In a new interview with MusicRadar, Black Sabbath bass legend Geezer Butler discusses Sabbath's final show on February 4th, 2017, his gear, the toughest Black Sabbath songs to play, his future, and more.

In this excerpt, Butler - who was originally a rhythm guitarist in the Rare Breed with Ozzy Osbourne - reveals his first impression of Ozzy:

“My first impression of Ozzy was that he was not the full shilling, as we used to say back then. I’d seen his ‘Ozzy Zig Needs Gig’ advert in the local musical instruments store and noticed he lived a few streets away from me in Aston. I went around to his house, but he wasn’t in.

“Later that day, there was a knock on the door and my brother said ‘There’s someone asking for you.’ I opened the door and there was this skinhead, with a factory gown on, no shoes or socks, a chimney brush over his shoulder and a sneaker on a dog lead. He was perfect for my band...

“I later switched to bass when we joined up with Tony and Bill. At that time, we were a six-piece, there was already another guitarist and a sax player - so I switched to bass, being the least proficient guitarist in the band.”

Read more at MusicRadar.

Deadland Ritual, featuring Geezer Butler, vocalist Franky Perez (Apocalyptica, Scars On Broadway), drummer Matt Sorum (Guns N’ Roses, Velvet Revolver) and guitarist Steve Stevens (Billy Idol), will make their US debut on May 28th at the Troubadour in West Hollywood, CA. Tickets are on sale now at ticketfly.com and troubadour.com.

Deadland Ritual recently announced the following string of European dates in June.

June
4 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Amager Bio
5 - Oslo, Norway - Rockefeller
6 - Sölvesborg, Sweden - Sweden Rock Festival
10 - Berlin, Germany - Kesselhaus
11 - Hamburg, Germany - Markthalle
14-16 - Donnington, UK - Download Festival
17 - Tilburg, Netherlands - 013
18 - Paris, France - Trianon
19 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Z7
21-22 - Vitoria, Spain - Azkena Festival
21-23 - Clisson, France - Hellfest Festival

The band's debut track, “Down In Flames” is available here. A video can be seen below.

Produced by Greg Fidelman (Black Sabbath, Slipknot, Metallica), “Down In Flames” features the lush and powerful vocals of Perez, alongside Stevens’ signature thundering guitar conjugating with the hard-driving tribal rhythm section of Butler and Sorum. Watch the official video for “Down In Flames” below:

Drawing inspiration from the ritual symbolism of desert badlands paired with Sorum’s love of the idea of a ‘ritualistic forgotten space,’ the name Deadland Ritual felt appropriate for the darker tone of the music the group was making. “Obviously we’ve been through some stuff,” Perez says. “If you’re being honest artistically, all the turmoil of love, loss, happiness and pain in life makes its way into the music.”

Sorum’s longtime friendships with Stevens and Perez helped to form the initial core of the lineup, but it was a pivotal moment when Butler agreed to join. Butler admits there was a lot to think about when he got the invitation. “I had to get used to the idea of starting from scratch again, which is good,” he says. “But I really liked the music I was hearing. It’s not your typical hard rock or metal stuff.”

For Stevens, it was a revelation the first time he found himself recording with Butler. “There's a lot of times in the studio as a guitar player, you get a guitar sound and you're trying to make it work, tweaking it,” Stevens says. There was none of that bullshit. It just fit against his bass sound and it was really exciting to me. I get to hear my guitar against a bass guitarist that I've idolized forever."

Sorum was determined to take things to the next level. “I wanted to get the best drum sound I’ve ever gotten, and play the best I’ve played,” says Sorum. “I think I’ve achieved that. As a drummer I’ve morphed through a lot of decades of rock and roll.”

The initial recordings are only the beginning of what fans can expect in the coming months. The band is focused on quality vs. quantity and letting the muse carry them in the appropriate direction. With festival appearances booked and headline dates in the works, they’ll use the time leading up to that trek to continue writing and recording, releasing singles along the way and perhaps, a LP.

Deadland Ritual promises the live shows will be something special, mixing the original material with deeper cuts from their collective past. “Not the typical songs you would expect,” according to Sorum.

No egos, no bullshit. Deadland Ritual is ready to take the world by storm.