Black Sabbath may yet record and tour with original lineup, hints Ozzy

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      For all those diehard Black Sabbath fans who saw the band in concert last year and went, "Man, that was wicked, but how cool would it have been with Bill Ward!", there is still hope.

      According to Sabbath vocalist Ozzy Osbourne, the British metal legends intend to record one final album and embark on one final tour. And this time, instead of just featuring himself, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler, and hired drummers Brad Wilk (on record) and and Tommy Clufetos (on tour), the lineup could possibly include original skin-basher Ward.

      "...I hope Bill Ward can get his stuff together to do this," Osbourne told esquire.com yesterday, "because... one of the biggest things I'm proud of in my life was that Black Sabbath wasn't a band that was created by some business mogul in London or New York. That we were four guys who had a great idea and it worked from record one."

      Since forging heavy-metal for the masses with that self-titled 1970 debut, the Ozzy-fronted Black Sabbath went on to fame with such hit albums as Paranoid, Master of Reality, and Sabbath Bloody Sabbath before Osbourne got the boot in '79 and was replaced by Ronnie James Dio. After two killer albums with Dio, Heaven and Hell and Mob Rules, the band went into somewhat of a decline popularity-wise--with Iommi being the only constant member--until it hit it big again last year with the Rick Rubin-produced 13.

      Ward refused to take part in the 13 album or tour because he was offered an "unsignable" contract. Hopefully the current Black Sabbath management can added a couple of extra zeros to their offer this time around. Maybe that's the "stuff" Ward needs to get together to make it work.

      That'd be effin' awesome. All those folks wearing "Bill Sabbath" t-shirts would surely love it. As would the teenager in me.

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