Black Sabbath to Reunite for New Album and Tour

After all the back and forth, the "Are they or aren't they chatter?" and the fact that they were seemingly unable to get on the same page, the original lineup of Black Sabbath has reunited. The foursome is not only rehearsing for a tour, but also for a new studio album! What did we do to deserve this? The gods of metal are smiling upon us.

Guitarist Tony Iommi confirmed the news to the Birmingham Mail. Apparently, Iommi and singer Ozzy Osbourne penned new material earlier this summer and it's going to be used on an album that will be released next year. The last time the Osbourne-lead version of Black Sabbath played together was in 2005 when they headlined the Ozzfest tour.

"We're really looking forward to it and I think the stuff we've been writing is really good," said Iommi. "It's more back to the old original stuff." Could this news possibly get any better?

Iommi acknowledged that despite constant rumors and the subsequent shutting down of those rumors, the band purposely kept things on the down low. "It's all been very hush-hush," Iommi said. "Ozzy's been the worst at trying to hold it back. He's doing a lot of TV and he's being asked stuff about a reunion and he's going, 'Well, I never say never.' He told me, 'I don't know what to say.'"

Apparently, the only real problem that almost prevented the possibility of a reunion was something of critical importance: the health of drummer Bill Ward, who had a heart attack in 1998. Iommi revealed that Ward "hasn't been 100 percent. He had an operation a few months ago, so we'll see how he is."

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Ozzy has indeed played coy in interviews, when asked about the possibility of a reunion. In a recent interview, he was quoted as saying, "I haven't got a clue. If they want to call me, they can call me. I never say never. If it works, fine. If it don't, I'll move on. It ain't the end of the world. I ain't gonna get a box of Kleenex and cry my eyes out for the rest of my life."

The original lineup of Black Sabbath has not toured together since 2005. They partnered together for their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in early 2006. They tried to record an album in 1999, but they scrapped the plans after penning just a few songs.