Tony Iommi Recruits Becky Baldwin for First Solo Album in 21 Years
Black Sabbath guitarist and heavy metal pioneer Tony Iommi has announced a new album that will mark his first solo record in 21 years. From the Dark will arrive on October 23rd with the guitar icon returning to a quartet format. He tapped vocalist Jorn Lande, who shares writing credits on all songs, as well as drummer Karl Brazil and bassist Becky Baldwin to drive the rhythm.
“It’s an album we’ve really enjoyed making. We’re not trying to prove anything – it’s a great album, it rocks!” Iommi says.
His new sound can be heard in the lead single, “World Alone,” which features an accompanying music video based in a retrofuture, dystopian universe.
Baldwin also plays with the Danish metal band Mercyful Fate. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Iommi explains he found her as a local from his hometown.
“Becky lives in Birmingham, and she’s a really good player,” he said. “And she’s certainly a fan of [Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler], and she plays in Geezer’s style. And that’s what I wanted. She’s really good.”
When asked if he wanted Butler on the album, he explained, “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.”
Baldwin shared her excitement for the project on her Facebook page.
“I am so proud to be a part of this, and we’re so thrilled with the results working with producer Mike Exeter,” she wrote. “I’ve heard the final mixes, I know the rest of the album is coming out in October. I have to believe it’s all real now. Thank you everyone for the hundreds of excited messages yesterday while we celebrated the ‘World Alone’ single.”
Tony Iommi’s From the Dark can be preordered on CD, vinyl and as a digital download (Apple Music, and Amazon Music).
From the Dark Track List:
- Over The Violent Sun
- Black Times
- World Alone
- Beyond The Dead
- Stormwatcher
- Death Wake
- Return Of The Arbalist
- Legacy
- Scent Of Dark (Deluxe CD bonus track)
- Deified (extended) (Deluxe CD bonus track)
In his time with No Treble, Kevin has met hundreds of amazing bassists and interviewed icons like Jack Casady, Victor Wooten, Les Claypool, Marcus Miller, and more. He's a gigging bassist performing jazz in Northern Virginia and bluegrass with The Plate Scrapers up and down the East Coast. Kevin appreciates all genres of music, from R&B to metal and everything in between. Connect with Kevin on Facebook and check his performance schedule on his website.
