The Black Sabbath album Tony Iommi refused to make, and never will: “A bit too excited”
Tony Iommi turned down the chance to make another Black Sabbath album with the original line-up, including drummer Bill Ward. He was concerned about the proposed producer’s approach and whether a new record would match the band’s standards, and felt it was unnecessary after their previous album, *13*.
Iommi said producer Andrew Watt was “a bit too excited” and unfamiliar with what it was like to work with the original band. Black Sabbath released 19 studio albums and sold more than 70 million records, according to the article. The band’s final original-line-up album was *13*, released in 2013.
In short
- Iommi declined an original-line-up Black Sabbath reunion album.
- He questioned the producer’s understanding of the band.
- He felt another record could detract from their legacy.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Iommi’s decision can be seen as protecting the band’s standards and legacy: after a long career and the success of 13, another album was worthwhile only if the material and working approach felt right. His concern that the proposed producer did not understand the original band’s way of working gave him reason to doubt the project would meet that bar.
The case against
A final album with the original line-up could have offered fans a rare chance to hear the musicians together again, and the band an opportunity to create something new late in its career. A producer’s enthusiasm might have helped make that happen, while any unevenness could have been weighed against the value of the reunion itself.
Explained simply
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band formed in Birmingham in 1968. The original line-up included guitarist Tony Iommi, singer Ozzy Osbourne, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward; their music helped shape heavy metal.
The band released 19 studio albums and sold more than 70 million records, according to the article. Their last album with the original line-up, 13, came out in 2013, making any further record with those musicians a question of how and whether to continue that shared legacy.