Tony Iommi said Eddie Van Halen’s guitar playing was so technically distinctive that he could not replicate it, describing the late musician as operating at a level apart from other players. The article highlights the mutual respect between two influential hard-rock guitarists and presents Van Halen’s technique as a major force in changing modern guitar playing.

Iommi recalled touring with Van Halen early in the band’s career and later jamming with Eddie Van Halen, who had learned Black Sabbath’s ‘Into the Void’. While Iommi corrected Van Halen’s version of the Sabbath song, he said he did not ask how Van Halen performed his own material because he would not have been able to play it; he particularly noted Van Halen’s technical tapping style.