Black Sabbath legend, TONY IOMMI, will reissue the two albums he recorded with powerhouse singer Glenn Hughes – ”The 1996 The Dep Sessions” and ”Fused”, on October 4 via BMG. Both albums have been remastered including bonus tracks.
The relationship between iconic guitarist Tony Iommi and English musician Glenn Hughes stretches far back into the mid-Eighties. when Hughes sang on the 1986 Black Sabbath album ‘Seventh Star’. Ten years later, Iommi once again collaborated with Hughes for a release that would become known as ‘The 1996 Dep Sessions’, finally released 2004.
The release of ‘The 1996 Dep Sessions’ proved to be a catalyst for Tony and Glenn, who rekindled their collaboration and within a year, released what would be Iommi’s third solo LP in 2005. Titled ”Fused”, the album was recorded at Monnow Valley Studios in Wales and saw Iommi sounding heavier than ever.
”Fused” is chock full of stomping, grinding riffs that saw Iommi tipping his hat to the metal genre he had helped spawn decades before. This remastered reissue includes 3 bonus tracks, one of them being the much sought after iTunes exclusive, which was retired many years ago.
Joining Iommi & Hughes on “Fused” is former John Mellencamp drummer Kenny Aronoff, who has also played sessions with the likes of the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Rod Stewart, Alice Cooper, Bob Seger, Lynyrd Skynyrd and countless others. Keyboards were performed by producer Bob Marlette.
The trio will hit the road to promote “Fused” later 2005 after Black Sabbath finished headlining the 10th anniversary Ozzfest tour.
Iommi has worked with both Hughes and Aronoff in the past. Hughes is a longtime friend who sang on the 1986 Black Sabbath Featuring Tony Iommi album, Seventh Star. In 2004, previously unreleased songs they had collaborated on eight years earlier were completed and released The 1996 DEP Sessions. Aronoff played drums on the song “Black Oblivion” on Iommi’s self-titled 2000 solo album, which was loaded with all-star guest appearances.
“Fused” was produced by Bob Marlette, who also manned the studio boards for Iommi.
“I put some ideas for four or five tracks down about three years after, but I hadn’t written them specifically with Glenn in mind,” Iommi says. “After The 1996 DEP Sessions mixes were finished in 2004, I said to my manager that I should try Glenn on my next solo album. Glenn came over to England and we did a trial run writing more material and it was unbelievable. His enthusiasm is amazing. He is so full of energy and great song ideas.”
“The ideal thing for me is to work with collaborators. I can come in with riffs until the cows come home, and I do that all the time. I like to do it that way and then build the song with somebody else.”
Iommi and Hughes tend to write quickly when they settle in. Once the basic song ideas were written for this album, Hughes worked on overall melodies and lyrics. The songs were in place, but a drummer was needed to tie it all together. Iommi was eager to work with Aronoff again and had him in mind from the beginning. The highly respected skins-basher was thrilled about the invitation, especially when Iommi said he wanted to tour to promote “Fused”.
“I definitely knew that for my next album I wasn’t going to use a lot special guests again. I wanted to use just one singer, and I also wanted it to be more like a band this time. The idea was to go into the studio with Glenn and Kenny play everything live. It was great. I really enjoyed doing it that way,” says Iommi.
“That was the original way you used to record, and that was the only way I knew how to record for a long time. Only a few years ago did I start recording the other way, by building up and layering tracks. By playing live in the studio, you can hear exactly how the songs are going to sound and whether they work.”
These songs definitely work, and they rage with the same fire and intensity that mark Iommi’s best. There is nothing quite like the sound of a power trio, because there can be no weak links — each musician’s efforts stand out.
There is no place to hide. Iommi, Hughes and Aronoff feed off each other, whether it’s the concise punch of “Dopamine” and “What You’re Living For” or the fluid twists and turns in the nine-minute epic “I Go Insane.”
Iommi’s lethal guitar crunch leads the charge. Hughes truly pushes himself to the edge and adjusts his voice to fit the overall direction of each song while simultaneously propelling the rhythm with his pounding bass guitar. The volcanic thunder Aronoff unleashes from his drums sounds like nothing he has done before.
Marlette’s sparkling, crisp production results in a hard-hitting, modern, in-your-face sound.
A killer record.
Tracklist:
1 Dopamine
2 Wasted Again
3 Saviour Of The Real
4 Resolution Song
5 Grace
6 Deep Inside A Shell
7 What You’re Living For
8 Face Your Fear
9 The Spell
10 I Go Insane
Bonus tracks
11 Slip Away
12 Let It Down Easy
13 The Innocence