Originally recorded at DEP Studios in Birmingham back in 1996, and for whatever reason never released (rumor has it that Tony Iommi wasn't overly thrilled with the results) these rocking sessions with former Sabbath & Deep Purple vocalist/bassist Glenn Hughes are finally now available. My question for whoever decided to keep this stuff locked away in the vaults is "dude, what was the problem?"
Seriously, this is fine hard rock/metal that could easily be called Seventh Star Part 2, yet Hughes sounds even better here than he did on that mid-80's album. I always felt there was something special between Iommi's melodic, bluesy side and the gutsy vocals of Hughes, and the formula works well once again. Iommi's thick tone is the root of "Don't You Tell Me", a heavy blues rocker littered with molten leads and Hughes' emotional vocals, while "Don't Drag the River" could have easily have been a leftover from Seventh Star with its infectious hook and brooding tempo propelled by Iommi's doomy power chords. There are a bunch of rousing metal anthems, such as the powerful opener "Gone", and the melodic "Fine", but Sabbath fans will probably most appreciate the crushing, doom-laden "Time is the Healer", perhaps the CD's heaviest track, which sees Hughes screaming up a storm alongside Iommi's brutal wall-of-sound.
Fans of the solo work of Hughes over the last 10 years or so will love the fast paced melodic rocker "I'm Not the Same Man", a song that also features some stellar keyboards (courtesy of either Don Airey, Geoff Nicholls, or Mike Exeter) and crashing drum work from Jimmy Copley, as well as a tasty wah-wah guitar solo from Iommi. Of course, no recent Iommi project would be complete without a dark and brooding blues rocker, and "It Falls Through Me" fits the bill on this CD. Iommi's gutsy lead guitar work on this one is fueled by the powerful vocals of Hughes, who seems right at home singing this heavy slow blues material.
Amazing how it took eight years for this stuff to be released to the public. After hearing these eight tunes, most will be starving for more, especially considering that it's less than 40 minutes worth of music. Here's hoping that Tony and Glenn decide to resurrect this project once again in the not so distant future.
Track List
1) Gone
2) From Another World
3) Don't You Tell Me
4) Don't Drag the River
5) Fine
6) Time is the Healer
7) I'm Not the Same Man
8) It Falls Through Me
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