Black Sabbath set to release new album, 13, in June

Black Sabbath's Tomy Iommi (left) and Ozzy Osbourne on stage at Lollapalooza in Chicago, August 2012.
Black Sabbath's Tomy Iommi (left) and Ozzy Osbourne on stage at Lollapalooza in Chicago, August 2012. (Image credit: Toni Francois/The Hell Gate/Corbis)

Black Sabbath have decided to call their forthcoming album 13. The band's first studio record to feature singer Ozzy Osbourne since 1978's Never Say Die, 13 will be released in June (an exact date is yet to be determined).

Produced by Rick Rubin, the album features three members of the original Sabbath lineup (Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi and bassist Geezer Butler) joined by Rage Against The Machine/Audioslave drummer Brad Wilk.

It is not known whether Wilk will play with the band on tour - for the 13 sessions, he took the place of Sabbath founding member Bill Ward, who initially signed on for the reunion album and tour but bailed after a contract dispute.

That hasn't been the only hitch in Black Sabbath's reunion plans: last January, Iommi announced that he was being treated for lymphoma. He has undergone chemotherapy, and throughout the recording of the new album has issued positive health updates for fans.

Ahead of the release of 13, Black Sabbath will play a string of shows, listed below:

20 April - Auckland, New Zealand Vector Arena

22 April - Auckland, New Zealand Vector Arena

25 April - Brisbane, Australia Entertainment Centre

27 April - Sydney, Australia All Phones Arena

29 April - Melbourne, Australia Rod Laver Arena

1 May - Melbourne, Australia Rod Laver Arena

4 May - Perth, Australia Perth Arena

12 May - Tokyo, Japan Ozzfest - Makuhari Messe

Joe Bosso

Joe is a freelance journalist who has, over the past few decades, interviewed hundreds of guitarists for Guitar WorldGuitar PlayerMusicRadar and Classic Rock. He is also a former editor of Guitar World, contributing writer for Guitar Aficionado and VP of A&R for Island Records. He’s an enthusiastic guitarist, but he’s nowhere near the likes of the people he interviews. Surprisingly, his skills are more suited to the drums. If you need a drummer for your Beatles tribute band, look him up.