Last Thursday (November 25), BLACK SABBATH guitarist Tony Iommi published “Perfume of Darkness”, his first musical composition since writing a classic piece for Birmingham Cathedral in 2017 and his first rock song since SABBATH‘s “13” album in 2013. To coincide with “Perfume of Darkness”the arrival, Iommi announced that it will also release a fragrance, designed in collaboration with the Italian luxury perfume house Xerjoff and Sergio Momo.

In the six-minute video below, Iommi and Momo discuss collaboration, with Tony saying: “SergioPerhaps the idea was to have a melody to accompany it, music to accompany the perfume, to create more atmosphere for him. And I had ideas that Sergio heard and he liked the idea. So that allowed me to elaborate from what we got more of what that meant for the scent… It was very mystical, what I think the scent is – it’s kind of a scent. mystical. It comes from within. Everything seemed to fit well; it just seemed like the right thing for it. And I am very happy with it. And of course, Sergio also plays on it – he plays guitar as well as I do. And the whole combination – with Jimmy crutchley play bass and Ash [Sheehan] on drums it was a different new direction for us. And then I thought it was good to have a few strings added, because it gives it that kind of more dramatic sound and it really emphasizes the whole thing. “

While the realm of high-end perfumes and uncompromising heavy music that Iommi is known not to seem at first glance to make viable bedfellows, the guitarist’s interest in perfumes actually dates back to the early days of BLACK SABBATH. “This is something that has always interested me, from the early days of products like Raw and Ancient spice, that I always received for Christmas “, remembers Tony. “Once I started to travel around the world with SABBATH however, I started to discover different kinds of perfumes from other countries and started collecting them on tour.

“I met Sergio through another friend of mine Jimmy crutchley (who plays bass on “Perfume of Darkness”) and Sergio kindly sent me a box of her fragrances and asked if I would be interested in making my own, which I certainly wasn’t expecting “, laughs Iommi. “I had no idea how it would work, but Sergio suggested that I make a list of things that I like the smell of, which I did. He developed different samples from my suggestions and I chose the one I liked; the project moved on from there. “

Tony brought the aromatic reminiscence of rock from the 1960s and 1970s, festivals and gatherings, amber and patchouli. The end result harmoniously characterizes the dark sound of IommiThe famous original ’64 Monkey Special guitar with the spicy and seductive scents.

“Sergio is a really creative guy, he plays great guitar on “Perfume of Darkness” and has one of my collectible models, the 64 Gibson with the image of the cartoon monkey, ” Tony said. “He said it would be great to incorporate that, and he even managed to put it on one of the bottles.”

From the start, Tony played a decisive role in the creation of the “Perfume of Darkness” fragrance. “I wouldn’t put my name on something that I haven’t been involved in and that I haven’t personally liked or used,” he explains. “It’s the same for all the projects I’ve done since the guitars, it’s no different.”

Made with the finest materials, rare handpicked ingredients and exquisite packaging, this exclusive Xerjoff edition mixes for Tony iommi is the world’s first multisensory experience between sound, smell and spirit. Tony wanted to encapsulate the evocation of emotions in a bottle, alongside a new piece of music and a video, and even a tailor-made cocktail.

The different aspects of this multisensory experience successfully inspired the musical visualization of “Perfume of Darkness”, developed at Iommithe home studio of with a longtime collaborator and producer Mike exeter, and registered at Gospel Oak and Pig Music Studios.

“I got the riff for “Perfume of Darkness” for quite a while and I had never done anything with it, but it gave us a starting point, “explains Tony. “We built the track with programmed drums at the start, then Mike exeter I did a bass and keyboards demo on it, and added my guitar solos, just to give us an idea of ​​how it was going to sound. Ultimately Jimmy [Crutchley] added his bass. Jimmy knew the drummer Ash sheehan and it integrated perfectly, adding the real final drum track on top of our work. Then we added the strings. I had worked with sections of strings on SABBATH albums before, but it was a whole new experience. “

The blend of beautifully played cello and violins and Iommithe colossal sounds of the guitar elevate “Perfume of Darkness” into a whole new realm that incorporates and complements all the tastes, smells and sounds of this exciting new union. The video for “Perfume of Darkness” captures the musicians at work in the studio, creating the music, alongside images of Tony and Sergio sample the scent, shot at the Great Sudley Castle in Winchcombe, near Cheltenham in Gloucestershire. The film conveys the mood of the music and perfectly tells the story of the project.

“It was a really interesting project for me that combined many of my different interests and a direction in which I really enjoy the gong”, concludes Tony. “I have so many riffs, it would be great to do more instrumental work and soundtrack.”

Tony Iommi Signed Crystal by Xerjoff Blends with a limited edition of 200 bottles, will be available from November 29 in selected stores and on Xerjoffuniverse.com. Xerjoff Blends’ Tony Iommi Monkey Special will be available from November 29 in select stores and on Xerjoffuniverse.com

“Perfume of Darkness” presents the following musicians.

Tony iommi – guitar

Sergio Momo – guitar

Jimmy crutchley – bass

Ash sheehan – Drums

Rebecca Rose – cello

Julianne Bourne – Violin

Mike exeter – Keyboards & Producer

Registered at Gospel Oak and Pig Music Studios

Track written by Tony iommi

Iommi + Momo Photo credit: Max Sticca