BLACK SABBATH guitarist TONY IOMMI is “pleased to announce that the paperback version of my autobiography is released in the UK this week – Thursday 8th November. For those of you in the USA, I’m afraid it’s not until December 11th. It’s got new chapters bringing everything up to date including my battle with lymphoma.”
Iron Man: My Journey Through Heaven & Hell With Black Sabbath was originally released as a hardcover book in November 2011.
Iron Man chronicles the story of both pioneering guitarist Tony Iommi and legendary band Black Sabbath. Iron Man reveals the man behind the icon yet still captures Iommi’s humor, intelligence, and warmth. He speaks honestly and unflinchingly about his rough-and-tumble childhood, the accident that almost ended his career, his failed marriages, personal tragedies, battles with addiction, band mates, famous friends, newfound daughter, and the ups and downs of his life as an artist.
Everything associated with hard rock happened to Black Sabbath first: the drugs, the debauchery, the drinking, the dungeons, the pressure, the pain, the conquests, the company men, the contracts, the combustible drummer, the critics, the comebacks, the singers, the Stonehenge set, the music, the money, the madness, the metal.
According to The Pulse Of Radio, BLACK SABBATH‘s Tony Iommi has been named the greatest heavy metal guitarist of all time in a new survey posted by Gibson Guitars. The list of the top 10 metal axemen also includes METALLICA‘s James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett, late OZZY OSBOURNE guitarist Randy Rhoads and others. Gibson said about Iommi, “Tony’s dark, distinct guitar textures in BLACK SABBATH helped spearhead the heavy metal movement. ‘Iron Man’ and ‘Paranoid’ boast some of the most memorable riffs of all time, with crushingly heavy choruses. His playing is immortalized through the generations of bands that have followed.”
Incredibly, Iommi had to re-learn how to play guitar as a teenager after severing two fingertips. He told The Pulse Of Radio that he’s always been determined to fight his way through anything. “I’ve always been the same,” he said. “I always have to try to get over that barrier, whatever it may be, and do it, you know. And that’s continued in what I do with the music. People have said over the years, ‘Well, why do you still keep playing and why do you still hold BLACK SABBATH together through the different lineups?’ Because I’m determined to do it, I’m determined to carry on. And it’s been with everything like that.”
Iommi was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year, and his treatments forced BLACK SABBATH to cancel all but two tour dates after announcing their reunion last November.
The original band, minus drummer Bill Ward, has also been working on its first studio album since 1978.
Singer Ozzy Osbourne has collaborated with three of the guitarists on the list — Iommi, Rhoads and Zakk Wylde.
Gibson‘s “Greatest Heavy Metal Guitarists”:
01. Tony Iommi (BLACK SABBATH)
02. Kirk Hammett & James Hetfield (METALLICA)
03. Randy Rhoads (OZZY OSBOURNE)
04. John Petrucci (DREAM THEATER)
05. Dimebag Darrell (PANTERA)
06. Eddie Van Halen (VAN HALEN)
07. Zakk Wylde (OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY)
08. Adam Jones (TOOL)
09. Dave Murray & Adrian Smith (IRON MAIDEN)
10. George Lynch (DOKKEN, LYNCH MOB)
While promoting his “Iron Man: My Journey Through Heaven And Hell With Black Sabbath” book at the end of last year, BLACK SABBATH guitarist Tony Iommi spoke to Artisan News about his good friend, late LED ZEPPELIN drummer John Bonham, who as of today has been gone 32 years. In the clip below, Iommi recalled that the LED ZEPPELIN drummer was both good crazy and bad crazy — especially around motor vehicles.
In a 2005 interview with “Sound of the Beast” author Ian Christe, Iommi revealed that he had studio tapes of BLACK SABBATH jamming with LED ZEPPELIN during the mid-1970s.
“BLACK SABBATH used to jam with LED ZEPPELIN all the time.” said the Birmingham-born Iommi. “We’d be trying to rehearse and they’d come interrupt us. I’ve got some tapes floating around the house.”
Speaking to Backpage Magazine last year, BLACK SABBATH drummer Bill Ward stated about the infamous “Black Zeppelin” jam session rumored to have happened between SABBATH and LED ZEPPELIN during the 1970s, “It only happened on one occasion that ZEPPELIN and SABBATH were in the studio at one time, and I think it was in the mid-’70s. We were in sessions — I don’t remember what album we were working on — but it all started when Bonzo [LED ZEPPELIN drummer John Bonham] comes into the studio and sits down at my drum kit and starts playing ‘Supernaut’. That was one of our songs that he really liked. It escalated to a pretty crazy situation within about 30 minutes, because not only was Bonzo there, but Robert Plant and John Paul Jones were there as well. Jimmy [Page] wasn’t there, but I wish he had been. And Bonzo was kickin’ the crap out of my drum kit!” Ward laughed. “I can still hear him playing that intro on the hat, over and over.
“Bonham‘s bass drum work, of course, was incredible,” recalled Ward. “I played two bass drums, and they only let him play one in LED ZEPPELIN, so there he was playing two bass drums. ‘Supernaut’, I tell you, sounded like something from the hardcore bands of today, where they play two bass drums with such incredible speed. And you know, Bonzo was doing that easily. He was having a good time, playing two bass drums, and he was playing all the down beats and some quiet treble with all the high hats. So, he was playing ‘Supernaut’ with a whole different feel, all the while yelling ‘Supernaut!’ for pretty much the whole time. It was crazy, man.”
DEEP PURPLE‘s Ian Gillan and BLACK SABBATH‘s Tony Iommi took everybody by surprise in 2011 by releasing a charity single: ‘Out Of My Mind’, renewing the collaboration that led the pair recording the Black Sabbath album Born Again in 1984. None other than Jason Newsted (METALLICA), Jon Lord (ex-Deep Purple), Nicko McBrain (IRON MAIDEN) and Linde Lindström (H.I.M.) supported the two rock legends.
Not only jamming together for the shear fun of things, this new project has united for a cause – rebuilding and helping the music school in Gyumari, Armenia. The single was a joyful and inspired moment. Iommi and Gillan then decided to make WhoCares an album for their devoted fans. Classic songs and a lot of rarities and unreleased material in two-CDs of fantastic rare music. This is much more than a Gillan solo album or a Deep Purple anthology – this is a real collector’s item and must have for every Ian Gillan and Tony Iommi fan.
The album was released in Europe on July 13th, and will now be available in North America on August 28th.
The Black Sabbath classic ‘Zero The Hero’ is currently streaming online at BraveWords.com – head to the left-hand-side of the site to launch the KnuckleTracks Online Audio Player.
WhoCares tracklisting:
CD1
WhoCares – ‘Out Of My Mind’ (first time on an album featuring Jon Lord, Linde Lindström, Jason Newsted, Nicko McBrain)
Black Sabbath – ‘Zero The Hero’
Ian Gillan featuring Iommi, Ian Paice and Roger Glover – ‘Trashed’
M. Rakintzis featuring Ian Gillan – ‘Get Away’ (first release on a Gillan album, only released in Greece before)
Tony Iommi featuring Glenn Hughes – ‘Slip Away’ (first time on CD)
Gillan – ‘Don’t Hold Me Back’
Ian Gillan – ‘She Thinks It’s A Crime’ (vinyl single B-side, first time on CD)
Repo Depo featuring Ian Gillan – ‘Easy Come, Easy Go’ (previously unreleased)
Deep Purple featuring Ronnie James Dio – ‘Smoke On The Water’ (live with the Royal Philaarmonic Orchestra)
CD2
WhoCares – ‘Holy Water’ (first time on an album featuring Jon Lord, Linde Lindström, Jason Newsted, Nicko McBrain)
Black Sabbath – ‘Anno Mundi’
Tony Iommi featuring G. Hughes – ‘Let it Down Easy’ (first time on CD)
Ian Gillan – ‘Hole in My Vest’ (7“ vinyl single B-side, first time on CD)
Gillan & Glover featuring Dr.John – ‘Can’t Believe You Wanna Leave Me’
Ian Gillan & The Javelins – ‘Can I Get A Witness’
Garth Rockett & The Moonshiners aka IG – ‘No Laughing In Heaven’ (rare track)
Ian Gillan – ‘When A Blind Man Cries’ (Live at Absolute Radio, previously unreleased)
Deep Purple – ‘Dick Pimple’
New audio medleys featuring tracks from the album are available below:
DEEP PURPLE‘s Ian Gillan and BLACK SABBATH‘s Tony Iommi took everybody by surprise in 2011 by releasing a charity single, “Out Of My Mind”, renewing the collaboration that led the pair to record an album in 1984, “Born Again”, under the BLACK SABBATH moniker. For the occasion, the two rock legends called a few friends and were soon joined by Jason Newsted (METALLICA, VOIVOD, FLOTSAM AND JETSAM), Jon Lord (DEEP PURPLE) and Nicko McBrain (IRON MAIDEN). Not only jamming together for the sheer fun of things, this new project has united for a cause — rebuilding and helping the music school in Gyumari, Armenia. The single was a joyful and inspired moment. Iommi and Gillan have now decided to make WHOCARES an album for their devoted fans. Classic songs and a lot of rarities and unreleased material in two CDs of fantastic rare music.
The single was a joyful and inspired moment. The spark to bring Iommi and Gillan in a studio, together again was to finance the rebuilding of a music school in Armenia they had visited together on various occasions in past years.
Far from being a spectacular charity project, WHOCARES was a nice gesture, done with class, from two musicians with nothing to prove, willing to support music, where music is considered a luxury.
“As I said once in the song ‘Razzle Dazzle’ (DEEP PURPLE‘s ‘Bananas’ album), ‘It’s a real fine line between an orgy of destruction and a wonderful time,'” Gillan tells PanArmenian.net about the forthcoming CD. “The destruction of conformity in this case: Some of these pieces never really fitted into their contemporary program and got side-lined or forgotten, and some of the album tracks never had much exposure. As the track listing for this album came together, I noticed many of the titles had character similarities; a combination of freshness as they finally felt the sun on their backs and rebellion in a ‘yeah told you so’ kind of way. And that adds up to a wonderful time. And that adds up to more money for the music school we are building in Armenia.”
“And what about WHOCARES… this ad-hoc benefit band put together by Tony Iommi and myself on a flight home from Yerevan, where we’d been deeply humbled by the honors and expectations bestowed upon us. Well that’s it really, in a nutshell, so to speak, what more can I say; it’s all there in the music.”
Among the tracks set to appear on the upcoming album are the two original WHOCARES songs; DEEP PURPLE‘s unreleased studio jam “Dick Pimple”; a song from REPO DEPO (a band Ian Gillan formed before the DEEP PURPLE reunion which never released any material); two previously unreleased songs from Tony Iommi featuring Glenn Hughes; obscure collaborations, B-sides lost on seven-inch vinyl; and exclusive live versions recorded live on radio.
The album is set for release on July 13 via earMUSIC..
CD1
01. WHOCARES “Out Of My Mind” (fi rst time on an album)
Featuring Jon Lord, Linde Lindström (HIM), Jason Newsted (METALLICA), Nicko McBrain (IRON MAIDEN)
02. BLACK SABBATH “Zero The Hero”
03. Ian Gillan feat. Iommi, Ian Paice and Roger Glover “Trashed”
04. M. Rakintzis feat. Ian Gillan “Get Away” (fi rst release on a Gillan album, only released in Greece before)
05. Tony Iommi feat. Glenn Hughes “Slip Away” (fi rst time on CD)
06. Gillan “Don’t Hold Me Back”
07. Ian Gillan “She Thinks It’s A Crime” (vinyl single B-side, fi rst time on CD)
08. Repo Depo feat. Ian Gillan “Easy Come, Easy Go” (previously unreleased)
09. DEEP PURPLE feat. Ronnie James Dio “Smoke On The Water” (live with the Royal Philaarmonic Orchestra)
CD2
01. WHOCARES “Holy Water” (fi rst time on an album)
Featuring Jon Lord, Linde Lindström (HIM), Jason Newsted (METALLICA), Nicko McBrain (IRON MAIDEN)
02. BLACK SABBATH “Anno Mundi”
03. Tony Iommi feat. Glenn Hughes “Let it Down Easy” (fi rst time on CD)
04. Ian Gillan “Hole in My Vest” (7″ vinyl single B-side, fi rst time on CD)
05. Gillan & Glover feat. Dr. John “Can’t Believe You Wanna Leave me”
06. Ian Gillan & The Javelins “Can I Get A Witness”
07. Garth Rockett & The Moonshiners aka IG “No Laughing in Heaven” (rare track)
08. Ian Gillan “When A Blind Man Cries” (Live at Absolute Radio, previously unreleased)
09. DEEP PURPLE “Dick Pimple”
Audio samples of the tracks that appear on both discs can be streamed below. Source: Blabbermouth.net
iGuitar magazine has uploaded a two-minute video overview of BLACK SABBATH guitarist Tony Iommi‘s new signature amp — the amazing TI100 from Laney. Check it out below.
It’s been four decades since BLACK SABBATH unleashed heavy metal onto an unsuspecting world and became a truly global musical phenomenon.
Back in the day Tony Iommi‘s amp of choice was a Laney L100BL. Since this auspicious day, Laney‘s association with Tony Iommi has gone from strength to strength, resulting in the launch of his first signature model, the GH100TI, originally called the GH100S, almost 20 years ago.
Commented Laney: “We are extremely proud of our association with Tony Iommi and very happy to be able to announce the launch of a new Tony Iommi signature amp — the amazing TI100. The new Tony Iommi TI100 signature amp represents a dramatic leap forward in guitar tone.
“Born out of an exhaustive period of product development, carried out hand in hand with Tony, with Tony bringing unique insight, suggestions and innovations at every stage of the process, whilst continually assessing and refining the sonic character of guitar tone.The result — what we think will be the most significant amp launch of 2012.
“The TI100 features: 100 Watts RMS, 4 x 6L6 output section, twin channels, footswitchable variable pre boost on each channel, three-band EQ, volume, enhance, and presence. The amplifier is finished off with Tony‘s trademark livery and to top it all it even glows an ominous red.
“There are very few chances in life to claim a first. Many people can claim to be the biggest or the fastest but only one person can claim to be the first. In the case of heavy metal: The first heavy metal guitar tone was crafted by Tony Iommi and powered by Laney.”
Tony had this to say about his new amplifier: “Almost 40 years ago I embarked on my musical journey with Laney. My first signature Laney amp, the GH100TI came out almost 20 years ago and it served me faithfully on the biggest stages in the world with BLACK SABBATH as well as recently with HEAVEN & HELL.
“‘I’m always searching for more out of my tone, more flexibility, more dynamics and that’s where my ideas for the new TI100 came from. It took time and dedication to get it right and I’m happy to say I was involved in each step of the amps design, development and testing. The end result is a signature amp that I am extremely proud of and happy to stand in front of anywhere in the world. The TI100 represents everything I’ve ever wanted in an amp, it’s fabulous.”
Kimmo Kuusniemi’s ASA unveil the long-overdue release of "Collective Failure" + first music video for title-track! Check it out and stay tuned for more news! Click image to watch the video
Kimmo Kuusniemi’s SARCOFAGUS return with a Historic 2010 Concert Video Premiere on YouTube! Click image to watch the video
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Kimmo Kuusniemi's Ancient Streaming Assembly - 'Perpetuae Memoriae', ft. Tuomas Rounakari + Steve Di Giorgio - Click image to watch the video
DEEP PURPLE‘s Ian Gillan and BLACK SABBATH‘s Tony Iommi took everybody by surprise in 2011 by releasing a charity single: ‘Out Of My Mind’, renewing the collaboration that led the pair recording the Black Sabbath album Born Again in 1984. None other than Jason Newsted (METALLICA), Jon Lord (ex-Deep Purple), Nicko McBrain (IRON MAIDEN) and Linde Lindström (H.I.M.) supported the two rock legends.
Click image to watch the video
Metal Shock Finland (World Assault ) 