Forget it, Black Sabbath fans: there will be no reunion
There's been a lot of talk in the rock press of late about the original lineup of British metal legends Black Sabbath reuniting for both a tour and a new album, but bassist Geezer Butler put the boots to that idea on his website recently.
"I would like to make it clear," states Butler, "because of mounting speculation and rumours, that there will be definitely NO reunion of all four original members of Black Sabbath, whether to record an album or to tour."
With the death last year of Ronnie James Dio—who had replaced original vocalist Ozzy Osbourne in 1979 and performed and recorded with Butler, Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi, and drummer Vinny Appice in recent years as Heaven and Hell—the stage was set for a fullblown reunion of original members Osbourne, Butler, Iommi, and drummer Bill Ward. (The four had previously reunited back in '97 to co-headline the Ozzfest festival tour alongside Osbourne's solo band).
But now, despite all the rumours—and even Butler's own previous comments about the possibility of a reunion—it looks like it won't be happening. Then again, didn't these guys once make an album called Never Say Die!?
You can follow Steve Newton on Twitter at twitter.com/earofnewt.
Comments
8 Comments
Drone
Feb 17, 2011 at 1:20pm
Shomer F-_-in' shabbos.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtqy4DTHGqg
Dude
Feb 17, 2011 at 1:23pm
I was sad to read that, but then I listened to Supernaut and I felt a bit better.
Thanks Newt!
Steve Newton
Feb 17, 2011 at 1:41pm
yer welcome, Dude! Yeah, that tune's got a killer lick. Shoulda been a hit!
Arrby
Feb 17, 2011 at 3:08pm
I had this vinyl. It's great. I feel though that Sabbath never quite reached it's potential. They were too cool, too juvenile. This album is nice and I like the heavy - music-wise, not lyrics-wise - tracks on it. I just checked on the lyrics for this song. I never did know them because you can never quite make them out. And that drives me nuts. Writers have their words edited before their books are published. Why don't rock bands have their tracks edited for things like, Oh I don't know, our ability to make out whatever the hell it is they're saying? Other than that, I'm good with BS. Old BS that is.
Steve Newton
Feb 17, 2011 at 3:22pm
Sabbath's best album is Sabbath, Bloody Sabbath, in case you were wonderin'.
Rick H
Feb 17, 2011 at 4:30pm
Amen to that, Steve. I wore out my vinyls of all the early Sab albums, and SBS ruled them all.
No reunion? I think (respectfully) that Ozzy may be beyond it anyway. I'm sure Bill Ward is. I caught them in '97 at T-Bird Stadium, and it was a show well worth the wait (27 yrs!) After, they could barely hold poor Bill up to take a bow, however. He'd never make it through a 2011 tour.
I guess seeing them once and only that once, it will forever stand out in my memory. They still had it in '97 but today? I'm thinking not. Gone but not forgotten!
Steve Newton
Feb 17, 2011 at 4:55pm
you're probably right, Rick. I'm sure Iommi could pull off his killer riffs, but judging by <a href="http://www.straight.com/article-358387/vancouver/ozzy-osbourne-shows-van... vocals</a> recently, he's pretty well had it.
Arrby
Feb 25, 2011 at 5:58pm
SBS may indeed be the best Sabbath album. At least I can certainly see why folks would suggest it. It's musically awesome. does anyone know what Spiral Architect is about? I think it's a reference to life, as in DNA. But I don't know.