Vocalist Jørn Lande has discussed his work on Tony Iommi’s upcoming solo album and explained how he approached writing the lyrics for the project, speaking on Heavy Interviews.
Lande was asked about his collaboration with the Black Sabbath guitarist and what it was like to contribute to his new record. The singer described the experience of working on what he sees as a major opportunity in rock and metal.
“It’s [Tony’s] album. It is our work, but it’s his album,” Lande said. “So as an old fan, I tried to, of course, do my best. I wanted to put my best effort doing this, ’cause this is, I guess, in the rock and metal scene, probably the biggest achievement or every rock singer’s dream, to be able to work with someone like Tony Iommi.”
“It’s the godfather. He’s kind of the reason why so many bands started in this business. So it was important to make sure it was a great record, but [also] that I did my best with it. And I think taking the time, that was essential. Analyzing things. Also when writing lyrics and coming up with melody lines, it was good to take the time also since I’m not an Australian, native or English or American, Canadian, whatever, I need more time to think about my words and stuff when I write.”
Lande went on to explain how not being a native English speaker shaped his approach to the lyrics. The language barrier, he said, worked both as a challenge and as an advantage.
“But then again, that can also be a, a blessing because when it’s not your native language, you take different turns and twists and you take the liberty to use combinations that you wouldn’t maybe think. And also sometimes when there’s a sentence and it maybe sounds a bit weird, Mike Exeter, the producer, he would sometimes push the talkback button in the studio and he would say, ‘What did you just sing? What does it mean?’ And then when I explain it, ‘Oh, I get it. That’s brilliant, that is,’ he would say sometimes. Other times he could say, ‘Eh, it’s not something you would say in England, for sure.'”
“And then he might throw back some kind of a suggestion. But other times he would love it, and we would just keep it as is. But I think that’s also an advantage, that you can play with words in different way than native Brits or Australians or Canadians or Americans. So, that’s an advantage as well for me. But I need the extra time to sit with it.”
Lande’s comments came during a discussion about his work on Iommi’s solo album, ‘From The Dark’. The background to his approach shows how carefully he considered each element of the record.
The new album marks Iommi’s first solo record in two decades and was released on 23 October 2026 through BMG. Lande shares writing credits on every song, and the record was co-produced by Iommi and his longtime creative partner Mike Exeter, who has worked with the guitarist for about 30 years. Bassist Becky Baldwin and drummer Karl Brazil helped flesh out the material musically on the project.
The two musicians first worked together in 2005 when they composed and recorded demos, though that project did not continue. Iommi selected Lande after hearing him perform Black Sabbath songs alongside Glenn Hughes at a London tribute concert following Ronnie James Dio’s passing. The album initially began as an instrumental project, but Iommi decided he wanted a vocalist and set those tracks aside to write new riffs instead.
The recording schedule with Exeter was flexible, and the pair routinely set aside Mondays and Tuesdays to work around other commitments. The album features eight new songs and includes two additional tracks that were previously released: “Scent of Dark” from 2022 and “Deified” from 2024, both originally connected to Iommi’s signature perfumes. The first single, “World Alone,” showcases Iommi’s guitar riffs and solos alongside Lande’s vocal delivery and a driving rhythm section.
