According to Geezer Butler, the BLACK SABBATH guitarist is deep into a new solo record. One that’s already being mixed and is currently penciled in for a 2026 release.
While Iommi has never been one to shout about his plans, this one comes with an intriguing twist. The album features a single vocalist, described by Butler as a “great singer from Sweden.” That detail alone is enough to send speculation spiraling.
Butler offered no further details about the vocalist, and that silence feels intentional. Sweden has produced no shortage of voices capable of carrying weight without excess. The kind that don’t announce themselves, but linger. For now, Iommi appears content to let the music arrive before the names do.
Speaking during a Q&A session at Steel City Con in Pennsylvania, Butler revealed that Iommi had invited him to contribute bass to three tracks.
The only snag? Geography. Iommi wanted the sessions done in England, and Butler can’t travel there until June 2026.
“If he can hang on that long,” Butler said, “I might collaborate with him back in June.”
So yes, there’s a real possibility that this album could include the unmistakable low end presence of Geezer Butler himself. Timing willing.
Not a Guest Filled Experiment. A Focused Record. What makes this project especially interesting is what it isn’t.
Unlike Tony Iommi’s 2000 solo album Iommi, which featured a rotating cast of guest vocalists, this new record appears to be far more focused and intentional. Iommi has said the album originally began as an instrumental project before evolving once he decided to experiment with a single singer.
“One singer,” he explained in a 2025 interview. “That’s what I’ve been doing.” That kind of discipline yes, I’ll say it, once is very on brand for Iommi at this stage of his career. He’s not chasing novelty. He’s following instinct.
That pressure to be palatable, to sand down the edges is the same impulse that keeps resurfacing in modern metal culture, where being “cool” often matters more than conviction.
In recent years, Iommi has leaned fully into a pace that suits him. Whether it’s contributing a signature solo to Robbie Williams’s rock-leaning single “Rocket,” releasing one-off instrumental tracks tied to fragrance collaborations (Deified, Scent of Dark), or revisiting his vast archive of unused riffs, the common thread is freedom.
“I can do different stuff when I want,” Iommi said. “And I’m enjoying it.”
That mindset extends to the new album. There’s no rush, no label pressure, no artificial deadline. Just a legendary guitarist with hundreds of riffs stored on his phone and the patience to let the right ones rise to the surface.
The Bigger Picture. If and when this album arrives, it will mark Iommi’s third official solo release, following Iommi (2000) and Fused (2005).
It will also further cement a post Sabbath chapter that has been far more creatively active than many expected after the band closed the book on their career with The End tour in 2017.
Health limitations and facing immortality may have slowed extensive touring, but they clearly haven’t dulled Iommi’s creative drive.
“There will be more from me,” he said. “I can’t stop.”
And honestly? That might be the most reassuring part of all.
