Original Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward is featured in a new interview with Kyle Harcott at Noisey discussing his new solo album, Accountable Beasts, and his plans for the future. An excerpt is available below:

Noisey: Even when the songs are at their most dire, I get a strong sense of hope pervasive throughout the new record. Are you a hopeful guy?

Bill Ward: "I always like to write something that will paint a cynical picture, but provide hope at the same time; I like to do that with my writing, even in the worst of times. A lot of these songs are very close to the bone for me, taken from life experiences I’ve had–not something pulled out of the air. Everything I write tends to come from my own personal experiences, or from people close to me that I’m singing about. But it’s a good point you’ve brought up; I try to be hopeful. Even with a song like 'As It Is In Heaven', it’s meant to be tongue-in-cheek."

Go to this location for the complete interview.

Ward has released his first solo album in 18 years called Accountable Beasts, on iTunes. The CD features Ward's drumming on seven of the album's nine tracks, as well as contributions from his longtime collaborators Keith Lynch (guitar, keyboards), Paul Ill (bass) and Ronnie Ciago (drums), along with drummer Walter Earl and an array of session singers, including Ward's daughter Emily.

Accountable Beasts features the following tracks:

“Leaf Killers”
“Accountable Beasts”
“Katastrophic World”
“D.O.T.H.”

‘First Day Back”

“As It Is In Heaven’

“Ashes”
“Straws”
“The Wall Of Death”

Ward spoke with noted independent music writer and author Joel Gausten about Accountable Beasts. Those familiar with Ward's 1990 solo debut Ward One: Along The Way and 1997's When The Bough Breaks know that the music released under his own steam (and often featuring his lead vocals) is usually a reflection of his softer, more soulful side. How does Accountable Beasts compare to these two previous releases?

“It's much tougher; it kicks harder,” he reveals. “Most of the stuff is pretty heavy on it. It's very current lyrically. I don't intend to be current with anything; I just write the music and allow it to just be whatever it is. But when I listened to it in hindsight - we did the final mastering on January 6th of this year - I thought, 'Oh my God! A lot of the stuff we're writing about is on TV every day. Most of [the album] is about religion; most of it's about war. It's the stuff that makes the world turn 'round every day. It's about people's souls being ripped to pieces. I guess it could be called morbid, but at the same time I'm also hoping it can be called energizing and respectful lyrically. I've worked really hard on trying to produce something that would mean something to the listener who's drawn in by the music.”
“We got pretty crazy on this one,” he adds. “We just played; it was like, 'Fuck everything.' I wanted to go back to a place that I really know well, and that's playing hard.”

The self-released Accountable Beasts is expected to arrive on iTunes (complete with an extensive digital booklet) within the next couple of months. Physical copies will also be made available.

Once Accountable Beasts is in the world, Ward will devote time to concluding Beyond Aston. He plans to be in final mixing mode by this September to finish things off. (One confirmed track, “Poppies,” is an emotional anti-war number inspired by the tradition of wearing a poppy on November 11th in honor of those who perished in battle.) Not surprisingly, Ward couldn't be more excited to reach this point with Beyond Aston after so many years.

“It's fucking great; it's beautiful, man,” he says of the album. “I hope other people will like it. I think it's one of the best things I've participated in since Master Of Reality.”

To read the interview in its entirety, visit this location.