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

News

A cool topic from Loudwire: Who Should Play Black Sabbath in a Movie?

A cool topic from Loudwire: Who Should Play Black Sabbath in a Movie?

 

Bringing the story of Black Sabbath to the big screen is no easy task. If ever the film gods decide to make a movie about the Godfathers of Heavy Metal, they’d have a tough task ahead of them. Whether it be the band’s iconic singer Ozzy Osbourne or legendary guitarist Tony Iommi, the actors portraying them have to be just right for the role. Loudwire have assembled a list of four actors who they think would do the band proud if ever a Black Sabbath biopic went into production.

As the Prince of Darkness himself, Ozzy Osbourne is one of most notorious figures in heavy metal history. To capture Ozzy’s wild side, you need an actor who has a bad-boy reputation — and who better to take on the role than Colin Farrell? While he may not be a dead ringer for Ozzy, the Irish actor does possess a few of the rock icon’s facial features. However, in this case, the selection of Farrell is more about personality than looks, and we feel he’s got the full package to portray Osbourne in a movie.

Tony Iommi is often credited as the inventor of heavy metal. His guitar riffs revolutionized music and set in motion a whole new genre of music. That said, you need an accomplished actor to portray Iommi, and our pick is the Dark Knight himself, British actor Christian Bale. Again, not a striking resemblance, but Bale has been known to transform into his characters, so we see no problem with him taking on the role of a heavy metal genius.

As the chief lyricist in Black Sabbath, bassist Geezer Butler needs to be played by an intellectual type. We nominate James McAvoy of such films as ‘Atonement,’ ‘Wanted’ and ‘X-Men: First Class.’ Not only does the Scottish thespian seem like a smart dude, he also looks remarkably like the young Geezer Butler. With a few bass lessons and a few books on the occult, McAvoy should be well on his way to taking on the role of Butler.

For heavy-hitting drummer Bill Ward, we need a powerful actor who can pound the skins with authority. While casting the guy who played ‘Dark Knight Rises’ villain Bane might stir up trouble with Christian Bale’s portrayal of Tony Iommi, we think Tom Hardy fits the ‘Bill’ extremely well. The British actor has shown his versatility as a boxer in ‘Warrior’ and a romantic spy in ‘This Means War,’ so he should have no problem rockin’ the role of Bill Ward if a Sabbath movie ever gets made.

 


Spencer Kaufman for Loudwire, 23 February 2013

Chris Walter, WireImage/Jason Merritt, Getty Images

 

 

Queen's Brian May talk about Tony Iommi's idea of a new “riffs” album

Queen's Brian May talk about Tony Iommi's idea of a new “riffs” album

 

Few bands would turn down having Tony Iommi backing them up, and soon more bands will get the chance. The Black Sabbath guitarist has a treasure trove of riffs laying around, unused, in his studio. Queen‘s Brian May has inspired Iommi to put them to good use.

In a recent interview with Kerrang!, May talks about the riffs album the two were working on. “The idea was to put all these riffs out in some form so that people could build their own songs from them,” he says (quote via NME.com). “You could make your own music with Tony Iommi on guitar!”

It’s not clear how fans and musicians will be able to use these riffs and if Iommi is truly going to throw them into the public domain as it sounds like he might. There is no time frame for this unique project. Iommi has been busy with his Black Sabbath bandmates making ’13,’ their first album with Ozzy Osbourne in 35 years. Osbourne recently said that album could be the most important of his career.

 


Billy Dukes for Ultimate Classic Rock, 14 February 2013

Paul Kane/Daniele Venturelli, Getty Images

 

 

Black Sabbath's Dark, Twisted Resurrection

Black Sabbath's Dark, Twisted Resurrection

 

It's a sunny January day in Los Angeles, but as you'd expect, Black Sabbath's world is looking pretty dark. Guitarist Tony Iommi is back home in England being treated for the lymphoma cancer he was diagnosed with last year. Ozzy Osbourne, padding around Malibu's Shangri-La Studio in a black bowler hat and suit, has his own medical problems to deal with: His arm is in a sling from hand surgery, and four days before, he briefly turned into a human blowtorch. "My wife [Sharon] had left a f...g candle burning downstairs and set the coffee table on fire," Osbourne sputter-mutters, pulling up his hair to reveal a red burn across his forehead. "She threw some water on the wood and suddenly it was like f..g napalm exploded." He shrugs. "Normal day in the Osbourne house."

At least one thing is going Sabbath's way: The band is nearing completion of 13, its first studio album with Osbourne in 35 years. Recorded last fall at the famed L.A. studio with producer Rick Rubin, 13 finds Osbourne, Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and guest drummer Brad Wilk (of Rage Against the Machine) resurrecting the sludgy, ultra-heavy sound of the early Sabbath records. In another nod to their roots, lumbering tracks like "End of the Beginning" and "Age of Reason" stretch out to as long as eight minutes.

Osbourne has toured on and off with Sabbath for the last 15 years, but the road to a studio reunion has been a particularly long and grueling one. They first met with Rubin over a dozen years ago, but according to the producer, "It didn't gel at that time." Iommi says the launch of The Osbournes on MTV soon after complicated matters: "It drew Ozzy off. When he was going to do it, I thought, 'Hmmm, I don't know how this is going to be.' Obviously they did it, and it's too late now."

Even when the project reignited in 2011, it almost derailed. Founding drummer Bill Ward, who had participated in early rehearsals for a new album, announced last February that he wouldn't be participating over what he calls "contractual difficulties." (Ward declined comment for this story.) Iommi says Ward's demands came out of the blue. "I didn't know Bill was having these issues when we got together – he never even mentioned it to us," he says. "It was quite confusing. We wanted him involved, but it was just getting too hard." Adds Osborne: "You can't go, 'Well, I don't like it.' You get off your ass and get your shit together. The life of a bohemian rock star is f..g long over."

Iommi's cancer diagnosis was another setback. "I couldn't believe it," Osbourne says. "After all this time, we're all in the same boat. And bang." The sessions were briefly delayed when Iommi began chemotherapy treatment last year. Then, when the time finally came to cut the album, Rubin threw in a wrench of his own. Sitting the band down in his Los Angeles home, he played them their first album, 1970's brutally primitive Black Sabbath. "I wanted to make an album that stood alongside their first four albums," Rubin says. "The first album wasn't a straightforward heavy metal record. You could hear the jazz influence, so that was the goal, and to capture that live interaction."

For the band, Rubin's challenge to live up to their early sound was initially disorienting. "It was confusing," says Butler. "We had to unlearn everything we'd learned." Sabbath did nix one of Rubin's requests: to fill the drum seat with the ever-volatile Ginger Baker. "I thought, 'Bloody hell?'" Iommi says. "I just couldn't see that." Rubin then suggested Wilk, who visited Osbourne's home and jammed with him, Iommi and Butler on Sabbath classics like "War Pigs." "I'd never heard louder instruments in my life," says the Rage drummer, who ended up playing on the whole album. "And I've played in some pretty loud bands."

After landing the gig, Wilk was subjected to the Sabbath equivalent of hazing. "Tony was constantly fussing with me," Wilk says. "I'd come in and he'd say, 'Did you get the email I sent last night with that new song?' I'm gullible as hell, so I'd say, 'No, I didn't get that,' and then he'd start playing some riff I'd never heard before. And I'd say, 'Uh, no – wow!' He kept doing it until I knew he was just kidding."

When recording began, Iommi could only work for several weeks at a time before taking a week off for additional cancer treatments – a schedule he will be adhering to over the next two years. At press time, the band has only announced a brief spring tour in Japan, Australia, and New Zealand, with U.S. dates to follow after Iommi rests up. "Things are fairly good, dare I say, at the moment," Iommi says with a modest chuckle. "I'm still here and it's okay. We had to do this album now. Christ, if it happened in another 10 years, I don't know if we'd be around."

Although Osbourne describes the new album as "Satanic blues," Iommi's illness isn't the only thing that's changed about Sabbath. Osbourne admits he is no longer the "crazy, raging alcoholic drug addict" he was during the making of his last Sabbath record, 1978's Never Say Die. ("It should've been called I Wish I Was Dead," he grumbles.) And even a new Sabbath song like the provocatively titled "God Is Dead" takes an unexpected turn. "It starts off, God is dead, Osbourne says, before adding a bit wistfully, “but at the end it says, 'I don't believe that God is dead.”

 


David Browne for Rolling Stones, 10 February 2013

Photo Shane Hirschman

 

Black Sabbath Finish Recording Album, Plot Tour + Offer Tony Iommi Health Update

Black Sabbath Finish Recording Album, Plot Tour + Offer Tony Iommi Health Update

 

It’s official! Black Sabbath have completed recording their upcoming album, “13”. Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler announced the exciting news to Eddie Trunk in a video interview at the NAMM convention, in addition to offering an update on guitarist Tony Iommi‘s current battle with cancer.

In the interview, Butler spoke all about all things Black Sabbath. “We’ve finished recording it,” reveals the bassist of the album.

“Tony’s back in England putting down a couple of solos. Then we start mixing it in Febraury and it will be out in June. The provisional title is ‘13’ — unless we can come up with something more constructive. I’ve written most of the lyrics. Ozzy comes up with the titles and then gives me an inspiration to write the lyrics. I think we’ve got 16 songs and I’ve written 14 sets of lyrics.”

Butler also updated fans on Black Sabbath’s touring plans. And guess what folks? They’re going all over the world! “We start at the end of April in New Zealand, then we go to Australia, then Japan,” begins the bassist. “June, we’ll be promoting the album, then July and August [is] USA. Then October is South America and Europe in November and December.”

Black Sabbath were planning on touring extensively in 2012, but the lymphoma diagnosis of legendary riff master Tony Iommi stalled the heavy metal band’s plans. However, Butler has good news to spread about Iommi’s health. “[Tony]‘s doing well; he’s really responding well,” Butler assures. “He has to go and have his medication every six weeks. But yeah, he’s really coming along well; he’s really doing well.”

As for who will be drumming with the band, that is still not determined. After original drummer Bill Ward left the outfit over contract disputes, Tommy Clufetos filled in for the few shows that Sabbath played last year. However, Rage Against the Machine drummer Brad Wilk plays on the actual album. “We’re not sure yet; we don’t know. ‘Cause I think Brad’s got commitments with Rage Against the Machine. So it’ll probably be either Tommy or Brad, depending on their commitments.”

So does that mean Rage Against the Machine might be touring in 2013, too? Fingers crossed!

But getting back to Sabbath, if everything goes to plan, 2013 should be an incredible year!


Graham’Gruhamed’ Hartmann for Loudwire, 2 February 2013

Photo Tim Whitby, Getty Images

 


Tony Iommi to be presented with

Tony Iommi to be presented with "Riff Lord" award at Revolver Golden Gods Awards

Tony Iommi to be presented with "Riff Lord" award at Revolver Golden Gods Awards show on May 2nd 2013.

Adding another honour to his mantelpiece, Iommi says: “What a great honor to receive the Golden Gods Riff Lord Award for 2013, especially with our new Sabbath album coming out. I hope there will be some new favorite riffs in these songs.”


Ultimate Rock, 31 January 2013

 

The New Laney Tony Iommi Signature - TI15-112 is out now!

The New Laney Tony Iommi Signature - TI15-112 is out now!

 

Tony’s backstage amp.
The TI15-112 takes all the raw power and tone of the TI100’s high gain channel and crams it into a compact single channel all tube amp.

Utilizing Laney’s unique dual wattage input option means you can push the EL84 output section hard and get 15 watts rms of full on tone or plug into the “less than 1 watt” and get exactly that – your same great tone but at less than 1 watt.

Speaker Emulated Record Out

The TI15-112 also features the cool flexibility of being able to record both silently, for late night recording sessions or in live situations via the SPEAKER EMULATED RECORD OUT feature on the rear panel.

The TI15-112 is finished of in Tony’s trade mark black and cross livery.

Specification:

Inputs: 1 x Jack 15 Watts & 1 x Jack 1 Watt

Power: 15W

Channels: Single IOMMI channel

Channel Controls: Pre-Boost, Volume, Drive

Equalisation: Bass, Middle,Treble, Dynamics and Tone

Preamp Valves: 3 x ECC83.

Output Valves: 2 x EL84

Class: AB

Footswitch: FS2 (Not included)

FX Loop(s): Yes - variable level FX loop

Drivers: 12" Custom HH driver

Kick Proof Metal Grill: Yes

Speaker Emulated Record Out: Jack for Silent/Phones & Jack for Live DI - Speaker emulated

MP3 Input: Mini jack


Laney Amplification 30 January 2013

 


Tony Iommi Wins Rock Titan of the Year in the 2012 Loudwire Music Awards

 

In an incredibly close race that saw multiple lead changes throughout the entire voting process, Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi narrowly beat out Slipknot / Stone Sour singer Corey Taylor for Rock Titan of the Year in the 2012 Loudwire Music Awards. 

The legendary axe-man and master of the riff was diagnosed with cancer early in 2012, and although it stopped the majority of Black Sabbath’s tour dates, one thing it never stopped was Tony Iommi.

Despite the lymphoma diagnosis, Iommi continued writing for Black Sabbath’s massively anticipated next album, ’13,’ laying down guitar lines that will surely blow us away once its released in June 2013.

Congrats to Tony Iommi. For his bravery and dedication to heavy metal, fans have voted the Black Sabbath legend their 2012 Rock Titan of the Year.

 

Poll results:

Corey Taylor, Slipknot/Stone Sour 29.12%

Jesse Leach, Killswitch Engage 2.45%

John Baizley, Baroness 0.99%

Phil Anselmo, Pantera/Down 6.44%

Randy Blythe, Lamb of God 7.94%

Slash 20.73%

Tony Iommi, Black Sabbath 32.33%

 


Graham 'Gruhamed' Hartmann for Loudwire 16 January 2013

 

 

Black Sabbath Announce New Album Title, Release Month

Black Sabbath Announce New Album Title, Release Month

 

Black Sabbath has announced that their long-awaited new album will been entitled ’13,’ and is scheduled for release on an unspecified date in June of 2013.

The Rick Rubin-produced record will be the legendary group’s first album to feature original singer Ozzy Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi and bassist Geezer Butler working together since 1978′s ‘Never Say Die.’

The band’s press release — which was timed to arrive on the 13th of January — also revealed that Rage Against the Machine’s Brad Wilk was selected to fill in for founding drummer Bill Ward, who was unable to reach a financial settlement with his bandmates for this reunion.

The group will also perform in New Zealand, Australia and Japan prior to the release of ’13,’ and promises that “additional tour plans will be revealed in the coming months.” It is unknown if Wilk will join them for these concerts. Tommy Clufetos from Osbourne’s solo band sat behind the drum kit during the group’s 2012 concerts, including their headlining appearance at Lollapalooza.

Black Sabbath 2013 Tour Dates:

4/20 — Auckland, New Zealand

4/22 — Auckland, New Zealand

4/25 — Brisbane, Australia

4/27 — Sydney, Australia

4/29 — Melbourne, Australia

5/1 — Melbourne, Australia

5/4 — Perth, Australia

5/12 — Tokyo, Japan
 
 


Matthew Wilkening for Ultimate Classic Rock, 12 January 2012

Photo Chris Walter, Getty Images

 


Tony Iommi: 'Black Sabbath will be touring as much as we're able to in 2013'

Tony Iommi: 'Black Sabbath will be touring as much as we're able to in 2013'

 

The guitarist said the band are still working on their comeback album.

Tony Iommi has said that the metal icons will be touring "as much as we're able" next year.

Writing in a post on his website, Iommi.com, the guitar player thanked fans for their support throughout the year and also made reference to his battle with cancer.

He wrote:

What a year! Certainly not the one I was expecting. Thanks to you all for your massive help and support, it was very encouraging. I'm still working on the album and managed to play three shows, not bad given the news a year ago. I'm looking forward to next year, seeing what you think of the record and touring as much as we're able.

He added: "My Best Wishes to you all, I hope you have a great Christmas and New Year, most of all, stay positive."

Black Sabbath recently revealed that they are six tracks into recording their new album, which is due for release in April of next year. Iommi has said that the final album will consist of 15 tracks.

 They will be playing five shows in Australia and New Zealand in April and May of next year and will also be appearing at Ozzfest in Japan on May 12, 2013.

 


www.nme.com 2012

Photo Darkroom Demons 

 

 

Black Sabbath voted most important British hard rock band ever

Black Sabbath voted most important British hard rock band ever

 

New poll places Birmingham band above Iron Maiden and Led Zeppelin.

The Birmingham band were named the most important hard rock group in a BPI poll of 3,600 hard rock and metal fans. Sabbath were far ahead of their competition, taking almost half of all votes cast.

Iron Maiden and Led Zeppelin came in second and third respectively. Speaking about coming out on top of the poll, Sabbath stated: “We are honoured and flattered to be acknowledged in a poll like this which is voted for by the fans. We thank you.”

The BPI poll list of the most important hard rock bands is:

1 – Black Sabbath (45%)

2 – Iron Maiden (22.6%)

3 – Led Zeppelin (21.6%)

4 – Motorhead (2.9%)

5 – Deep Purple (2.3%)

6 – Judas Priest (1.9%)

7 – Other (3.6%) 

 


 www.nme.com 2012