Black Sabbath to play without Ward

It wouldn't be the full reunion of the original lineup but three-out-of-four isn't that bad. After Bill Ward announced that his participation in the Black Sabbath reunion was in jeopardy over an "unsignable" contract, the rest of the band responded by saying they would carry on without him.

Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler and Tony Iommi posted the following statement on Facebook:

We were saddened to hear yesterday via Facebook that Bill declined publicly to participate in our current Black Sabbath plans. We have no choice but to continue recording without him although our door is always open...We are still in the UK with Tony. Writing and recording the new album and on a roll...See you at Download!!!"

In his original statement, Ward did acknowledge the possibility that negotiations would end without his participation. "If I'm replaced, I have to face you, the beloved Sabbath fans. I hope you will not hold me responsible for the failure of an original Black Sabbath lineup as promoted. Without fault finding, I want to assure everyone that my loyalty to Sabbath is intact."