IOMMI w/Glenn Hughes
Fused
Sanctuary Records 2005
www.iommi.com

What’s the 4-1-1?
The latest collaboration between Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi and vocalist Glenn Hughes sparkles with yet another ten helpings of some pretty high quality rock and roll.

Genre
Hard Rock / classic rock

The Good
Man, if you want proof that Tony Iommi is a masterfully relevant figure on the rock scene, look no further than Fused. His guitar licks are fantastic. While there is the requisite Black Sabbath dirge like riffs, there are also plenty of fast moving solos and leads as well. The album has nary a misstep in the songs themselves. There is no track that will be mistaken as a filler track. While all but one track is pretty darn good, I do want to single out my favorite cut. “Saviour Of The Real” stands out so well thanks to a complete melding of the talents from the trio recording the album. You have Iommi’s guitar, Glenn Hughes providing the vocals and bass, and Kenny Aronoff building an impenetrable foundation behind the drum kit. It’s so good that it’s making my list of favorite songs of the year.

The Bad
“What Your Living For” has a tempo change from the fast hard driving sound of the main verses to a painfully odd slowdown for the chorus that is just wrong!
Glenn Hughes has such a great voice you would think that people would know enough to let it be, but there is at least one instance where his voice is covered with effects and it renders those vocals weak.

The Verdict
This album is so good; I wish Tony Iommi could make his solo act his priority. A concert tour with Hughes and Aronoff would be a must see show. I would much rather see Iommi doing something worthwhile like supporting Fused, instead of wasting his time and talent filling Ozzy Osbourne’s coffers by touring with Black Sabbath. Hot soulful vocals, guitars that blow your mind, and drums that kick your butt! You can’t ask for much more than that!

Did You Know?
Kenny Aronoff, who provides the drumming on this album, is probably best known as John Mellencamp’s longtime drummer. He’s also toured with Melissa Etheridge, among many other credits.

Rating: out of 5

-- Jay Roberts