Estranged Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward is far from having shut the door on reconnecting with the band in the studio, according to a new interview.
Heavy metal's founding fathers played their final show in 2017, and released their final album — for now — 13 in 2013. But it sounds like there's potential for more Sabbath yet. In conversation with Metro, Ward shared that he still has a relationship with his former bandmates, despite their decision to carry on without him following the announcement of the original lineup's reunion in 2011. (Ozzy Osbourne drummer Tommy Clufetos toured with the group from 2012 through their farewell tour's end, while Rage Against the Machine's Brad Wilk recorded drums on 13.)
"I'm in contact with the guys — I talked to Ozzy [Osbourne] two nights ago," 73-year-old Ward revealed. "A lot of things have crossed between us and there's new boundaries that I've had to build, but I don't think any less of them." After the contractual drama that left Ward behind, fellow Black Sabbath members publicly bashed his drumming skills — but there doesn't seem to be any bad blood from his perspective.
"I've been working with Tony [Iommi] since 1964 when I was 16 years old," he continued. "They're my brothers and I love them. As far as I'm concerned, the book's never closed with Sabbath! I'm writing like a demon, I'm living life."
Reuniting for a follow-up album is something that has clearly been on the musician's mind, as he went on to explain to interviewer Chris Lord:
My biggest contention has been "let's make another album" — nothing live necessarily, because I'm looking at what I can realistically do. The way I play the drums, it's becoming tougher as I get older. I haven't spoken to the guys about it, but I have talked to a couple of people in management about the possibility of making a recording; which I can do safely, even with COVID around. I can lay track at my studio in Los Angeles. I'm very open-minded about doing something like that.
Only time will tell whether the inventors of heavy metal will once again re-invent the wheel more than 50 years after their debut; that door's definitely ajar for the band's founding drummer.
In 2019, Ward honoured the Las Vegas massacre victims with "Arrows." Meanwhile, Black Sabbath recently released super deluxe box sets for Technical Ecstasy and Sabotage.
Heavy metal's founding fathers played their final show in 2017, and released their final album — for now — 13 in 2013. But it sounds like there's potential for more Sabbath yet. In conversation with Metro, Ward shared that he still has a relationship with his former bandmates, despite their decision to carry on without him following the announcement of the original lineup's reunion in 2011. (Ozzy Osbourne drummer Tommy Clufetos toured with the group from 2012 through their farewell tour's end, while Rage Against the Machine's Brad Wilk recorded drums on 13.)
"I'm in contact with the guys — I talked to Ozzy [Osbourne] two nights ago," 73-year-old Ward revealed. "A lot of things have crossed between us and there's new boundaries that I've had to build, but I don't think any less of them." After the contractual drama that left Ward behind, fellow Black Sabbath members publicly bashed his drumming skills — but there doesn't seem to be any bad blood from his perspective.
"I've been working with Tony [Iommi] since 1964 when I was 16 years old," he continued. "They're my brothers and I love them. As far as I'm concerned, the book's never closed with Sabbath! I'm writing like a demon, I'm living life."
Reuniting for a follow-up album is something that has clearly been on the musician's mind, as he went on to explain to interviewer Chris Lord:
My biggest contention has been "let's make another album" — nothing live necessarily, because I'm looking at what I can realistically do. The way I play the drums, it's becoming tougher as I get older. I haven't spoken to the guys about it, but I have talked to a couple of people in management about the possibility of making a recording; which I can do safely, even with COVID around. I can lay track at my studio in Los Angeles. I'm very open-minded about doing something like that.
Only time will tell whether the inventors of heavy metal will once again re-invent the wheel more than 50 years after their debut; that door's definitely ajar for the band's founding drummer.
In 2019, Ward honoured the Las Vegas massacre victims with "Arrows." Meanwhile, Black Sabbath recently released super deluxe box sets for Technical Ecstasy and Sabotage.