Black Sabbath icon Tony Iommi is building himself a new studio, says Tony Martin, who fronted the band in the 80s and 90s – and they’re still hoping to work together again.
It’s more evidence that, despite winding up the band’s career in February as a result of his cancer status, Iommi intends to keep working at some level.
At the time he said: “My illness is the bloody reason why I have backed off from long tours.” He added of his future musical plans: “The only criterion is that it cannot involve being away for seven or eight weeks at a time, unless it’s in one place.”
Last year Iommi confirmed he had plans to regroup with Martin. Now the vocalist – who appeared on Sabbath albums The Eternal Idol, Tyr, Headless Cross, Cross Purposes and Forbidden – tells Metal Jacket Magazine (via Blabbermouth): “I spoke to him just a few weeks ago. He’s bought a new house and he’s building a new studio.
“He said he needs to set that up and get that all ready. But when he’s ready, I’m happy to do it, and I know he wants to do it.
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“Those albums have been deleted for a long time, and I think they could sound better. Especially Forbidden – I hate that. When I listen to it now, I think how I could make it better. If he gives me the chance, I’d love to do that again.”
Martin accepts the charge that Forbidden just didn’t sound like a Black Sabbath album. “I told him that,” says the singer. “It was me, Cozy Powell and Geoff Nicholls. We were saying, ‘This is not Black Sabbath.’
“I understand what they were trying to do, the Run DMC thing, but it didn’t work. I have demos from the rehearsals and it sounded really cool, really hard. I would love to re-record that, and if I got the chance I’d like to rewrite some of the lyrics.”
Martin is working on a solo album and an autobiography. Sabbath’s final show, in Birmingham in February, was filmed for a future release.
