Tony Iommi said his long-awaited third solo album would “definitely, definitely” be released in 2026.
The Black Sabbath guitarist has been trailing the project for some time. It’ll be the riff genius’ third solo release of his career, following 2000’s Iommi and 2005’s Fused.
Speaking from his studio in a YouTube video (embedded below), Iommi reflected on the high points of the past year, including the reissue of Sabbath’s maligned Eternal Idol album, and his appearance on a Robbie Williams single.
He also, as might be expected, mentioned the lowest point of 2025 – the death of Ozzy Osbourne following Sabbath’s final show in July.
READ MORE: Tony Iommi Says Ozzy Osbourne Held Out to Play Final Show
Iommi said: “2025 for me started off really well… Eternal Idol came out, and shortly after that I was asked… to play on a track with Robbie. [To] which, of course, I said, ‘Yes, that would be great!’ As far as I was concerned it was going to be an album track, but then Robbie released it as a single, which is even better. … It was really good fun for me to do that.”
He described being presented with the freedom of the city honor by his hometown of Birmingham as “amazing,” adding: “I never thought we’d get that.” He noted that celebrations of the band’s legacy meant that ““Birmingham sort of became Sabbath city” and that it was “really good” to see his original bandmates – including bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward – sharing the honor.
Iommi said of the group’s Back to the Beginning swan song: “The amount of bands that turned up to support Sabbath was amazing… It’s just unfortunate and sad that Ozzy passed away a couple of weeks after that. May he rest in peace.”
What Tony Iommi Thinks Of the Black Sabbath Ballet
He went on to praise the launch of a limited-edition Iommi guitar amp and the release of a signature guitar pickup, followed by the second run of the Black Sabbath ballet, which went “amazingly well” and featured Iommi himself at several performances. “They’re so amazing, those dancers, choreographers and all that, and I’ll take my hat off to them,” he said.
Thanking supporters for helping raise £53,000 (approx. $71,000) for a cancer hospital via the raffling of a guitar, Iommi flagged the upcoming launch of a Gibson documentary about his career.
Then he added: “And in 2026 I shall have – definitely, definitely – my solo album out. I’m really looking forward to that. I’ve enjoyed doing it and it’s been great fun… I really hope you enjoy it.”
He signed off by reporting that updates would follow in due course, and wishing fans a happy and prosperous new year.
Watch Tony Iommi’s Solo Album Announcement
Ozzy Osbourne Year by Year Photos: 1969-2025
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Gallery Credit: Nick DeRiso
