Fused, 2005 Sanctuary Records
"The Birmingham Legend reigns supreme, and once again leaves a listener breathless and asking for more" (John DeVries)
Released in 2005, Fused was the third collaboration of Tony Iommi with bassist and singer Glenn Hughes, (counting the Seventh Star album, released under the somewhat inaccurate Black Sabbath name). Following The DEP Sessions which were recorded in 1996 - but not published until eight years later, Tony and Glenn decided to continue their successful collaboration – one which showed to be rich in ideas and produced both excellent and surprising results. But there, could you really go wrong with the grandfather of every heavy metal riff playing with someone of the calibre of Glenn Hughes? Probably not!
Tony himself on working with Glenn Hughes: “The greatest thing for me with Glenn is we can communicate that well, we bounce off each other that quick, and ideas just fly out. So it's a great partnership as far as being able to create things.”
Whilst The DEP Sessions were considered an intimate, non-conventional work - aimed at die hard Iommi fans rather than the wide masses, Fused was a modern - honed to perfection work. Up to date and one which gave no quarter and was the shape of even better things to come. Described by some critics as “a killing machine” it certainly was very different, with Iommi and Glen Hughes working a very different kind of magic.
Perhaps like no other album, Fused, challenged and recruited a new generation, striking casual listener and long term fan with a freshness and novelty of sound which was almost unique. Tony never sounded better and the production on this album was crisp and clear which served well to emphasize his killer riffs. It´s amazing to think that at the time, the axeman was 57 and it showed a remarkable ability to adapt to the march of time. A few years later and we can see that Tony is still occupying the vanguard which he created so long ago.
The production of the album was entrusted to Bob Marlette, who put an American slant on it with high gain and the use of clean arpeggios. Tony accepted part of the responsibility for production and Mike Exeter worked his magic in the studio as the man behind the mix. Fused was recorded at Tone Hall, Warwickshire and Rhythm Studios, Bidford on Avon & Monnow Valley Studios Monmouth, and released on Sanctuary label.
In reviewing this album we´ll do so in numerical order, track by track.
1. Dopamine
From the very first track “Dopamine”, Tony’s guitar howls to be set free and assaults the listener with “rib bruising bursts” leaving them breathless. Not for a single second does the legendary “Birmingham Lefty” let anyone forget who is the true riffmaster and who after four decades at the top and a career studded with star performances, still continues to wear the crown. Iommi’s talent seems to be an inexhaustible resource.
The track starts with guitar sound equalized without bass, after which comes the real guitar, three half steps detuned, in the best Sabbath tradition. Drums enter in an ambiguous manner – remarkable the work of Kenny Aronoff, one of the best session drummers at our time.
Massive use of riffs in almost all sections of the tracks leads to the idea that structurally, the album is very similar to the best Black Sabbath albums. But a confident vocals of Glenn Hughes is fundamentally different from the monotone voice of Ozzy Osbourne, which from that taste of simplicity and innocence that characterizes the music of Black Sabbath.
As usual, the thunderous riffs are combined with typical Iommi’s bright solo on pentatonic scale in D flat minor, with the use of wah pedal, which clearly shows off his new sound.
2. Wasted Again
The songs follow one better than other - the duet Iommi / Hughes is truly in the best composing vein, how shows the amount of recorded tracks, some of which are not included in the album.
Once again it starts off with a typical Iommi intro, combining innovative structure with classic Sabbath touch – the main riff built using the famous interval of the devil, so loved by Tony. In this track Tony opts for a different, modern sound using an instrumental section with a riff added instead of a guitar solo. The track is characterized by somewhat complex arrangements in that behind the riff you can hear other guitars in higher octaves, in complete harmony and which finally lead in to a final solo. The voice of Glenn Hughes soars by touching very high notes, and together with Iommi’s magnificent guitar work makes “Wasted Again” an explosion of passion and devastating violence.
“You’re Wasted Again
So How Does It Feel
And It Never Ends
Do You Wanna Heal?”
3. Saviour Of The Real
“Saviour Of The Real” is a majestic hymn in D flat. Iommi composed a riff on a fragment of natural minor scale that goes to the tonic from the sixth by creating an uncommon drawing. The additional keyboard sound in the background creates a very evocative harmony. Tony has spared no new riffs, and even parts covered with vocals completely original and varied. The vocal performance is really outstanding, and Tony enters into a dialogue with Glenn’s voice, making his guitar howl with rage in a stunning solo.
4. Revolution Song
This starts off gravely, with melodic arpeggios, but really picks up where Savior of the Real left off. It then gets a little slower and lighter, but provides a heavier sound for the chorus. Perhaps more than any other track on this album, this one can be defined as the modern version of Black Sabbath. Tony provides a great solo in D flat minor at the intersection of natural minor and pentatonic scales -- truly mindblowing.
5 Grace
But let's listen to the true highlight on this album (together with “The Spell” and “I Go Insane”) – “Grace”. Constructed on minor scale, it starts off with doom, dramatic sound, the main riff of extraordinary heaviness, supported initially with wah. Complex arrangement includes a pad of keyboards in the background and clean guitar arpeggios. Half way through the track things “hot up” with Tony providing a superb rift, then Kenny Aronoff crashing in with the drums. Tony provides a special section that gives the song an anthem taste. “Grace” is so musically rich that it can rightly be included among some of his best creations ever. Rating this track on a scale of 1 – 10, we give Grace 15!
6. Deep Inside a Shell
Is a soft rock blues ballad which provides a few minutes rest from the doom sound of previous tracks. It´s the slowest track on the album but the lyrics are good and Glen Hughes does justice to them. In fact, Glenn´s voice is probably best in this track. Great arpeggios – Tony uses the clean and distorted guitars together. Overall it´s not the fastest song but it does pick up at the chorus and of course, Iommi´s solo is of the usual excellence.
7. What You're Living For
Back to normal. Tony opens with a frantic rift which is really amazing. Both heavy and fast, the continuous beat changes during the rapid pace of the song when Tony suddenly halves the rhythm in the refrain section, and provides an interesting part all played on a detuned to D flat bass string, followed by a high speed blues-rock solo. After Deep Inside a Shell, this track leaves you breathless.
8. Face Your Fear
The solid riff of “Face Your Fear” reminds us of the best Black Sabbath again. Beautiful melody lines, amazing guitar work, stunning vocals -- this is the track of the album, in our opinion, more intended for radio edit. It´s probably one of the more interesting tracks on the album, made so by the complex rhythms employed. The instrumental section represents half a riff, and half a melodic line. The song has not a real solo -- a conception of an instrumental much more modern than a classic solo. A sinister track which forces you to listen.
9. The Spell
We are to approach the culmination of the work -- the penultimate "The Spell" from the first touches of guitar makes us understand that we’re in front of a really outstanding composition. Most doomy than the any doom style song ever written, “The Spell” sounds mature and wise, but drenched with sadness and despair. The musical arrangements are made by adding riffs and other guitar sounds as well as church bells which provide for a remote sound, a characteristic dramatic effect. The song has no solo, -- this highlights the riff as a main motif, making it sound really obsessive, which as you listen to it become increasingly intriguing. Once you hear it, you will never forget it.
10. I Go Insane
"I Go Insane" is not a song you can label. Here you can find everything: from wonderful blues ballad to ferocious moments of pure headbanging. If there’s a kingdom of metal, or the most overextended blues – the Birmingham legend reigns supreme and once again leaves the listener breathless and asking for more.
The song features an extended use of acoustic guitars. A great bluesy solo in E flat minor makes us believe to be in front of the ballad by best Iommi’s standards. Crushing Hughes’ vocal choirs and organ in the background help to build the whole harmony. A following additional section on electric guitar with a strange delay create a suspense effect. The tension explodes with a driving riff on blues scale endlessly repeated by Iommi. Sudden break with a change of speed at first reduces, then doubles the run of this brutally growling machine, opening a way for a true riff-monument, a masterpiece of the enigmatic mind of its creator. Probably not in vain, you can hear the distant echo of a sequence from a musical theme of Francis Coppola’s "Godfather". Maybe an apotheosis of Iommi’s creativity.
Fused is, without doubt, the best among Tony’s albums. The couple Iommi / Hughes at that point achieved a stunning result. As we know, the album has never been brought on stage, and sadly, as the axeman grows older, the possibilities diminish. We're in hope though for one day this miracle to happen. And also there’s a hope that Fused is not a last album for our Tony, and other ones soon will follow. Tony himself says: “I've sat by now for many years wondering if we’re going to do a Sabbath album but you can't just wait around for ever and a day, you know. I'm too productive, I have to do things.”
There’s a hope, just because Great Lefty never stops to surprise.
John DeVries, Rosie "Iommifan" Piergiorgi.
