Written By Caine Blackthorn
Tony Iommi has spent nearly six decades building some of the most influential riffs in heavy metal history, but even the architect of Black Sabbath occasionally found himself navigating situations that defied explanation.
In a revealing new interview with Planet Rock’s Ian Danter, the legendary guitarist revisited the recording of Black Sabbath’s final studio album, 13, and described the unusual working relationship with producer Rick Rubin.
According to Iommi, communication during the recording sessions became so fragmented that Rubin frequently delivered instructions exclusively through him, leaving his bandmates unaware of decisions being made about their own music.
And in one particularly bizarre incident, Iommi found himself writing an entirely new song over a weekend without the rest of Black Sabbath knowing anything about it.
Tony Iommi and Rick Rubin: Communication Breakdowns During Black Sabbath’s 13
Released in June 2013, 13 marked the first Black Sabbath studio album in 35 years to feature Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, and Geezer Butler together. Expectations were enormous.
The reunion brought three of heavy metal’s founding figures back into the studio, with Grammy-winning producer Rick Rubin tasked with capturing the spirit of the band’s earliest recordings.
But behind the scenes, Iommi says the process was far from straightforward.
Speaking with Planet Rock, he recalled that Rubin frequently communicated with him rather than addressing the entire group.
“Because Rick wouldn’t talk to the others. He talked to me and I’d have to tell them.”
The arrangement effectively placed Iommi in the uncomfortable position of intermediary between the producer and his own bandmates.
For musicians who had spent decades shaping their own creative direction, it was hardly an ideal working environment.
The Weekend Song Request That Left Geezer Butler Completely Unprepared
One particular incident captured just how strange the sessions became.
While recording in Los Angeles, Iommi had returned home for a weekend break when Rubin contacted him on Friday with an unexpected request.
The producer wanted a new composition resembling Black Sabbath’s atmospheric 1970 track “Planet Caravan,” and he wanted to record it the following Monday.
Iommi worked on the idea over the weekend. There was just one rather significant complication. Nobody had told the rest of the band.
When Monday arrived, Rubin announced that they would be recording Iommi’s new composition.
Geezer Butler, understandably bewildered, had no idea what song Rubin was talking about, let alone its arrangement or musical key.
The band ultimately recorded the material, but Iommi remembered the circumstances as deeply uncomfortable.
“It was such an awkward situation.”
For a group whose chemistry helped establish the foundations of heavy metal, being thrown into a session without everyone understanding what they were about to record was a peculiar way to make a comeback album.
Geezer Butler and Ozzy Osbourne Also Questioned Rick Rubin’s Approach
Iommi’s recollections are not the first indication that the 13 sessions were complicated.
In a 2022 interview with Eddie Trunk, Geezer Butler spoke about Rubin’s attempts to reconnect Black Sabbath with the stripped-down musical approach of their earliest recordings.
According to Butler, Rubin encouraged the musicians to imagine they were creating a follow-up to their self-titled 1970 debut, rather than approaching the project as a veteran heavy metal band.
Butler questioned the practicality of the concept. He also described frustrations surrounding Rubin’s production methods, including repeated vocal takes and efforts to recreate vintage guitar sounds using equipment from the band’s earliest years.
Ozzy Osbourne expressed similar reservations. In a 2022 conversation with Stereogum, the late Black Sabbath frontman acknowledged that the recording experience had not been especially satisfying.
Although he maintained a friendship with Rubin, Ozzy felt that the band had surrendered too much creative control during the sessions.
He also regretted the absence of original drummer Bill Ward, who did not participate in the album following a breakdown in contractual negotiations.
Rage Against the Machine drummer Brad Wilk ultimately recorded the drum parts.
Taken together, the musicians’ recollections paint a picture of an album that succeeded commercially while leaving some of its creators with mixed feelings about how it was made.
Black Sabbath’s 13 Became a Historic Commercial Success
Despite the difficult recording process, 13 proved enormously successful.
The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, giving Black Sabbath its first chart-topping album in the United States.
It also reached No. 1 in the United Kingdom, marking the band’s first British chart-topper since Paranoid in 1970.
Songs including “God Is Dead?,” “End of the Beginning,” and “Loner” introduced Black Sabbath’s signature darkness to another generation while reconnecting longtime fans with the unmistakable sound of Iommi’s guitar.
Yet the record’s commercial achievements did not erase the frustrations surrounding its creation.
For Iommi, the experience demonstrated that even a legendary band’s reunion could become complicated when musicians and producers approached the creative process from different directions.
Tony Iommi Returns With From the Dark, His First Solo Album in 21 Years
The timing of Iommi’s latest reflections is especially significant. On October 23, 2026, the guitarist is scheduled to release From the Dark, his first full-length solo album since 2005’s Fused.
Released through BMG, the eight-track record finds Iommi collaborating with Norwegian powerhouse vocalist Jørn Lande, bassist Becky Baldwin, and drummer Karl Brazil.
Longtime collaborator Mike Exeter shares production duties with Iommi.
Queen guitarist Brian May also contributes a guest solo to “Death Wake,” bringing together two of British rock’s most influential guitarists.
Unlike the tightly scheduled recording process Iommi experienced with Black Sabbath, the new album was developed at his own pace.
Working in his home studio, the guitarist was able to explore musical ideas without the demands of an approaching tour or a fixed band recording schedule. The contrast with his recollections of 13 could hardly be more apparent.
From the Dark Tracklist
1. Over The Violent Sun
2. Black Times
3. World Alone
4. Beyond The Dead
5. Stormwatcher
6. Death Wake
7. Return Of The Arbalist
8. Lega
Band Lineup
Guitar: Tony Iommi
Vocals & Co-writing: Jorn Lande
Bass: Becky Baldwin
Drums: Karl Brazil
The album’s first single, “World Alone,” already offers a glimpse of Iommi’s familiar combination of ominous riffs, muscular guitar work, and dark atmosphere.
More than two decades after his previous solo album, the guitarist remains committed to creating new music rather than simply revisiting the monumental legacy of Black Sabbath.
Tony Iommi Recalls His Last Conversation With Ozzy Osbourne
As Iommi marks another chapter of his career with From the Dark, the absence of longtime Black Sabbath bandmate Ozzy Osbourne remains impossible to separate from the story. In interviews published in September 2026, Iommi recalled speaking with Ozzy on July 21, 2025, the night before the singer died. Ozzy told him he felt tired and worn out. The news of his death the following day left Iommi shocked, particularly after the band’s emotional final appearance at Birmingham’s Back to the Beginning concert earlier that month.
The recollection adds a poignant dimension to Iommi’s latest solo release. Their musical partnership helped build the foundations of heavy metal, and their last conversation came only weeks after they had shared a stage for the final time. Iommi’s account was previously reported by Guitar World in September; the details are not a new October revelation.
A Complicated Final Chapter for Heavy Metal’s Founding Fathers
Black Sabbath’s story has never been particularly tidy.
Decades of lineup changes, personal struggles, creative disagreements, and remarkable reunions have shaped the band’s history almost as profoundly as its music. The recording of 13 now appears to be another complicated chapter in that history.
Iommi’s latest comments do not establish an ongoing dispute with Rick Rubin, nor do they diminish the album’s remarkable success.
They do, however, offer a revealing glimpse into the tensions that can emerge when a producer’s vision collides with the instincts of musicians who helped invent an entire genre.
And while 13 stands as Black Sabbath’s final studio album, Tony Iommi’s creative journey is far from finished.
With From the Dark, the man responsible for some of metal’s most enduring riffs continues writing his own next chapter.
About The Author
Caine Blackthorn writes music news, trending topics, commentary, and feature pieces for Metal Lair with a focus on the shifting culture surrounding rock and heavy metal. From rising ticket prices and touring collapse to legacy artists, industry absurdity, and the changing soul of live music, his work blends sharp observation with the grit, humor, and frustration of the scene itself. Whether covering modern chaos or metal history, Caine approaches heavy music as something lived through, not simply reported on.
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