Legendary BLACK SABBATH drummer Bill Ward spoke with Jarrod Dicker from Staythirstymedia.com recently about a number of topics. A few excerpts from the chat follow:

Staythirstymedia.com: What are you currently involved in musically? Does the Bill Ward Band still participate in the modern music scene?

Ward: "Oh yea! This year I’ve worked nonstop. I’m in the process of finishing up three albums, which are ALL my albums. When I write songs, I usually write everything (tracks), so I compose in guitar, bass, keyboards, melody arrangements, the vocals…just everything really. So I’m really active inside my own music…"

Staythirstymedia.com: And I’m assuming drums as well?

Ward: "And drums of course [laughs], forgot all about the drums. But that’s what I’ve been doing throughout the year and I’m hoping to bring out three fresh albums in 2010. The first one hopefully in the spring, then one in the summer and then trying to get one towards the end of October, right before Halloween. So that’s what I’m doing right now. Well I go back into the studio on Tuesday, making sure the tracks are ready for 2010. I’m always busy."

Staythirstymedia.com: And how about playing live? Has the Bill Ward Band, or any other projects you may be affiliated scheduled an upcoming tour?

Ward: "I haven’t played live at all in a long time. The last time I played live was with The Sabs which was about four years ago. I’ve been really active in the studio, writing and spending time with a lot of musicians."

Staythirstymedia.com: On these upcoming albums, are you the sole musician or do you have a group accompanying you on the tracks?

Ward: "When I say I write, I write the parts and so forth, but I have other players that play the music. On the newest work, that’s coming out in the spring, Keith Lynch (Bill Ward Band veteran) is playing guitar. Paul Ill is playing some bass and then I have a couple of other guys that will play bass as well. Paul’s also from early years of the Bill Ward Band. And then I have my own drummer, Ronnie Ciago who’s playing on several tracks. I’m playing drums on several tracks too, so it’s pretty much a band album if you’d like. There are some guests coming onto the following two albums after the spring one, but it’s all under wraps right now [laughs]. They’re rock and rollers man…so they agreed to do it but now let’s get them all together in a room and nail it!"

Staythirstymedia.com: Currently, how is your relationship with Black Sabbath alumni Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler and Tony Iommi?

Ward: "My relationship with Ozzy is brilliant. I am picking Ozzy first because I speak with him the most often. I talked to Oz a couple days ago. We speak once or twice a week, so we’re always in contact with each other. My relationship with Tony is very good at the moment. I spoke with him last week as well. And Geezer never talks on the telephone so I emailed Geez, I don’t know just a few weeks ago. I’m in constant contact with all of them pretty much."

Staythirstymedia.com: Do you still hold a relationship with Ronnie James Dio? Recent news revealed that he is battling cancer…

Ward: "Oh shit yea. For quite a while we did the whole Heaven and Hell album together, so I felt like I spent a lot of time with him. We wrote together and played together and did some of the business things together. I also spent a lot of social time with him and his family as well."

Read the entire interview here.