Bill Ward: Listening to Sabbath album would 'rip my guts out'

(Image credit: Tony Frank/Sygma/Corbis)

Bill Ward cannot listen to the new Black Sabbath album as doing so is 'too painful'.

The drummer, ousted from the band's current reunion tour and the recording of 13 due to a contract dispute, told Rock Cellar: "The only thing I've heard from 13 is maybe forty seconds of the first song. Then I turned it off. I just said, 'I can't listen to this any more.'

"I haven't heard anything off that album, and to be quite honest I don't care to either. It's too painful. I wish them all the luck - well, they don't need luck, but I wish them all the best in the world. But I can't listen to it; it's too close to home. If I want to rip my guts out I'll put it on.

"It tears me up. Even as I'm talking now I'm not far away from a tear. I had to follow my heart under the most difficult circumstances."

Sabbath's world tour hits the UK in December.

Rich Chamberlain

Rich is a teacher, one time Rhythm staff writer and experienced freelance journalist who has interviewed countless revered musicians, engineers, producers and stars for the our world-leading music making portfolio, including such titles as Rhythm, Total Guitar, Guitarist, Guitar World, and MusicRadar. His victims include such luminaries as Ice T, Mark Guilani and Jamie Oliver (the drumming one).