Tony Iommi has released “Stormwatcher,” the second track to emerge from his forthcoming solo album, From the Dark, and it has made me even more excited about hearing the complete record.
I liked the first track, “World Alone,” but for me this one is stronger. There is a tremendous opening riff, a chorus that builds beautifully, and a guitar solo that reminds us how much feeling Tony can put into his playing.
From the Dark arrives worldwide on 23 October 2026 through BMG. “Stormwatcher” is track five, with Jørn Lande on vocals, Becky Baldwin on bass and Karl Brazil on drums. The album is co-produced by Tony and his longtime collaborator Mike Exeter.
That unmistakable Iommi riff
There is a danger in describing anything as a “typical Tony Iommi riff,” because it can sound as though you are taking his ability for granted. What I mean is that unmistakable combination of weight, menace and musical character.
The opening of “Stormwatcher” has that bludgeoning excellence. It moves across the landscape with something of the great, sludgy presence of “Iron Man.” There is also a feeling of “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” slowed down and made to advance with an ominous tread.
More than anything, though, it takes me towards Heaven & Hell and The Devil You Know. That is the musical atmosphere I hear: dark, heavy and purposeful, with the riff moving menacingly forwards.
The animated video places that movement at sea, which suits the music wonderfully. You can almost feel the weight of it pushing through the water.
Jørn Lande: echoes of Dio, with a voice of his own
When the vocals first emerge, my immediate reference point is Ronnie James Dio. There is something in the delivery that brings that great voice to mind, and I welcome hearing those qualities carried forward.
But Jørn Lande has his own voice. As the performance develops, that becomes increasingly clear. The initial association with Dio gives way to hearing Jørn himself and what he brings to the song.
Alongside Tony’s guitar, it creates a powerful combination. The production sounds excellent, and Becky Baldwin and Karl Brazil give the track the foundation it needs. The heaviness comes through clearly, while the vocal has room to make its mark.
A chorus that opens the song out
One of the things I particularly like is the way the chorus moves beyond the opening riff.
There are chord changes here that take the song into a broader musical space. I hear something of the early 1980s Dio-era Sabbath approach, where an imposing riff could lead into a chorus with a real sense of lift and drama.
The central hook revolves around the word “Stormwatcher,” but it is the build towards that moment that makes it work. There is a dynamic, exciting progression into the chorus, and the return to the riff feels all the more satisfying because of it.
Listen closely when that riff comes back: it changes ever so slightly. Those small shifts help the song develop while retaining the weight of its opening.
The unexpected Spooky Tooth connection
Here is something that may only live between my ears, but I kept hearing it over several listens.
There is a little echo of Spooky Tooth’s “Better by You, Better than Me” in the relationship between the guitar and the vocal phrasing. Some listeners will know that song through Judas Priest, but the version coming into my mind is Spooky Tooth’s.
I am describing a resemblance I hear, rather than suggesting Tony has deliberately quoted the song.
There is an interesting historical connection behind the association, too. Art’s Supernatural Fairy Tales is an album I have previously discussed in relation to Tony’s musical tastes. Luther Grosvenor played guitar in Art and subsequently in Spooky Tooth. Biography
That background makes the connection particularly intriguing to me, although it cannot tell us what Tony had in mind when writing “Stormwatcher.”
When you have been listening to music for as long as I have, those little references sometimes appear almost involuntarily. Then the new song takes over and they sink to the bottom of the heavy metal ocean.
But this one kept coming back. I would love to know whether anyone else hears it.
A guitar solo from the human heart
After the second chorus comes a guitar solo that is one of my favourite parts of the track.
Tony does not overflow with notes. There is a touch of a wah-like tone, and as the music moves through a change of key, you hear that blues feeling which has always been part of his playing.
I sometimes find that metal guitar playing can become almost mathematical in its execution. I admire technical ability, but what draws me into this solo is the expression: the feeling behind the notes and the way Tony shapes them.
This sounds like a guitar solo coming from a human heart.
Knowing what he has overcome physically makes that expressiveness all the more remarkable to me. His ability to communicate through the guitar remains extraordinary.
A reminder of the Tony Martin years
As the song moves through its final verse and towards the closing choruses, another part of Tony’s musical history comes into focus.
I can imagine aspects of this section sitting alongside “The Shining” or music from that Tony Martin period of Black Sabbath. It is something in the way the song develops and the atmosphere it creates as it heads towards the fade.
Across “Stormwatcher,” I hear connections with several chapters of Tony’s career. That makes the new music feel like the work of someone comfortable with his own musical identity, bringing that experience into what he is creating now.
Growing anticipation for From the Dark
Tony’s self-titled solo album, with its different guest singers, felt a little disjointed to me. There was plenty to enjoy, but the changing voices inevitably gave it a different character.
With Jørn Lande singing throughout From the Dark, I am hoping for a more consistent feel across the record. Based on the two tracks released so far, the signs are very promising.
I am leaning towards the double vinyl edition, although I will probably end up with the CD as well. This is Tony Iommi, after all.
“Stormwatcher” has increased my anticipation considerably. The riff, the chorus and that expressive solo give me plenty to return to while we wait for the album.
Have you heard it yet? How does it compare with “World Alone” for you? And do you hear that little Spooky Tooth connection?
Phil Aston | Now Spinning Magazine
