Iommi (album)
Encyclopedia
Iommi is a heavy metal
album
by Black Sabbath
guitarist
Tony Iommi
and myriad guest musicians and vocalists, including:
The album took nearly 5 years to make. All of the songs were written by Iommi, producer Bob Marlette
and the respective vocalists of each track (except "Black Oblivion", which was written by only Iommi and Billy Corgan
).
According to Tony Iommi, he and Phil Anselmo had recorded three tracks together for the album, but only one was put onto the album.
The album peaked at number 129 on the charts and its only single, "Goodbye Lament" reached number 10 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks.
Track nine features Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath vocalist (1968-1977, 1978-1979, 1985, 1992, 1996-1999, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006) and drummer Bill Ward (1968-1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1994, 1997-1999, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006). The track also features Laurence Cottle on bass, the session bassist for Black Sabbath's studio album Headless Cross
. Cottle also features on tracks 3-5 and 7-8. Tracks 3 and 7 feature guitarist Brian May
(of Queen
), who had previously guest performed with Sabbath on their 1989 tour, having guest performed a guitar solo on the Headless Cross album.
of the band Cold
that was not included on the album. But, the track has been available through various filesharing networks. One of the unreleased tracks with Phil Anselmo is a faster-paced song entitled "The Bastard". It has also been available through various filesharing networks.
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
by Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
Tony Iommi
Tony Iommi
Anthony Frank "Tony" Iommi is an English guitarist and songwriter best known as the founding member of pioneering heavy metal band Black Sabbath, and its sole continual member through multiple personnel changes.Iommi is widely recognised as one of the most important and influential guitarists in...
and myriad guest musicians and vocalists, including:
- Henry RollinsHenry RollinsHenry Rollins is an American singer-songwriter, spoken word artist, writer, comedian, publisher, actor, and radio DJ....
of Black FlagBlack Flag (band)Black Flag was an American punk rock band formed in 1976 in Hermosa Beach, California. The band was established by Greg Ginn, the guitarist, primary songwriter and sole continuous member through multiple personnel changes in the band...
and Rollins BandRollins BandRollins Band was an American rock band led by singer and songwriter Henry Rollins.They are best known for the songs "Low Self Opinion" and "Liar", which both earned heavy airplay on MTV in the early 1990s... - SkinDeborah DyerDeborah Anne Dyer, known by the stage name Skin, is a singer and occasional model. As Deborah Dyer, Skin studied Interior Design at Teesside University in Middlesbrough and they later honoured her with an honourary degree. She is currently the lead vocalist of English band Skunk Anansie...
of Skunk AnansieSkunk AnansieSkunk Anansie is an English rock band whose members include Skin , Cass , Ace and Mark Richardson .Skunk Anansie formed in March 1994, disbanded in 2001 and reformed in 2009... - Brian MayBrian MayBrian Harold May, CBE is an English musician and astrophysicist most widely known as the guitarist and a songwriter of the rock band Queen...
of QueenQueen (band)Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor... - Dave GrohlDave GrohlDavid Eric "Dave" Grohl is an American rock musician, multi-instrumentalist, and singer-songwriter who is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter for Foo Fighters; the former drummer for Nirvana and Scream; and the current drummer for Them Crooked Vultures...
of NirvanaNirvana (band)Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
and the Foo FightersFoo FightersFoo Fighters is an American alternative rock band originally formed in 1994 by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl as a one-man project following the dissolution of his previous band. The band got its name from the UFOs and various aerial phenomena that were reported by Allied aircraft pilots in World War... - Phil AnselmoPhil AnselmoPhilip Hansen "Phil" Anselmo is an American musician who is best known as the lead singer for the heavy metal band Pantera. He is currently the frontman for the Louisiana-based metal act Down. He is also the owner of Housecore Records....
of PanteraPanteraPantera was an American heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas. Formed by the Abbott brothers, Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell in 1981, bassist Rex Brown would join in late 1981 with vocalist Terry Glaze. Looking for a new and heavier sound, Pantera had Terry replaced in 1987 with Phil Anselmo as...
and DownDown (band)Down is an American heavy metal supergroup that formed in 1991 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The band's current lineup consists of vocalist Phil Anselmo, guitarist Pepper Keenan, guitarist Kirk Windstein, bassist Pat Bruders and drummer Jimmy Bower. Since their formation, Down has gone on hiatus twice... - Serj TankianSerj TankianSerj Tankian is a Lebanese-born Armenian-American singer–songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist, playwright, record producer, poet, and political activist...
of System of a DownSystem of a DownSystem of a Down, also known by the acronym SOAD and often shortened to System, is a rock band from Southern California. The band was formed in 1994. It consists of Serj Tankian , Daron Malakian , Shavo Odadjian and John Dolmayan... - Billy CorganBilly CorganWilliam Patrick "Billy" Corgan, Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional poet best known as the frontman and sole permanent member of The Smashing Pumpkins. Formed by Corgan and guitarist James Iha in Chicago, Illinois in 1987, the band quickly gained steam with the...
of the Smashing Pumpkins - Ian AstburyIan AstburyIan Astbury is an English rock musician and songwriter best known as the lead vocalist for the rock band, The Cult.-Pre-Cult:...
of The CultThe CultThe Cult are a British rock band that was formed in 1983. They gained a dedicated following in Britain in the mid 1980s as a post-punk band with singles such as "She Sells Sanctuary", before breaking mainstream in the United States in the late 1980s as a hard rock band with singles such as "Love... - Peter SteelePeter SteelePeter Thomas Ratajczyk , better known by his stage name Peter Steele, was the lead singer, bassist, and composer for the gothic metal band Type O Negative...
of Type O NegativeType O NegativeType O Negative was a gothic metal band from Brooklyn, New York City. The band also incorporated elements of doom metal and thrash metal. Their dramatic lyrical emphasis on themes of romance, depression, and death resulted in the nickname "The Drab Four"... - Black SabbathBlack SabbathBlack Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
bandmates Ozzy OsbourneOzzy OsbourneJohn Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
and Bill Ward - Billy IdolBilly IdolWilliam Michael Albert Broad , better known by his stage name Billy Idol, is an English rock musician. A member of the Bromley Contingent of Sex Pistols fans, Idol first achieved fame in the punk rock era as a member of the band Generation X...
The album took nearly 5 years to make. All of the songs were written by Iommi, producer Bob Marlette
Bob Marlette
Bob Marlette is an American record producer, recording engineer, mixer, keyboarder and songwriter.-Musician:Bob Marlette started out as a session musician and the first album he appeared on was Al Stewart's 24 Carrots...
and the respective vocalists of each track (except "Black Oblivion", which was written by only Iommi and Billy Corgan
Billy Corgan
William Patrick "Billy" Corgan, Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional poet best known as the frontman and sole permanent member of The Smashing Pumpkins. Formed by Corgan and guitarist James Iha in Chicago, Illinois in 1987, the band quickly gained steam with the...
).
According to Tony Iommi, he and Phil Anselmo had recorded three tracks together for the album, but only one was put onto the album.
The album peaked at number 129 on the charts and its only single, "Goodbye Lament" reached number 10 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks.
Black Sabbath band members and former members on the album
Iommi's career is closely linked to his time in Black Sabbath, a band he led from its formation in 1968 to its semi-retirement in 1999, and has continued to lead during sporadic reunions (in 2001, and in some form or another every year from 2004-07). Subsequently Iommi formed the band Heaven & Hell, a group featuring a collection of former Black Sabbath band members that had performed together under the Black Sabbath name in the past. A number of musicians associated with Black Sabbath appear on Iommi.Track nine features Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath vocalist (1968-1977, 1978-1979, 1985, 1992, 1996-1999, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006) and drummer Bill Ward (1968-1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1994, 1997-1999, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006). The track also features Laurence Cottle on bass, the session bassist for Black Sabbath's studio album Headless Cross
Headless Cross
Headless Cross is the fourteenth album by heavy metal band Black Sabbath, released in April 1989.This is the band's second album to feature singer Tony Martin and the first to feature drummer Cozy Powell.-Album information:...
. Cottle also features on tracks 3-5 and 7-8. Tracks 3 and 7 feature guitarist Brian May
Brian May
Brian Harold May, CBE is an English musician and astrophysicist most widely known as the guitarist and a songwriter of the rock band Queen...
(of Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
), who had previously guest performed with Sabbath on their 1989 tour, having guest performed a guitar solo on the Headless Cross album.
Track listing
- "Laughing Man (In The Devil Mask)" - Henry RollinsHenry RollinsHenry Rollins is an American singer-songwriter, spoken word artist, writer, comedian, publisher, actor, and radio DJ....
(Iommi, Marlette, Rollins) - "Meat" - SkinDeborah DyerDeborah Anne Dyer, known by the stage name Skin, is a singer and occasional model. As Deborah Dyer, Skin studied Interior Design at Teesside University in Middlesbrough and they later honoured her with an honourary degree. She is currently the lead vocalist of English band Skunk Anansie...
(Iommi, Marlette, Skin) - "Goodbye Lament" - Dave GrohlDave GrohlDavid Eric "Dave" Grohl is an American rock musician, multi-instrumentalist, and singer-songwriter who is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter for Foo Fighters; the former drummer for Nirvana and Scream; and the current drummer for Them Crooked Vultures...
(Grohl, Iommi, Marlette) - "Time Is Mine" - Phil AnselmoPhil AnselmoPhilip Hansen "Phil" Anselmo is an American musician who is best known as the lead singer for the heavy metal band Pantera. He is currently the frontman for the Louisiana-based metal act Down. He is also the owner of Housecore Records....
(Anselmo, Iommi, Marlette) - "Patterns" - Serj TankianSerj TankianSerj Tankian is a Lebanese-born Armenian-American singer–songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist, playwright, record producer, poet, and political activist...
(Iommi, Marlette, Tankian) - "Black Oblivion" - Billy CorganBilly CorganWilliam Patrick "Billy" Corgan, Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional poet best known as the frontman and sole permanent member of The Smashing Pumpkins. Formed by Corgan and guitarist James Iha in Chicago, Illinois in 1987, the band quickly gained steam with the...
(Corgan, Iommi) - "Flame On" - Ian AstburyIan AstburyIan Astbury is an English rock musician and songwriter best known as the lead vocalist for the rock band, The Cult.-Pre-Cult:...
(Astbury, Iommi, Marlette) - "Just Say No To Love" - Peter SteelePeter SteelePeter Thomas Ratajczyk , better known by his stage name Peter Steele, was the lead singer, bassist, and composer for the gothic metal band Type O Negative...
(Iommi, Marlette, Steele) - "Who's Fooling Who" - Ozzy OsbourneOzzy OsbourneJohn Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
(Iommi, Marlette, Osbourne) - "Into The Night" - Billy IdolBilly IdolWilliam Michael Albert Broad , better known by his stage name Billy Idol, is an English rock musician. A member of the Bromley Contingent of Sex Pistols fans, Idol first achieved fame in the punk rock era as a member of the band Generation X...
(Idol, Iommi, Marlette)
Other Songs Written
In an interview with Cosmik Conversations, Iommi said that they "actually wrote a few tracks with Billy [Idol]...three with Phil Anselmo...and two tracks with Billy Corgan, but you know, we could only use one of each." There is also a track entitled "Something Wicked This Way Comes" written and recorded with Scooter WardScooter Ward
Scooter Ward is an American musician. He is the founding member and lead singer of the Jacksonville, Florida hard rock band, Cold.-Career:...
of the band Cold
Cold (band)
Cold is an American post-grunge band, formed in 1996 in Jacksonville, Florida. With two gold-albums Cold has sold over 1.2 million records in the US alone. On November 17, 2006, Ward announced on MySpace that, after a period of uncertainty since that February, the group had decided to disband. In...
that was not included on the album. But, the track has been available through various filesharing networks. One of the unreleased tracks with Phil Anselmo is a faster-paced song entitled "The Bastard". It has also been available through various filesharing networks.
Guest Musicians
- Terry Phillips - Bass on 1
- Bob Marlette - Bass on 2
- Laurence CottleLaurence CottleLaurence Cottle is an electric bass guitarist and composer.-Career:His solo recordings have been mostly in the jazz and jazz-fusion vein, with such notable releases as Five Seasons, Laurence Cottle Quintet Live and others....
- Bass on 3, 4, 5, 7, 8 & 9 - Billy CorganBilly CorganWilliam Patrick "Billy" Corgan, Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional poet best known as the frontman and sole permanent member of The Smashing Pumpkins. Formed by Corgan and guitarist James Iha in Chicago, Illinois in 1987, the band quickly gained steam with the...
- Bass on 6, additional guitar on 6 - Peter SteelePeter SteelePeter Thomas Ratajczyk , better known by his stage name Peter Steele, was the lead singer, bassist, and composer for the gothic metal band Type O Negative...
- Bass on 8 - Ben ShepherdBen ShepherdBen Shepherd is an American musician, two-time Grammy Award Winner best known for playing bass in the grunge band Soundgarden from 1990 until the band's 1997 break-up...
- Bass on 10 - AceSkunk AnansieSkunk Anansie is an English rock band whose members include Skin , Cass , Ace and Mark Richardson .Skunk Anansie formed in March 1994, disbanded in 2001 and reformed in 2009...
(Martin Kent) - Additional guitar on 2 - Brian MayBrian MayBrian Harold May, CBE is an English musician and astrophysicist most widely known as the guitarist and a songwriter of the rock band Queen...
- Additional guitar on 3 & 7 - Jimmy Copley - Drums on 1 & 5
- John TempestaJohn TempestaJohn Tempesta is a heavy metal drummer who has worked several bands including: Exodus, Testament and White Zombie. He also played with former White Zombie singer Rob Zombie as a solo artist and served as drum technician for heavy metal band Anthrax earlier in his career...
- Drums on 2 - Dave GrohlDave GrohlDavid Eric "Dave" Grohl is an American rock musician, multi-instrumentalist, and singer-songwriter who is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter for Foo Fighters; the former drummer for Nirvana and Scream; and the current drummer for Them Crooked Vultures...
- Drums on 3 - Matt CameronMatt CameronMatthew David "Matt" Cameron is an American musician who serves as the drummer for the American rock bands Pearl Jam and Soundgarden...
- Drums on 4, 7, 8 & 10 - Kenny AronoffKenny AronoffKenny Aronoff is an American drummer. He has played drums for many musicians, including John Mellencamp, Bob Seger, Belinda Carlisle, Elton John, John Fogerty, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Meat Loaf, The BoDeans, Gregg Alexander, The Smashing Pumpkins, Tony Iommi, Jon Bon Jovi, Vasco Rossi, Cinderella and...
- Drums on 6 - Bill Ward - Drums on 9
Singles
Billboard (North America)| Year | Single | Chart | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | "Goodbye Lament" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | #10 |