Why Tony Iommi Turned Down a Final Black Sabbath Album
Tony Iommi has revealed that he turned down an offer in the early 2020s to record a final Black Sabbath album featuring the band’s original lineup. Speaking in a new interview with Classic Rock magazine, the iconic guitarist explained that producer Andrew Watt had approached him about making a studio successor to 2013’s 13 with all four founding members.
Why Tony Iommi Passed on the Reunion Pitch
Watt, who produced Ozzy Osbourne’s solo albums Ordinary Man and Patient Number 9, was reportedly keen to bring the legendary heavy metal pioneers back into the studio. However, Iommi had several reservations about the proposed project.
“I’d met Andrew Watt when he was producing Ozzy,” Iommi said. “He was very keen and a bit too excited. He also didn’t know what it was like working with the original Sabbath, working with Bill [drummer Bill Ward]. Also, we’d done 13, and I didn’t like the idea of: ‘Now here’s another album.’”
The History Behind 13 and Subsequent Releases
The original quartet of Iommi, vocalist Ozzy Osbourne, and bassist Geezer Butler recorded 13 with former Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave drummer Brad Wilk. Bill Ward had initially been slated to appear on the sessions but backed out following a contractual dispute.
While Ozzy told Classic Rock in early 2014 that 13 would not be the band’s final record and teased another album and tour, a new LP never materialized. Black Sabbath ultimately concluded their touring career with The End tour in early 2017, accompanied by an EP featuring four unreleased tracks from the 13 sessions and four live cuts from their 2012–2014 reunion run.
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