Tony Iommi

IOMMI

(Divine/Priority)

Any guitarist whose style spawns an entire school of players qualifies as a giant. As for Tony Iommi, his résumé includes founding Black Sabbath but, until now, no solo albums. Here Iommi plays beautifully throughout. His rich down-tuned tone, slow-squeezed melodies, and throbbing single-note progressions invoke the best of old-school metal -- daring, individual, with a blues backbone to provide emotional heft.

Yet as a non-singer he's somewhat at the mercy of his guest vocalists. Some call down fire. Ozzy Osbourne's turn on "Who's Fooling Who" flexes the Sabbath muscles; Henry Rollins flexes his own in a return to hardcore howl 'n' growl called "Laughing Man (In the Devil Mask)." Dave Grohl brings a prickly pop sensibility to "Goodbye Lament." But the best is Skunk Anansie's Skin, whose soaring "Meat" proves this needn't be a boys' club. Pantera's Phil Anselmo founders, as does '80s-metal punch line Ian Astbury. And Billy Corgan's croaking may never work outside his own arrangements. But as an affirmation for the great granddaddy of new metal, this album rocks.

-- Ted Drozdowski