more things to come. So I’m looking forward to that.”
This steady stream of creativity isn’t new for Iommi. Just last year, he released an instrumental track titled “Deified” to accompany the launch of a new fragrance — his second musical perfume pairing. The track brought him back together with long-time collaborator Mike Exeter on keys and production duties, Laurence Cottle (of Black Sabbath’s Headless Cross) on bass, and Karl Brazil, best known for his work with Feeder and Robbie Williams, on drums. Ben Andrews contributed orchestral arrangements.
Before that, fans were treated to 2021’s “Scent Of Dark”, a heavy instrumental that marked Iommi’s first new music in eight years. The song was also tied to a custom cologne, further blurring the line between branding and artistry in Iommi‘s world.
