Black Sabbath: Classic or Dud?

I'd be really surprised if this is anything else but Sharon's machinations. This is the same people that OVERDUBBED out the bass and drums on Ozzy's first album to keep from paying royalties.

maybe they could just avoid Osbourne altogether and get Ian Gillan back in the band.

Watch, the tour and album will end up being Ozzy + Black Label Society as his backing band or some shit.

This happened the last time they reunited. Exact same thing, this is total deja vu. Ward ended up playing.

Count me in the Ward camp here. Embarrassing.

Iommi and Butler need to show some stones here. Back your old mate. We were promised the original Black Sabbath.

need to know exactly what it is in the contract that Ward doesn't like tbh

Probably giving up publishing or something like that. The original Sabs all shared writing credits for all songs.

^^^

difficult not to suspect Sharon in this

If Ward does end up playing, I'm sure Sharon will just man the sound booth to turn him down before pelting him with dozens of eggs at the end of each show.

It is my hope that tomorrow it will turn out that Bill gets to play and no one will ever really know the details of the contract or who was behind it sharon.

This is obviously Sharon and her lapdog Ozzy.

RIP Dio. Bring back Heaven and Hell with Bruce Dickinson or somebody, because this Sabbath thing seems to be toast.

Or the Gillan lineup as was mentioned above, maybe Ward would be up for that one. Or Bev Bevan.

how about Tony 'Nyan Cat' Martin?

Absolutely not. Fuck that guy.

We were saddened to hear yesterday via Facebook that Bill declined publicly to participate in our current Black Sabbath plans...we have no choice but to continue recording without him although our door is always open... We are still in the UK with Tony. Writing and recording the new album and on a roll... See you at Download!!!

- Tony, Ozzy and Geezer

fuck 'em

No band gets great without a great drummer. Ward is certainly no exception.

I'd be really surprised if this is anything else but Sharon's machinations. This is the same people that OVERDUBBED out the bass and drums on Ozzy's first album to keep from paying royalties.

iirc, Ozzy didn't even know about this until months after the reissues were in the stores.

Wouldn't be surprised if Ozzy gets to the studio the first day and says, "Wait, where's Bill?"

It'll be Vinny Appice then, more than likely.

If Bill is sitting on his bed in LA patiently waiting for the taxi to call, he'll be there a long time. His transparent effort to get fans to persuade Ozzy & Co. to support Ward is likely to backfire, especially when all focus is now on Tony Iommi’s treatment for lymphoma, making a new record, and healing old wounds. Perhaps Ward has a point but to the general public, it sounds like sour grapes. At this rate, Ward is likely to be spending the summer watching highlights of the Sabbath reunion on MTV. But in all the fracas, we did get a confirmation Black Sabbath plans to be at the Download festival. Got sticks? Stay tuned. And Go Tony!

http://www.epiphone.com/News/Features/News/2012/Black-Sabbath-Seeks-New-Drummer.aspx

Well, fuck you Sharon. Does anyone know if theres any foundation that Iommi supports? After this bullshit, I think I'm going to take the money I would have spent on the new album and tickets for the tour and donate it in Iommi's name instead of giving one more fucking cent to an organization that would allow a founding member to be treated with such disregard. Awful.

iirc, Ozzy didn't even know about this until months after the reissues were in the stores.

Wouldn't be surprised if Ozzy gets to the studio the first day and says, "Wait, where's Bill?

Very likely otm.

alternately: "Wait, where's who's Bill?"

guilty lol

i really hate entertainment journalists who feign to speak for 'the general public'

Haha, yeah, the "general public" I'm in touch with is squarely on Ward's side on this.

Sharon has some pretty solid connections with Epiphone. A week ago she hosted their roast of Zakk Wylde.

i also like the "got sticks?" thing as if they band will just hold open auditions to any dickhead with a kit

God, i'm sure that was a laugh riot.

xpost

i also like the "got sticks?" thing as if they band will just hold open auditions to any dickhead with a kit

To preempt any sidetracks here, I am in no way equating the state and/or talent of the two bands here, but that is exactly what the Pumpkins did to replace Chamberlin to pretty much disastrous results.

Really? Seems like such a waste of time when you could just put out feelers to established dudes

Yeah, I have no idea why they did it, but Corgan held open auditions (at fucking Guitar Center too, iirc) and ended up going with some 19 year-old kid.

GENIUS

Definitely the smartest way to replace the most talented dude you've ever had in your band.

I would hope that any established drummers steer clear of this out of respect for Ward.

Then again, Ozzy's touring band didn't have any such qualms about jumping on board with Overdubs Of A Madman.

or joining Metallica lol

Yeah, this has 'Tommy Clueftos Joining Sabbath' all over it.

Yeah, I have no idea why they did it, but Corgan held open auditions (at fucking Guitar Center too, iirc) and ended up going with some 19 year-old kid

that's becuz only a 19 year old nobody wouldn't already be aware what a colossal dickhole billy is?

infinite dickhole

that's becuz only a 19 year old nobody wouldn't already be aware what a colossal dickhole billy is?

Fair point.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPoomwdNZeY&feature=player_embedded

Haha, my wife's guitly pleasure is America's Got Talent and I usually get roped into watching it with her, those guys were fun to watch the year they were on.

At this rate, Ward is likely to be spending the summer watching highlights of the Sabbath reunion on MTV

Highlights, MTV, lol

God, people pretending there's been no Black Sabbath original line-up reunion in 30 years are worse than people pretending Van Halen hasn't toured with DLR in the same span.

Who is "pretending" that?

Well, the Black Sabbath tour has now been replaced by an "Ozzy & Friends" tour, which just makes me think of a line from the movie King of New York: "Friends? That cocksucker ain't got no friends."

AVClub:

The rest of the European tour will be rebranded as “Ozzy and Friends,” featuring the intermittently cognizant Osbourne and a bunch of special guests (including Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler and guitarist Zakk Wylde), which is kind of like being told you’re getting Black Sabbath but then instead just getting Ozzy Osbourne and a bunch of other people, which is pretty much exactly what Black Sabbath fans have been getting for the past 34 years.

Except when they got, you know, Black Sabbath.

Yeah, that's a weird statement. That said, at least Ozzy is honoring the dates. They could've just canceled. Axl Rose has canceled shows/tours for way less (he got a hangnail! He poured orange juice in his cereal instead of milk!)

yeah #shotsfired at Dio too >:(

Message From Tony

Hiya,

A little update on how it's all going:

Well, I've had the last dose of chemotherapy so hopefully my body will start to get back to normal soon, the steroids were the worse. I've now got three weeks of radiotherapy coming up which I'm told can be very tiring so we'll see.

A big thanks to Ozzy and Geezer for coming over to England, it was a big incentive for me, we managed to work most days and have some great new tracks.

And, importantly thanks again for your kind messages, hope to be seeing you soon.

- Tony