Bill Ward says that he still harbors hopes that Black Sabbath will reunite for a new studio album.
Speaking to UK paper The Metro, Ward says that despite the fallout surrounding the band’s farewell tour (which the drummer did not take part in), he still regarded the original Sabbath line-up as his “brothers”.
“I’m in contact with the guys. I talked to Ozzy two nights ago,” says Ward. “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. I’ve been working with Tony [Iommi] since 1964 when I was 16 years old. They’re my brothers and I love them.”
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Ward seems to acknowledge live performance with the band – who themselves officially retired in 2017 – is no longer an option, given his own health, but hopes the original line-up may find other ways to work together.
“My biggest contention has been ‘let’s make another album’,” says Ward. “…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.”
Tony Iommi and Ozzy Osbourne have recently reunited for a track on the vocalist’s forthcoming solo album, his second record with producer Andrew Watt. That’s still in the works, so even if the other Sabbath members agree to the idea, it could be some way off before their schedules allow it happen.
Ward seems ready to wait though, telling The Metro: “As far as I’m concerned, the book’s never closed with Sabbath!”
