BLACK SABBATH: New Album Title Announced; Recording Drummer Revealed - Jan. 12, 2013BLACK SABBATH has set "13" as the title of its new album. The group's first album with Ozzy Osbourne since 1978 will be released in June via Vertigo/Universal Republic in the U.S. and Vertigo in all other territories. The drum tracks on the CD were laid down by RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE sticksman Brad Wilk following original drummer Bill Ward's decision to bow out of the reunion due to a contractual dispute with the rest of the group.
Osbourne, Tony Iommi (guitar) and Geezer Butler (bass) recorded the album primarily in Los Angeles with producer Rick Rubin.
In advance of the album's release, BLACK SABBATH will head to New Zealand, Australia and Japan for live performances. Additional tour plans will be revealed in the coming months.
As previously reported, BLACK SABBATH took part in a photo shoot on November 30, 2012 with famed British photographer/artist Sam Taylor-Wood.
Iommi clarified the status of the band's new CD in an October interview with "The Blairing Out With Eric Blair Show". Although it has been reported that the band has recorded 15 songs, Iommi explained, "That's wrong . . . We've written 15 songs and we've played them all. But now, at the moment, we're recording them. We recorded them at my house first, in England, just as demos, but now we're doing them for real. So we're about six tracks in now, at the moment."
Asked if there is any chance of Ward rejoining the band, Iommi said, "We'll always have a heart for Bill, but I think it's gone past that now, because it's gone on so long that I don't see that happening at the moment. Maybe at some point we might [play together again]."
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