In an interview with Rock Cellar, former BLACK SABBATH drummer Bill Ward discusses his former band, their new album 13, and the new ways he has begun to express himself. An excerpt follows:

Q: Your fans were supportive of you when you made the decision to not join Black Sabbath on the new album and world tour.

A: "The fans have been brilliant. I feel like I’ve got a real close contact with them. I’ve never reached such a point of really having such closeness with everybody. I’m trying to grasp this moment now. Their reactions and their words. Even up until last night when I went shopping, I bumped into a guy who was absolutely wonderful and he had wonderful things to say to me. It’s happening all the time. I’m getting letters from all over the world, musicians, all kinds of things and they completely support me. And I’m forever grateful that they’ve reacted in a really positive way. It’s just been this huge endearing experience. I can’t say enough about it, really. I’m at a loss for words. (Long pause) It tears me up, you know. Even as I’m talking to you now, I’m not far away from a tear. I had to follow my heart under the most difficult circumstances."

Q: Have you listened to the new Sabbath album?

A: The only thing I’ve heard from 13 is… maybe 40 seconds of the first song, and then I turned it off. I haven’t heard anything off that album at all. And to be quite honest, I don’t care to either. It’s too painful. If I want to rip my guts out, I’ll put it on. I mean, I wish them all the luck - well, not luck, they don’t need luck - but I wish them all the best in the world. But for me, I can’t listen to it, it’s too close to home, you know. Like I said, I listened to the first 40 seconds of 'God is Dead?' and I just said I can’t listen to this anymore."

Read the complete interview at this location.