Album review: TONY IOMMI featuring GLENN HUGHES – The 1996 Dep Sessions, Fused

BMG [Release date 04.10.24]

The two albums guitar legend and Black Sabbath founder Tony Iommi recorded with bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes get a well deserved reissue, as well as a first time release on vinyl. Marvellous.

The Dep Sessions, so called as it was recorded at the Dep International Studios, Digbeth, Birmingham, shortly after Black Sabbath fell apart following the Forbidden tour, in 1996. Originally the drums were recorded by Dave Holland, but these were re-recorded by Jimmy Copley following Holland’s legal issues. Billed as Tony Iommi featuring Glenn Hughes, the band also features keyboard player Don Airey, with Neil Murray and Geoff Nicholls providing additional work.

The album has a very 90s feel, with Iommi’s riffing standing out. In fact if you strip the blues away from early Sabbath, you can here see the influence that the band’s rough edge had on 90s metal.

‘From Another World’ opens acoustically, at times not quite cohesive, at times some really nice chords and touches, with Hughes’ vocals having a solo moment or too. The track builds nicely too, mixing hard and soft passages.

‘Don’t You Tell Me’ is a nice chunky number, Hughes giving us a scream or two. ‘Don’t Drag The River’ contains a range of feels too, exploring various facets of Iommi’s and Hughes’ abilities.

The guitar on ‘Time Is The Healer’ has a nod to tracks from Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, but with Hughes’ vocals being so non Sabbath it has quite a different edge.

Then there’s a galloping Maidenesque feel to ‘I’m Not The Same Man’. Then closing track ‘It Falls Through Me’ has a gentler feel, keeping it gentle (compared to earlier tracks) even when the metal picks up.

Overall it’s great album, a nice feel, mixing Sabbath and 90s metal.

Following the album’s release in 2004, (maybe that was a catalyst), Iommi and Hughes recorded Fused together at a studio in Wales. This album sees Iommi as heavy as ever, hitting the zeitgeist head on and it worked, especially with this sounding more a band effort.

Hughes was match fit, recording the Songs In The Key Of Life and Soul Mover in the mid 00s. That soulful whine that reared it’s ugly head in Purple was largely absent from The Dep Sessions and completely absent here.

‘Savour Of The Real’ is a marvellous heavy track, Iommi’s metal joining the ranks of the genres he influenced, and Hughes just getting on with the job here, and it’s all the better for it.

Alongside Hughes (bass and vocals) and Iommi (lead and rhythm guitars) are drummer Kenny Aronoff (John Fogerty, John Mellencamp), with producer Bob Marlette adding additional bass and keyboards.

This all out metal album cements Iomm’s and Hughes’ legendary status outside of the bands they’re best known for working with. It’s not often Iommi is credit with both lead and rhythm roles, so on many tracks he’s played several layers, it’s a very full on sound. And while he’s known as the Riff King, there’s some deft solos here too.

At times there’s a bit of programming, and the modern sound may grate a little with the more trad metal fan, but it’s still a fantastic album.

Both albums sound great, and come in digipaks (the latter with 3 bonus tracks), and fans new and old will love the vinyl pressings too. Well worth your money. ****1/2

Review by Joe Geesin

Feature: Albums that Time Forgot (Iommi, 2005)

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