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

Sonicexcess.com: After the tragic death of RONNIE JAMES DIO, Tony Iommi said in a British newspaper that there would be discussions between he and Geezer Butler about Black Sabbath. Can you give us any insight?

Ward: "The only thing I know, and I have talked with Tony.... well, the only person I haven't spoken with is Geezer, but that is because he prefers e-mail to the telephone, and Ozzy called me yesterday. I think the statements have been made into a little bit of a cake. Where Ozzy's at, with wanting to tour with Black Sabbath is that Ozzy has been in his place for a long time and says, 'I'm never going to say never.' I have the same attitude. My quotes would be, 'I never want to say never, I'm in the same place.' Tony has a completely open mind to the possibility of touring with Sabbath again. I think what's happening is that some people have hooked into that and written a story out of it. I think realistically, right now, I can't see where it would be a possibility, with Ozzy on tour for the next 18 months and having a new record out that's great. I've got a new record, and I know that Tony has other things he wants to do musically, and Geezer also. We might all agree to it, but when it would happen, I just don't know. Other than those few comments, I just don't know about a Sabbath tour anywhere near in the future. I talk to Ozzy all the time, and he hasn't mentioned shit to me about Sabbath."

Sonicexcess.com: Black Sabbath wrote new material, but nothing came of it. Will those recordings ever see the light of day, and, if not, can you tell us Sabbath-heads what Sabbath album it's comparable to?

Ward: "Well it is true that there is a lot of material written and stored away in a very safe place. I don't know what Sabbath album it would be comparable to. We did all these jams in the spring, I think it was seven years ago. The songs have some brilliant riffs, obviously from Tony, and my drumming has changed a little bit. My approach and Geezer's approach was a bit different in supporting Tony, I thought. OZ was cutting across with some really nice things as well. I think it was more mature, because we are more mature, even though we are kids at heart. I don't think I can compare it to any Sabbath album, but it sounded really, really, strong."

Sonicexcess.com: Why was it never released?

Ward: "Politics (laughs)."

Sonicexcess.com: Well, I don't want to pry to much then, but do you think the songs will ever see the light of day?

Ward: "I think the songs that we have, and there were quite a lot of them, they ought too. They deserve to see the light of day, but whether they will or not, I don't know. It would be very sad not to let them see the light of day, because there are some really good foundations and grooves, some real nice chops. It was our band playing. To me, in my opinion, they're perfectly great enough to make another Black Sabbath album. The music is very current. It's us, 40 years later slamming it out, ya know?"

Sonicexcess.com: With Ward One, you had a lot of guest musicians like Eric Singer, Ozzy Osbourne, Jack Bruce, Zakk Wylde, Rue Philips, And Malcolm Bruce. Will your new (solo) album have guests also?

Ward: "On the new album coming out, it's just the band. I have an extra singer, a female singer. Her name is Tina Watson. The album is going to be called Accountable Beasts, and I have at least five albums worth of music that I have been piling up since When the Bough Breaks. So, on the next album, there are a few different people playing it. On the third album of the series, I definitely will have guests. The third album is truly in the dirt, total fucking metal. The whole thing is just cranking."

Read the entire interview here.