Iommi/Huges - "Fused" review.

Wyvern

Master of Disaster
Staff member
Nov 24, 2002
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Oh yeah people :hotjump: I managed to get my paws on a sample of the album to review it for all the fans here.

‘Dopamine’: starts with great distortion and maybe a sense of modern sound, in a ponderous riff. Hughes vocals are quite different from “Seventh Star”, nevertheless are clean, good, and melodic. Maybe is the rip quality, but I felt the sound is too distorted (like dirty) even in the guitar solo.


‘Wasted Again’: now we are talking, vocals are damn bluesy and the whole vibe is like something out of ‘Seventh Star’. Has a definitively doom feeling along a classical hard rock structure. Cool tune.



‘Saviour Of The Real’: another one with heavy riff, also remind me more of the stuff in “Iommi”. The solo tags along with a great vocalization from Hughes.



‘Resolution Song’: starts glued to the previous one. The riff is slow and heavy obviously you know where doom bands take inspiration from. Then a sudden change to a soft vocalization by Hughes, and then into a heavy melody again akin to stuff in “Iommi”.



‘Grace’: the more I hear the more I consider the sound of the album. It seems Iommi decided to develop a neo-doom sound. Something that is clearly based on the BS heritage but not relying on it entirely, he didn’t want to go too much into the territory he step on in “Iommi”, but didn’t depart from it totally either. All and all it is a cool tune.



‘Deep Inside A Shell’: mid paced song, with a great vocal performance from Hughes and a energetic riff from Iommi. Has the same modern sound that has been developed in the album since its beginning, but when the solo hits…AHHH the solo! A perfect short, well executed, by-the-book, old school, classic Iommi solo (what I was waiting/expecting for in the album).



‘What You’re Living For’: ALRIGHT, this one starts like it should, fast, melodic, old school spirited. Hughes delivers a frantic vocalization, and after the bridge a sudden change to a mid/slow paced tune, just to return to the initial rhythm. The solo is short, passionate and energetic melt with awesome bass lines courtesy of Hughes (which remind me a lot of Butler on this one).



‘Face Your Fear’: here Hughes vocals shine higher than in previous song IMO. Is a mid/slow paced song, kind of doom/goth but over a classic hard rock base.



‘The Spell’: Mid-paced heaviness built upon atmospheric vocals and a neat keys bottom, over which the rhythm section and an effective guitar riff flows upon, another great song that gives one more reason to get the album.



‘I Go Insane’: final and the longest song (9:13), a tune that starts with a great classic intro by Iommi full of passion and melody. Wait until you hear Hughes voice, is astounding! I’m thinking this one may be the best or second best song, I’m still undecided. And trust me this one hits like a ton of lead, the feeling on this one is something I hadn’t heard in a long time. At 3:47 the keys, acoustic guitar and bass deliver such a great melody and harmony that when the bridge/solo starts it hits you out of trance. You won’t believe you ears with the instrumental parts, one hell of a jam in a sense. At 6:04 he vocals return with a definitive feeling from the second part of ‘Electric Funeral’ just to get back on the instrumental magic and then on the chorus, mixed with a great guitar job and finally ends with a lot of passion.


I wasn't very convinced on the album until 'What You're Living For' hit, form then on the album is pure quality, I wish the rest would be the same.
As an album is not bad, is among the freshest stuff I have heard in a long time, even so I was expecting more guitar frenzy and something like a Deep Sabbath mixture :D , but the modern touch does not makes you feel this is a mallcore album or a clone of Iommi last solo effort. At the same time the heaviness and doom spirit kept a coherence with Iommi career as a composer, assuring that is not a crazy effort from a guy to depart from his roots at all costs.

Rating: 8/10 for starters, upon a second hearing may improve. ;)
 
All the comparisons to the "Iommi" album makes me nervous, since I don't like that album at all.
 
wdiv said:
All the comparisons to the "Iommi" album makes me nervous, since I don't like that album at all.

Understood your point, I'm not a fanboy of it either. But my comparisons goes towards the music style, not the singing, the arrangements, or the composition.

My view is that Tony found a logical evolution from "Iommi" towards a modern sound without falling into mallcore. He is not making another "Seventh Star", nor is he trying to play like in "Heaven And Hell" or "Paranoid".
I wouldn't say that he's reinventing himself, just taking a step beyond the Sabbath legacy compromising enough to avoid being repetitive, sound like another doom band or just being cheapily commercial IMO.