Iommi - 'Fused' (Sanctuary Records) Released 11/07/05

Black Sabbath guitarist and all-round legend Tony Iommi is reunited with vocalist Glenn Hughes, who briefly joined Sabbath in 1986. After so many years in the rock industry, you think that these heavy weights would be fresh out of ideas. But this is as lively and youthful as anything by the latest metal pretenders, with the fantastic benefit of decades of experience.

Opening track ‘Dopamine’ is a great starting point. Kicking off with a sleazy, heavy riff, complimented brilliantly by Glenn Hughes’ nasal, snotty vocals. As expected, there is a brilliant solo in there. Carrying on the drugs theme , ‘Wasted Again’ is another example of brilliant guitar work from Iommi.

‘Grace’ is a brilliant slow track, and the verses are a little reminiscent of Linkin Park. Maybe this could be the start of a heavy metal circle of influence. Another lighter-lifting anthem is ‘Face Your Fear’, complete with a sing-a-long chorus. Most of the songs on this album are slower rock anthems than all-out heavy metal, but they are still very listenable.

Closing epic is ‘I Go Insane’, which is a beautiful track, and very Sabbath. With a lengthy instrumental section, it spirals into rock madness, sure to start heads banging and a few horns flying into the air.

Make no mistake, this album is metal. In every way. Okay, so a few old school Sabbath fans may find it a little slick and over-produced, but the songs contain brilliant melodies and excellent riffs. Glenn Hughes is a brilliant vocalist, screaming and snarling his way through every track. But the real highlight of this album is the guitar work by Tony Iommi. Every riff is impeccable, and every solo fits fantastically in each song. Any fans of Iommi or even metal need to hear this album.