Not only has Black Sabbath riff master Tony Iommi put out his autobiography, Iron Man, but the original line-up of Sabbath is reuniting for a world tour and a new album produced by Rick Rubin.
In fact, Iommi told an official press conference on 11-11-11 (at 11:11 a.m.) that Rubin, who was constantly calling him up, finally convinced him to kick off the reunion.
This is clearly big news in the metal community, and according to one estimate reported on Blabbermouth, the tour could end up making over $150 million, and already a date’s set up for Sabbath to headline the Download Festival in the UK on June 10, 2012.
Metallica will also play the Festival, and will be playing the Black album in its entirety when they headline on June 9, 2012.
And at the book stores, Iommi’s autobiography has hit the New York Times Best Seller lists at #35. Proving that there’s still plenty of life left in rock biographies, Ace Frehley’s tome, No Regrets, also hit the New York Times Best Seller list at #10.
As confirmed by Gibson, the book “contains some near-unbelievable stories: drugs, the Mafia, knife fights, killing Virgin mogul Richard Branson’s prize carp fish with Sabbath pyrotechnics, that Spinal Tap-inspiring Stonehenge stage set, even auditioning Michael Bolton as [a] Sabbath singer.”
The book also has a story about Zeppelin’s John Bonham jamming with the band in the studio. (Bonham was close to Tony and Sabbath drummer Bill Ward because he was a Birmingham native as well. Bonham was also best man at Iommi’s wedding).
Although Black Sabbath has been playing together again on and off since 1998, there hasn’t been an official word on a new album until now, and as Iommi said at the press conference, “It’s now or never.”
And as he told Gibson, “New songs? I’ve still got loads of ideas.”
