With a break in the Black Sabbath reissue series, Tony Iommi continues to delve into his past, this time with a long overdue first ever vinyl release for a pair of his most underrated works. Released in 2005 'Fused' saw the guitar legend team up with the Voice of Rock, Glenn Hughes on record for their first official collaboration in almost two decades. Also getting a rerelease is their first attempt, as 'The 1996 Dep Sessions', which originally came out in 2004.
When Glenn Hughes teamed with Tony Iommi for the Black Sabbath man's would-be first solo album in 1986, it was doomed to failure. When the album - 'Seventh Star' - was released under the moniker 'Black Sabbath Featuring Tony Iommi', it was just the start of the problems. At the height of his crippling drug addiction, Hughes would be fired just ten dates into its supporting tour, bringing an end a very brief partnership.
The timing was clearly wrong, and newly sober, Hughes would again reconnect with Iommi a decade later, and although the sessions would go no further at that than a widely circulated bootleg - finally released in 2004 is 'The 1996 Dep Sessions' - by 2005 a new album finally arrived, in the monstrous and highly underrated 'Fused'.
And it's this pair that are next in Iommi's complete reissue programme, following on from the excellent Black Sabbath 'Anno Domini 1989 - 1995' set, which appeared earlier in the year,
Given that it's a proper album, it's 'Fused' that is unsurprisingly the more coherent of pair. Kicking off with the heavy groove of 'Dopamine', with its irresistible chorus and modern production, it's clear from the off that these are no dinosaurs trying to recapture their former glories.
There was clearly brilliance left in the Iommi / Hughes partnership, and with 'Wasted Again' bringing another riff-heavy assault countered by a pensive verse and vocal from Hughes, the slow dirges of 'Resolution Song', and 'Grace' are Black Sabbath in all but name. Hughes' vocals and choice of harmonies however, add a commercial edge to both this atmospheric pairing, as well as the rest of the album.
The standouts include 'Deep Inside a Shell' which features a real earworm in its chorus, and the driving 'What You're Living For', which speeds along in top gear, before juddering to a sludgy pace in its choruses.
Elsewhere, 'The Spell' offers one of those patented Iommi walking riffs, with Hughes sounding eerily close to Ozzy, while 'I Go Insane', which officially closes the album, dials things back to the blues. There's also three bonus tracks, in faithful rocker 'Let it Down Easy', stomper 'Slip Away', and the grooving 'The Innocence'.
‘The 1996 Dep Sessions’ - so-called because it was recorded at DEP International Studios in Digbeth, Birmingham - meanwhile, treads a more varied musical musical path, with an unsurprisingly - given its demo status - much drier production. It's evident that this was recorded in the post-grunge era, with opener 'Gone' giving off distinct Soundgarden vibes, rare steel string acoustic picking on the tuneful 'From Another World', and 'Don't Drag the River' showcasing a different, jangly, reflective side of Iommi. There's also the distinctly trippy, Beatles-sy vibe of 'Fine'.
It's not all off road however, and 'Time is a Healer' is a classic Tony Iommi doomy riff fest, while closer 'It Falls Through Me' is an epic, Dio-style closer.
Both are available as vinyl releases - with 'Fused' a limited edition colour vinyl with gatefold sleeve - digisleeve CD, and digital releases.
Order 'The 1996 Dep Sessions' and 'Fused' here.
The timing was clearly wrong, and newly sober, Hughes would again reconnect with Iommi a decade later, and although the sessions would go no further at that than a widely circulated bootleg - finally released in 2004 is 'The 1996 Dep Sessions' - by 2005 a new album finally arrived, in the monstrous and highly underrated 'Fused'.
And it's this pair that are next in Iommi's complete reissue programme, following on from the excellent Black Sabbath 'Anno Domini 1989 - 1995' set, which appeared earlier in the year,
Given that it's a proper album, it's 'Fused' that is unsurprisingly the more coherent of pair. Kicking off with the heavy groove of 'Dopamine', with its irresistible chorus and modern production, it's clear from the off that these are no dinosaurs trying to recapture their former glories.
There was clearly brilliance left in the Iommi / Hughes partnership, and with 'Wasted Again' bringing another riff-heavy assault countered by a pensive verse and vocal from Hughes, the slow dirges of 'Resolution Song', and 'Grace' are Black Sabbath in all but name. Hughes' vocals and choice of harmonies however, add a commercial edge to both this atmospheric pairing, as well as the rest of the album.
The standouts include 'Deep Inside a Shell' which features a real earworm in its chorus, and the driving 'What You're Living For', which speeds along in top gear, before juddering to a sludgy pace in its choruses.
Elsewhere, 'The Spell' offers one of those patented Iommi walking riffs, with Hughes sounding eerily close to Ozzy, while 'I Go Insane', which officially closes the album, dials things back to the blues. There's also three bonus tracks, in faithful rocker 'Let it Down Easy', stomper 'Slip Away', and the grooving 'The Innocence'.
‘The 1996 Dep Sessions’ - so-called because it was recorded at DEP International Studios in Digbeth, Birmingham - meanwhile, treads a more varied musical musical path, with an unsurprisingly - given its demo status - much drier production. It's evident that this was recorded in the post-grunge era, with opener 'Gone' giving off distinct Soundgarden vibes, rare steel string acoustic picking on the tuneful 'From Another World', and 'Don't Drag the River' showcasing a different, jangly, reflective side of Iommi. There's also the distinctly trippy, Beatles-sy vibe of 'Fine'.
It's not all off road however, and 'Time is a Healer' is a classic Tony Iommi doomy riff fest, while closer 'It Falls Through Me' is an epic, Dio-style closer.
Both are available as vinyl releases - with 'Fused' a limited edition colour vinyl with gatefold sleeve - digisleeve CD, and digital releases.
Order 'The 1996 Dep Sessions' and 'Fused' here.