Toni Iommi is best known for his work in the ground breaking band Black Sabbath. Iommi and Ozzy would change music history with their blend of high octane vocals and dark haunted metal. After the band broke up, Iommi worked on some solo material and eventually had one last show with Ozzy before his death. Recently, Iommi was commissioned to make some music for commercials and he thought…”why don’t I make a new record?” He approached Norwegian metal vocalist Jørn Lande and we have From the Dark. For the review on Halloween, it’s very fitting to be featuring new music from a founding member of Black Sabbath….which is still one of the best metal band names out there….but…will this track be a trick or a treat? See what I did there.
The key players here are Iommi and Jørn. There is some studio fill that makes up the drums and bass sections that are very tight and fill out the metal vibe. They do well on the record, but we are really here for Iommi. In Black Sabbath his guitar was so unique because it had a muddy metal crunch, but still had a hint of 70s fuzz. Flash forward to 2026 and Iommi still has that bland of crunch and fuzz, but with some more modern effects. There is a bit of a Tool-esque effect on the opening riffs fo the track, but then we burst into pure Iommi. Over the Violent Sun centres on a killer riff that runs throughout the track and is reprised with slight changes a number of times. As a hook, this riff really brings you in and is the best part of the track. The bridge has a bit more crunch with a bluesy solo. All and all, Iommi holds his own and the central riff is just fire.
Now, let’s get to Jørn. He is sort of a cross between Dio and Bruce Dickinson from Iron Maiden. He has has that 80s high note, but with some of Dickinson’s theatricality. Jørn is a ton of fun and gives you want you need. Someone melodramatic emoting about death, darkness, the end of human kind and…of course…the violent sun in the title. You can hear the back leather and acid washed denim. But that is what you want. If Iommi is going to thrash his guitar into dust, I want someone to bring the vocal energy necessary. Jørn won’t redefine metal vocals, but he gives you what you’re looking for and is solid.
If you are looking for fire metal guitar and a bit of Halloween metal fun, this is the perfect record to have playing in the background as you hand out fun sized Snickers to children. It has a bit of blood, the devil, death and darkness….perfect mood music for this time of year.
Listen to Over the Violent Sun
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