THE FANSITE FOR TONY IOMMI FANS CELEBRATING HIS BRILLIANT 50 YEARS OF DEDICATION AND SERVICE TO MUSIC
British Honour to Tony Iommi

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Black Sabbath offer the fans a chance to fly to NYC for the launch party for new album “13”

Black Sabbath offer the fans a chance to fly to NYC for the launch party for new album “13”

 

To mark the release of the landmark new Black Sabbath studio album “13” -- the band's first in 18 years – there is an incredible prize to give away to one lucky winner: flying to New York to attend the album launch party -- including the screening of a documentary (note there is no live performance) -- and a meet and greet with the rock legends themselves! The prize also includes flights and two nights' accommodation in a 3* hotel.

The event is on June 12, so entrants should be prepared to fly to New York at a week's notice. To be in with the chance of winning this once-in-a-lifetime prize, simply enter your details into the form below.

Unfortunately the prize draw is only open to UK residents (excluding Northern Ireland). Entrants must be 18 or over and one of the winner and guest must be over 21. The prize draw closes on June 3.

Find out more and take your chance on Amazon.co.uk

 


Amazon.co.uk, 1 June 2013

Photo Vertigo Records

 

Studio version of “End Of The Beginning” premieres on Chilean radio station

Studio version of “End Of The Beginning” premieres on Chilean radio station

 

The studio version of the new song "End Of The Beginning" from Black Sabbath’s upcoming album "13" was premiered earlier today (Friday, May 31) on the Chilean radio station Futuro 88.9 FM and can now be streamed on the radio station's web site. The band performed the track on the season finale of "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" on May 15 on CBS-TV.

Check it out from Futuro 88.9FM

Read the whole article on Blabbermouth.net

 


 Blabbermouth.net, 1 June 2013

 

 

 

Tony Iommi donates his guitar strings to charity

Tony Iommi donates his guitar strings to charity

 

Tony donates his old strings to be turned into jewellery. He will give his old strings to "Wear Your music", which will then craft them into fine jewellery. All profits from sales will go to the Nordoff-Robbins charity.

Rock Recycled Bracelets are hand-wrapped with sterling silver to create a one-of-a-kind bangle style bracelet. Each bracelet uses a different number and color of strings, depending on what is available at the time of purchase.

Learn more and purchase your Tony Iommi’s Guitar String Style Bracelet from WearYourMusic.org

Check out for more information about the Nordoff Robbins charity.

 


 31 May 2013

 

Tony Iommi interviewed by Noise11.com

Tony Iommi interviewed by Noise11.com

 

Tony Iommi tells the Black Sabbath story to Paul Cashmere at Noise11.com.

“It’s been a on-off thing with Bill for many years with me,” Tony tells Noise11. “It was disappointing. We were all disappointed in it. It happened before with Heaven & Hell. We wanted Bill to come in and Bill wanted to do it again. We got him in and he left again. We were used to it really. It’s a shame. We would have liked Bill to be on the album and I’m sure Bill would have liked to have been on it but it just got to a silly situation. It just didn’t happen”.

Tony is the only founding member of Black Sabbath to have never left the band. “It was just that I never left. I carried on,” he said. “What do you do? You try and make the best of what you can. I enjoyed some of what we done. We did some really good stuff. With Dio I thought ‘Heaven & Hell’, ‘Mob Rules’, they were good albums. ‘Dehumaniser’ and stuff. Also some of the stuff with Tony Martin and Cozy I liked”.


“When people aren’t there you try and replace it and its really difficult to replace original members because that’s the sound you have, you all create,” he says.

On some albums Tony was the only original member of Black Sabbath. “I’ve done quite a few albums with Tony Martin, Cozy Powell, Tony Murray. We’d done ‘Headless Cross’ and the ‘Forbidden’ album, which was the last one we’d done with that line-up. I didn’t really like that album”.

Tony did try to remove himself from Black Sabbath once. He recorded ‘Seventh Star’ as a solo album but the label decided to release it as a Black Sabbath record. “Yeah, I wanted it to be a solo album. I didn’t want it to be under Black Sabbath. The situation at that time, the record company wanted a Black Sabbath album. They took that. It had gone to a stage where they didn’t have anything so that was it”.

Watch the whole interview on Noise11.com 

 


By Paul Cashmere for Noise11.com, 29 May 2013

  

Black Sabbath “13” album review on Metal Hammer

Black Sabbath “13” album review on Metal Hammer

 

Review by Geoff Barton for Metal Hammer, comes from the new issue of Metal Hammer, featuring a special interview with Black Sabbath themselves:

Listening to the first two tracks on 13, it’s clear their heritage weighs heavily on their minds. The End Of The Beginning is a curiously low-key opener, the lyric ‘Rewind the future to the past’ highlighting the difficulty Sabbath face in trying to recapture the glories of old. Next up, God Is Dead? tries its damnedest to replicate the churning mayhem of old. But, somehow, it’s like a bad Xerox copy.

Then something – Christ knows what; could be the moment when Ozzy went back on the sauce – happens. Loner kicks in and delivers the first genuine, shivering spine-tingle of the record. It’s full of lurching menace; it’s got that archetypal groove; it’s even got Ozzy screeching ‘Alright now!’ like he did on Sweet Leaf back in ’71. Holy shit. It gets better. Zeitgeist, a dreamy Planet Caravan sound-alike, provides a delicious change of pace before Age Of Reason lumbers into your lug’oles, Tony Iommi cutting loose with a solo of meandering menace and Geezer Butler’s bass grumbling like an impending earthquake.

Live Forever maintains the intensity, then Damaged Soul ups the ante further. This is 13’s standout track; a loose and lethal dose of doomy blues, it sounds like it was knocked up at midnight in a garage in Solihull after a day down the abattoir. Ozzy comes into his own, honking the harmonica and delivering classic Sabbathisms: “Dying is easy – it’s living that’s hard’ and ‘I’m losing the battle between Satan and God. The cataract of darkness forms fully. The long black night begins…”

Dear Father’s mawkish title disguises its tale of revenge against an abusive parent; the drug-addled Methademic has its roots in Vol. 4’s Snowblind while Peace Of Mind has Ozzy hamming up his cracked-actor persona to fine effect. And if you listen carefully to Pariah you can hear Iommi’s plastic fingertips skittering along his strings; it might be imperfect but it’s a signature element of Sabbath’s sound.

Gripes? No Bill Ward; replacement drummer Brad Wilk is a little fussy and doesn’t quite have the feel. Similarly, Rick Rubin is no Rodger Bain; the production could be much more primitive. And, with a running time of nearly 70 minutes in deluxe form, the album is overlong. Nevertheless, this comeback is better than anyone could have expected.

A certain comedy band might own amplifiers that peak at 11, but Sabbath’s go all the way to 13.

 


 Geoff Barton for Metal Hammer, 29 May 2013

 

 

Tony Iommi says he will probably have to get cancer treatment for rest of his life

Tony Iommi says he will probably have to get cancer treatment for rest of his life

 

Guitar World magazine recently spoke to Tony Iommi about the making of the band's new album.
Asked what it was like working with legendary producer Rick Rubin, who is notorious for being very "in and out" of the studio while records are being made, Iommi said:

“Honestly, I didn't quite know what to make of him at first. His whole idea [of pre-production] was, 'Write the song. Call me when you think it's ready.' So I would. Actually, I'd email him, because I couldn't phone him ... nobody phones him. So I'd email him: 'Do you want to come down tonight?' And he'd pop in, have a listen, go, 'Yeah, I like that,' or, 'I don't like it.' We wanted him to be more involved, like, 'Well, what about changing that, or putting that bit there, or go to the A,' or whatever. But he was this elusive guy that we never really saw. But when we started recording, he was there all the time... lying on the bed with the microphone. [laughs] Blimey, what a strange guy. [laughs] His way of working was he'd have us playing it live in the studio like we did on the first album. We'd play the song a couple times, then Rick would say, 'Can you do it again?' After we'd finish, Geezer would be sitting next to me, and I'd say, 'That sounded all right didn't it?' And he'd say, 'It was a good one.' And Rick would go, 'Do another one.' [laughs] So we'd do another one, and another one, and then Rick would go, 'I think we've got it, but do you want to try another one to see if you can better it?' Ozzy would be sitting in the booth going, 'Fucking hell, we got to do it again?' [laughs] Rick definitely pushed us.”

Iommi also spoke about how when Black Sabbath first met with Rick, the producer sat the guys in the band down and played them the first Sabbath record.

“I understood the point he was trying to make,” Iommi said. "He didn't want an exact copy of that album, but he wanted the vibe of that album. Like, what if this album was the follow-up to 'Black Sabbath'? What would we have done? It's hard to wipe out 40-odd years and forget all the things we've learned. But I understood what he meant as far as creating the same vibe that the first album had, which was quite raw and natural.”

Regarding whether Rubin offered specific suggestions on how to produce the vibe of the first Black Sabbath album, Iommi said:

“We did a lot of pre-production on the tracks so we could go in and play it live. But when we got into Rick's studio and started playing, he would say, 'I'm not sure about that. Can you extend that part? Can you slow that down?' Once you've rehearsed it and gotten one tempo in your head, it's really hard to change, especially without click tracks. But he wanted it that way. He'd say, 'If it speeds up, that's fine. If it slows down, that's fine.' We'd gotten out of doing it that way over the years. But when we'd done that first album, it was all up and down.”

On the topic of his current health status a year and a half after he was diagnosed with the early stages of lymphoma, Iommi said:

“When I'd finished the chemo and the radiotherapy, I went to see the doctor again for my regular blood tests. I said, 'So it's gone now?' And he said, 'No, it's not going to go. You're not going to get rid of it. But we can treat it and work with it.' I got all dismal, because I thought it was gone. He said there was a 30 percent chance of it going away, but I was probably going to have this for life. Now I get treatments to keep it from spreading. So every six weeks I go in for an infusion of Rituximab, which is one of the four ingredients when they give you the chemo. It takes a few hours, and it makes you feel a bit crap inside and a bit sick. But a couple weeks after, I start perking up again. So that's how we are working it with the shows. I go out, then come back and go into the hospital for more treatment, more blood tests and all the rest of the rubbish. And then we do it all over again.”

Read more on Blabbermouth.net

Stay strong, Tony!
All your fans are sending you healing light!
We're sending the most positive thoughts to you!
We pray for you, Tony! Blessings!

 


Blabbermouth.net, 28 May 2013

 

Tony Iommi was 'shocked' by Bill Ward's decision to bow out of Black Sabbath reunion

Tony Iommi was 'shocked' by Bill Ward's decision to bow out of Black Sabbath reunion


Tony was interviewed by Guitar World on drummer Bill Ward opting out of the band's reunion in early 2012 over some well-publicized contractual disagreements:

"I was shocked. We were hearing stuff from lawyers, like, 'I'm not happy with this. I'm not happy with that.' We waited a long time for Bill and we wanted to sort it out. But at the end of the day, especially after I was diagnosed, I thought, Fucking hell, that's it. We've got to get a move on. I might pop off next year! So I emailed him and said, 'Bill, we can't wait any longer. We've got to get on with it.' And that was it."

On recruiting Brad Wilk to play on the new album, "13":

"We had our doubts, because they play a different, funky sort of music. But after a few days of rehearsal, we knew Rick [Rubin] was right. Brad was a really good player, and he was getting it. We liked his style and the way he tried different things instead of being regimented. It was sort of jazzy and loose, like Bill."

Read more on Blabbermouth.net

 


Blabbermouth.net, 23 May 2013

 

Tony Iommi recalls his battle with Lymphoma

Tony Iommi recalls his battle with Lymphoma



While bands may have a few bumps while making new records, it’s nothing like what Black Sabbath dealt with while putting together the “13” album. Just as the metal legends were getting back together to work on new music, it was revealed that guitarist Tony Iommi was diagnosed with cancerous lymphoma and needed to undergo treatment.

Tony Iommi told Guitar World, “Once I heard my doctor say that, my whole world changed. I thought, ‘Bloody cancerous lymphoma? Well that’s it. I’ve had it.’” The guitarist says once he was diagnosed, treatment began immediately. “It knocked me about. I’d go through stages thinking, ‘Can I do this?’ And then, ‘Of course I can do this, I don’t want to die. I want to carry on and do what I’m supposed to do.’”

The guitarist says that the treatment initially stalled the band’s movement toward a new album, but as his body began to respond he got his creative spark back and asked his bandmates to join him. “They thought I would pack up,” says Tony. “But I asked the doctor, ‘Is it okay if I work?’ and he said, ‘Yes, you’ve just got to be careful.’ So I’d go in the studio and play for a bit. Then I’d get tired and I’d have to go sit down. The guys would tell me not to push it.”

Ozzy Osbourne adds, “We all rallied around him. But it’s not like we’d be saying, ‘Are you okay? Are you okay?’ We just got on with it. Sure, he looked tired, but he was a soldier and marched on. He still had more riffs coming out of him than anyone. None of us would go, ‘Oh, he’s f—ing ill again.’ We’re brothers, we grew up together. It’s like a family member getting sick.”

Read more on Loudwire.
Preorder Black Sabbath’s new album “13” on Blacksabbath.com.

 


By Chad Childers for Loudwire, 22 May 2013

 

Congratulations to Tony!

Congratulations to Tony!

 

Tony's song "Lonely Planet" performed by Armenian band Dorians on Eurovision 2013 contest got 18th place with 41 points.

 CONGRATULATIONS TO THE LORD RIFFMASTER!!!

Rock legend dusted off an old ballad titled Lonely Planet when Armenian broadcasting bosses came knocking at the door of his Lapworth home. Thankful for all the charity work Tony has done in their country, where he has spearheaded the rebuilding of a music school destroyed by an earthquake, they wondered if he had any spare songs. The song made it great to the finals and was heard by millions of people. We congratulate our Iron Man for this unusual and interesting adventure! Well done, dear Tony!

 


 20 May 2013

 

Making of Black Sabbath’s “13” album art detailed in new video

Making of Black Sabbath’s “13” album art detailed in new video

 

Tony Iommi and his bandmates have unveiled an interesting behind-the-scenes video footage of the making of the cover artwork for “13”, their anxiously awaited reunion album, due out in June.

In a newly posted interview Tony Iommi says: "I think as far as the anger and the youthful feel that we had all those years ago, that we had on the early albums, I think a lot of it is going to be on this album. I don't know much happy stuff."

Black Sabbath's first album in 35 years to feature singer Ozzy Osbourne, bassist Geezer Butler, and Iommi himself (along with Rage Again The Machine drummer Brad Wilk) was recorded primarily in Los Angeles and was produced by Rick Rubin. The album will be released by Vertigo (worldwide) and Vertigo/Republic in North America on June 13th.

Various versions of the album are available to pre-order from the band’s official website:
1. Standard CD;
2. Deluxe 2 CD set (Deluxe double CD in a soft pack, the second disc contains exclusive bonus audio material);
3. Vinyl (180 gram heavyweight LP in a gatefold sleeve);
4. CD/T-shirt (4 bundles to choose from: Standard CD/T-shirt, Deluxe 2 CD set/T-shirt, Standard mp3/T-shirt, Deluxe mp3/T-shirt);
5. Super Deluxe Box set (a limited edition which contains: Deluxe double CD album, vinyl LP, exclusive DVD which contains a “Reunion” documentary + 5 behind the scenes videos, 13 photo prints and handwritten lyrics.

The standard CD contains following tracks:
'End Of The Beginning' (8:07)
'God Is Dead?' (8:54)
'Loner' (5:06)
'Zeitgeist' (4:28)
'Age of Reason' (7:02)
'Live Forever' (4:49)
'Damaged Soul' (7:43)
'Dear Father' (7:06)

The Deluxe 2 CD set contains following tracks:
'End Of The Beginning' (8:07)
'God Is Dead?' (8:54)
'Loner' (5:06)
'Zeitgeist' (4:28)
'Age Of Reason' (7:02)
'Live Forever' (4:49)
'Damaged Soul' (7:43)
'Dear Father' (7:06)
'Methademic' (6:00)
'Peace of Mind' (3:43)
'Pariah' (5:35)

Pre-order from Blacksabbath.com

The version with additional extra track “Naivete In Black” is available to pre-order only from Best Buy (for American customers only).

Black Sabbath's new single, “God Is Dead?”, can be purchased separately in mp3 version from Amazon.com (for American customers only).  

Black Sabbath are currently on the road in support of “13”. For all things Sabbath and their tour schedule visit Blacksabbath.com.

Purchase Tony Iommi's autobiography on Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk  , various versions available: paperback, hardcover, kindle digital, audible version (audio mp3);
Check out the latest release updated with two additional chapters of new material.

 


20 May 2013

Photo Vertigo/Universal