Legendary Tony Iommi hooks up with DEEP PURPLE’s Vocalist/Bassist Glenn Hughes to release Iommi’s third solo album hitting stores July 12th, 2005. Before even placing the disc in the player thoughts ran through my head… 'will this be just like a SABBATH album?', 'will this be like Deep Purple?', 'will this be a generic clone?', and 'what can Mr. Iommi bring to the table that he has not done before in his thirty-five years in the music industry?' The musical delight to my ears was overwhelming. Chills ran up and down my spine as that first chord sounded on “Dopamine.” Hughes is at full power sounding like a high-potency Mike Patton of Faith No More. “Dopamine” sounds like it could have been a hit in the eighties bringing back memories of VAIN meets FAITH NO MORE. Iommi’s guitar work is impeccable on every track and why shouldn’t it be, the man is destined to be in the ‘Hall of Fame.’

”Saviour Of The Real” echoes those fabulous BLACK SABBATH riffs but the added dimension by Hughes gives the song a melodic vibe. This is the kind of CD that could have been recorded in the early days of Black Sabbath and brought up to date with modern technology. “Deep Inside A Shell” is an outstanding tune which puts Iommi in the spotlight rifling off his trademark riffs; and the clean vocals Hughes possesses on “Deep inside a Shell” will captivate you. Some of the songs don’t even fit the mold of Iommi, yet shows the magic that is brought together with the trio of Iommi, Hughes, and Aronoff (John Mellencamp).

The most killer track has to be “What You’re Living For”; just listening to this song, I broke out in a cold sweat. I would give it three thumbs up but I only have two. You know back in 1987 when Whitesnake released their self-titled mega-million selling album, well “Fused” should have that same impact in 2005. Let me just end with the last song “I Go Insane,” Hughes vocals are simply put… amazing. The collaboration between Iommi and Hughes will set a new standard for superstars. After the Ozzfest tour, Iommi will hit the road on a solo tour but in the meantime pick up the CD, as I am sure they will fly off the shelves, and catch Tony Iommi in concert near you.