The relationship between iconic Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi and English musician Glenn Hughes stretches far back into the mid-eighties. Best known for playing bass and performing vocals in the hard rock band Trapeze and the Mk. III and IV line-ups of Deep Purple, Hughes sang on the 1986 Black Sabbath album “Seventh Star.” It was the twelfth album from the fabled heavy metal originators and was initially intended to be the first solo release from Iommi, but record company and management pressures led to the album being billed as Black Sabbath featuring Tony Iommi.
Despite these demands, the album was a commercial success and reached the Top 30 of the English charts. Glenn’s powerful, soulful voice complimented Iommi’s unique guitar style perfectly, and even though the eighties were a turbulent time for Black Sabbath, it was clear that Iommi and Hughes would work together again in the future.
That time came in 1996 when Iommi once again collaborated with Hughes for a release that would become known as “The 1996 Dep Sessions,“ recorded at DEP International Studios in Digbeth, Birmingham. The recordings were demos and were left unfinished due to the original lineup of Black Sabbath reforming at the time. However, a bootleg recording known as “Eighth Star” was circulated among fans so in 2004, to combat this, the session was eventually officially released.
After Black Sabbath’s 1995 album “Forbidden,” the band would go on hiatus. So when Tony and Glenn reunited in 1996 to record together, it was with a renewed creative vigor and ambition to take a step away from the signature Black Sabbath sound and forge a new direction. The results were a formidable, contemporary take on a classic rock sound with Glenn’s soaring vocals combined effortlessly with Iommi’s monolithic riffs. These eight songs sound as vital as the day they were recorded and are now being pressed on vinyl for the first time in a limited Translucent Black Ice color.
The official release of “1996 The Dep Sessions” in 2004 proved to be a catalyst for Tony and Glenn, who rekindled their collaboration and within a year, released what would be Iommi’s third solo album in 2005. Titled “Fused”, the album was recorded at Monnow Valley Studios in Wales and saw Iommi sounding heavier than ever. The album is chock full of stomping, grinding riffs that saw Iommi tipping his hat to the metal genre he had helped spawn decades before.
“Fused” sounded completely modern for what was happening in heavy music at the time and still stands the test of time today. Once again, Glenn’s vocals glided effortlessly over Iommi’s earth-shattering six-string attack. Produced, engineered, and mixed by American record producer Bob Marlette (whose credits include everyone from Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper to Sheryl Crow), the album was a success and reached number 34 on Billboard’s Top Heatseekers Chart. “Fused” is now reissued for the first time on Translucent Cobalt Blue vinyl and includes three bonus tracks.
It’s only right that these fantastic recordings from his solo years are being cut to wax for the first time for new and old fans to enjoy as well as new digi-sleeve CD and digital editions.
Pre-order “The 1996 Dep Sessions” and “Fused” HERE.