Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler spoke with 96.7 KCAL Rocks about the band’s upcoming new album, their first together since 1978’s “Never Say Die.”
A June release is planned for Sabbath’s “13”, the same title used by Megadeth for their 2011 album.
"Well, it was sort of a temporary name, that we had something to refer to the album as, and I think it kind of stuck,” Butler says, explaining the origin of Sabbath’s use of the title. “But I don't know whether that's going to be the final title or not. Originally we were gonna put 13 tracks on the album. We ended up doing 16 tracks, so I'm not sure what's gonna be on the album and what isn't."
“This is the first time we've done an album together sober,” said Geezer about the vibe in the studio this time around, compared to the old days. “None of us have been drinking or doing drugs or anything, so it's been more professional in that way. And we've stuck to a schedule every day, we'd go in at one o'clock and finish at six, just to keep everything fresh."
"It's sort of got the feel of the first three albums... back to the basic rawness,” he adds. “And the lyrics are very - they're just about life. Life and death and doom and everything else. You get Prozac with each album."
With original Sabbath drummer Bill Ward sitting out the reunion over a contract dispute, the group brought in Rage Against The Machine’s Brad Wilk for the project.
"That was [producer] Rick Rubin's idea,” says Butler. “’Cause he wanted to have… He didn't want a typical heavy metal drummer on the album, 'cause it's not really a heavy metal album; it's more of a rock… heavy rock. And Rick Rubin suggested having Brad, 'cause he's more in the vein of Bill Ward. So we jammed with him and he sounded great with the stuff, so we went with that … It's sort of back to the way we used to be in the '70s; that's his feel — sort of a jazzy, bluesy feel to him, and that's the way the music is now. It was great working with him."
Will Wilk tour with Sabbath?
"We haven't decided yet,” says the bassist.
"We start in New Zealand and Australia in April, and then we do Japan. Then we do album promotion in June and then USA in July and August. Then South America and then Europe … [The USA trek] will be strictly [a] Black Sabbath [tour and not an Ozzfest run]."
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