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Review - by Eduardo Rivadavia - Two full decades after the release of 1986's underestimated Seventh Star album, Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi and journeyman vocalist/bassist Glenn Hughes (Trapeze, Deep Purple, etc.) decided the time had come for them to work together once again. Ensconcing themselves in Birmingham's DEP Studios, the duo composed and recorded eight tracks for release, but when Iommi was suddenly called into action with a re-formed and regularly touring original Sabbath, the work in progress was abandoned, filed away, and then, naturally, quickly bootlegged under the imaginative title of Eighth Star. Thus the tracks would remain for eight full years, until Iommi and Hughes finally reconvened to tidy them up with the help of keyboardists Don Airey and Geoff Nicholls, have Jimmy Copley re-record the drum tracks originally laid down by erstwhile Judas Priest man Dave Holland (since jailed for child abuse!), and give them an official release as The 1996 DEP Sessions. Now, with all that explaining out of the way, the very high caliber of songwriting on display here makes it immediately clear that Iommi and Hughes had little difficulty in rekindling the fires of their original collaboration. As was the case 20 years before, heavy metal is inevitably the norm but certainly not the rule guiding these sessions, and the looser, more experimental vibe generated by the likes of "Don't You Tell Me," "Fine," and the quite soulful "Don't Drag the River" (featuring Kansas-sized vocal harmonies to boot) only confirms the notion that Seventh Star should have been credited as an Iommi solo effort, as was originally intended. As for those unequivocally monolithic Sabbath-like power chords driving more traditional Iommi fare such as "Gone" and "Time Is the Healer," unbiased listeners will note that Hughes' gargantuan pipes bring out a sense of drama within the guitarist's creations that, with all due respect, Ozzy's limited range simply cannot. And even though there's nothing here that compares with Seventh Star's beautifully tender "No Stranger to Love" for sheer commercial appeal, both of The DEP Sessions' semi-ballads, the desperately regretful "From Another World" (featuring some rare acoustic work from Iommi) and the bittersweet "It Falls Through Me," definitely qualify as highlights. And as for those naughty but understandably curious listeners who scored the Eighth Star bootleg in the first place, they will find a few differences here (altered song titles, the omission of the Hughes solo cut "Shakin' My Wings," and a tweaked riff in "Don't You Tell Me" so as to differentiate it from that of "Black Oblivion," as heard on Iommi's 2001 solo album) to go with the far superior sound quality. Once again, it may wind up overlooked, but most experts will agree that this is a historic and highly recommended release for serious metalheads.

Review - by Greg Prato - Tony Iommi and Glenn Hughes have quite a storied history together. Both hail from the same area in England. Iommi and Hughes first collaborated together on the 1986 Black Sabbath album, Seventh Star, before reuniting in 1996 to work on some new tunes Iommi had penned. The project was ultimately shelved when Iommi reunited with his Sabbath pals, but it finally saw an official release in 2004, as DEP Sessions: 1996. During the album's resurgence, the duo decided to work on a proper album together, which resulted in Fused a year later. Joined by ace session drummer Kenny Aronoff, Iommi and Hughes made a conscious decision to come up with a heavier, more riff-based album than DEP (which Iommi felt was more melody based). Well, the trio definitely accomplished their desired goal, as evidenced by such riff mongers as "Dopamine," "Wasted Again," and "Face Your Fear." But surprisingly, the best tracks are the ones where a bit of melody slips in, especially "Grace" and "Deep Inside His Shell." And like Sabbath's classic early albums, Fused ends on a truly epic note, with the near-ten-minute long "Insane." Soulful vocals, heavy riffs, and mighty drumming -- is Fused a sign that a new powerhouse trio had been born?

Review - by Bret Adams - Iommi is Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi's first official solo album. He came close before. 1986's Seventh Star was supposed to be, but Warner Bros. insisted on calling it a Black Sabbath Featuring Tony Iommi record for marketing purposes. In a way, Iommi is nearly a Black Sabbath tribute album since its ten songs each feature an all-star guest vocalist. Actually, "Who's Fooling Who" is three-fourths Black Sabbath since it includes vocalist Ozzy Osbourne and drummer Bill Ward. The other singers are Black Flag and Rollins Band's Henry Rollins, Skunk Anansie's Skin, Nirvana and the Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl, Pantera's Philip Anselmo, System of a Down's Serj Tankian, the Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan, the Cult's Ian Astbury, Type O Negative's Peter Steele, and Billy Idol. Guest musicians include Queen guitarist Brian May, John Mellencamp drummer Kenny Aronoff, White Zombie drummer John Tempesta, Soundgarden bassist Ben Shepherd, Soundgarden and Pearl Jam drummer Matt Cameron, and '80s-era Black Sabbath bassist Laurence Cottle. Iommi is a rather predictable but generally effective mix of its namesake's menacing riffs and modern-sounding vocals and drums. Rollins actually sings (not growls) on "Laughing Man (In the Devil Mask)." Skin's voice on "Meat" is restrained at first, but she gets progressively spunkier. "Goodbye Lament," featuring Grohl, earned immediate, multi-format radio airplay thanks to the combination of heavy guitars and a seemingly keyboard-programmed (but uncredited) backing track. Corgan's nasally voice mars "Black Oblivion," but the overall melody and catchy riffs rescue it. Astbury is an excellent fit on "Flame On." Steele's creepy vocals, Iommi's droning riffs, and the twisted lyrics make "Just Say No to Love" a dangerous, eerie highlight. Surprisingly, the best song is "Into the Night" thanks to the rather unexpected vocal strength of Idol. The exciting, steamroller middle section features Iommi andIdol thundering along in tandem.