The Master of the Riff Returns From the Dark
Tony Iommi has announced a new solo album, From The Dark, and its first single suggests something far more substantial than a collection of guest appearances. “World Alone” introduces a genuine band—and one of the most exciting new chapters in Iommi’s extraordinary career.
Tony Iommi has returned with a new single, “World Alone”, the first track to be released from his forthcoming album From The Dark.
The album will be released worldwide by BMG on 23 October 2026. “World Alone” received its premiere during a special event in Iommi’s hometown of Birmingham, close to the Black Sabbath Bridge.
I was very kindly invited by Tony’s management to attend the press launch. Unfortunately, travelling from Cornwall with the notice I had made it impossible for me to get there in time.
I am hoping, however, that I may have an opportunity to talk to Tony nearer the album’s release. I will certainly continue covering the music as further tracks emerge, leading towards a full track-by-track review of From The Dark.
For now, though, we have “World Alone”. And what an opening statement it is.
A music video that tells a story
The complete “World Alone” video lasts around seven and a half minutes, although the music does not begin immediately.
Instead, we are given an extended cinematic introduction—something music videos used to do regularly. It establishes a strange, dystopian future in which civilisation appears to have collapsed and one solitary figure remains.
The official description identifies this character as “The Believer”, who becomes trapped inside a twisted video game in which he must fight for survival and ultimately search for salvation.
It is atmospheric, beautifully constructed and genuinely cinematic. At the centre of this desolate world is a cartridge carrying Tony Iommi’s familiar cross emblem. Once it is inserted, the music begins.
Could Iommi’s music be the thing that saves the last surviving person on Earth? As concepts go, I rather like that.
The arrival of the riff
The first thing we hear is exactly what most of us are waiting for: a Tony Iommi riff.
It has the unmistakable weight and authority of his playing, but it also reminds me particularly of his musical vocabulary during the 1980s and 1990s. The riff initially appears on its own, followed by a brief pause before the entire band crashes in.
Tony then begins adding lead-guitar phrases over the central riff, immediately demonstrating that “World Alone” is not simply built around one enormous guitar figure. There are layers of melodic detail unfolding throughout the song.
There are inevitable points of comparison with the Ronnie James Dio and Tony Martin periods of Black Sabbath. Jørn Lande possesses the power and dramatic range required by this type of music, but the song doesn’t sound like a calculated attempt to recreate a previous version of Sabbath.
It sounds like Tony Iommi making the music he wants to make in 2026.
A hypnotic, infectious guitar figure
The central riff becomes increasingly effective with every listen.
It has an almost hypnotic quality. After a few plays, it begins following you around, turning itself over inside your head. That is one of Tony Iommi’s greatest gifts: he can create something initially dark and imposing which also becomes incredibly memorable.
What particularly caught my attention were the blues-rooted bends and little rock ’n’ roll inflections Tony places around the riff.
It is sometimes forgotten by more technically focused metal guitarists that Iommi’s foundations lie in blues, jazz and early rock music. However heavy the surrounding music becomes, that sense of feel and swing has never disappeared from his playing.
The chorus also makes fascinating use of large, open-sounding chords. Watching Tony play in the video, you can see that he isn’t simply moving conventional barre-chord shapes around the neck. He is allowing those chords to breathe and ring out, giving the chorus an unexpectedly expansive quality.
A solo filled with feel and melody
The guitar solo arrives after the second chorus, and it is wonderful.
It begins with feel, space and melody. Every note appears to have a purpose before Tony allows the solo to accelerate into a flurry of faster playing—a waterfall of notes tumbling over the rocks, each one somehow finding its way home. Tony can play with speed when the music demands it, but he has never treated speed as the destination. Melody, atmosphere and emotional weight always come first.
Think about the extraordinary solo in “You Won’t Change Me” from Technical Ecstasy, or the way his guitar seems to sing during “Lonely Is the Word” on Heaven and Hell. “World Alone” belongs to that same tradition of expressive playing.
This feels like a proper band
Perhaps the most encouraging thing about “World Alone” is that it introduces what feels like a genuine band rather than a revolving collection of celebrity guests.
Tony is joined throughout From The Dark by Norwegian vocalist Jørn Lande, Birmingham bassist Becky Baldwin and drummer Karl Brazil. Lande also shares the songwriting credits across the album, while Tony and his long-standing creative partner Mike Exeter co-produced the record. The official album announcement confirms the complete line-up and songwriting arrangement.
Jørn Lande sounds like an ideal partner for Iommi. He has the necessary range, power and theatricality, together with a natural understanding of the musical world associated with Dio-era Sabbath. His 2010 album Dio was a heartfelt tribute to Ronnie James Dio, so working with Tony must represent an extraordinary moment in his own career.
Becky Baldwin, who officially joined Mercyful Fate in 2024, brings a powerful and muscular bass presence to the track. She is another musician with strong Birmingham roots, adding to the sense that this project remains connected to Tony’s home city.
Karl Brazil may be best known for his extensive work with Robbie Williams and James Blunt, but “World Alone” demonstrates his versatility and power as a rock drummer. He gives the music enormous momentum without overwhelming the riff.
Mike Exeter completes the creative team. His history with both Black Sabbath and Tony Iommi gives the production continuity, but the finished sound is contemporary, clear and absolutely enormous.
Tony Iommi has nothing to prove
During the Birmingham launch, Tony was interviewed by comedian and lifelong Black Sabbath fan Frank Skinner.
When Skinner asked why he had chosen to make another solo album now, Tony’s response was essentially: why not?
That is exactly right.
Tony Iommi has nothing left to prove. As a founding member of Black Sabbath, he helped create an entirely new musical language. His riffs, guitar sound and approach to composition can be heard in virtually every branch of heavy music that followed.
Anything he chooses to create now is a bonus for those of us whose lives have been soundtracked by his music.
Tony has described the spirit behind the album very simply: “We’re not trying to prove anything—it’s a great album, it rocks!” That quote appears in BMG’s official announcement.
Judging by “World Alone”, that description is entirely accurate.
An extraordinary connection with the guitar
Hearing Tony discuss his industrial accident once again during the launch made me reconsider just how extraordinary his playing really is.
At the age of 17, Tony lost the tips of two fingers on his right hand—the hand he uses to fret the strings as a left-handed guitarist. Doctors told him that he would never play again.
He refused to accept that verdict.
Tony fashioned homemade fingertips from melted plastic washing-up bottles, later experimenting with thimbles and lighter strings. He adapted his technique, tuned the guitar down and helped create the dark, heavy sound that would transform rock music. Tony’s official biography tells the full story of the accident and his response to it.
As a guitarist, I find one aspect of this especially remarkable.
Much of the relationship between a player and an instrument comes through touch. The pressure applied to a string, the strength of a bend and the dynamics of a note are felt through the fingertips. Tony had to find another way of establishing that connection.
Yet his guitar playing remains filled with an almost unparalleled level of emotion.
It is as if the music bypasses the physical restrictions and travels directly from his imagination into the guitar.
Could this band play live?
The strength of this line-up inevitably raises the question of whether we might eventually hear it perform live.
Tony has understandably expressed little enthusiasm for returning to the demands of extensive touring. But could a short residency work—perhaps several concerts at the same venue in or around Birmingham?
That would remove much of the exhausting travel while allowing this new band to bring From The Dark to the stage.
After hearing “World Alone”, it is certainly an enticing possibility.
From The Dark: album and physical formats
From The Dark contains eight main tracks:
- Over The Violent Sun
- Black Times
- World Alone
- Beyond The Dead
- Stormwatcher
- Death Wake
- Return Of The Arbalist
- Legacy
The deluxe CD mediabook adds “Scent Of Dark” and an extended version of “Deified” as bonus tracks.
A limited-edition seven-inch single of “World Alone”, backed by an exclusive instrumental version, will be released on 4 September in a foiled sleeve.
Physical editions of the album include several double-vinyl variants, cut at 45rpm, alongside a 32-page deluxe CD mediabook, a standard CD digisleeve and an Amazon-exclusive CD edition. Complete format information is available in the official release announcement.
The verdict
“World Alone” is a fantastic return.
The riff is hypnotic, the chorus is expansive and Jørn Lande’s voice fits naturally alongside Tony’s guitar. Becky Baldwin and Karl Brazil give the song the power of a real rhythm section, while Mike Exeter’s production allows every part of the arrangement to make an impact.
Most importantly, Tony sounds inspired.
After so many decades and so many landmark recordings, his ability to produce a riff that feels unmistakably his own—and yet still makes you stop and listen—remains undiminished.
If heavy metal were a cake, whichever way you sliced it, Tony Iommi’s name would be running through the middle.
From The Dark is already shaping up to be one of the major rock and metal events of 2026. If “World Alone” is representative of what awaits us on 23 October, we could be looking at a very special Tony Iommi album indeed.
Let me know what you think of “World Alone”. Does it remind you of a particular period in Tony’s career—and would you like to see this new band perform live?
Phil Aston | Now Spinning Magazine
