Earlier today, metal fans were thrown for a loop when it was announced that Black Sabbath were pulling out of what had been billed as their “farewell” at the Ozzfest Japan. Interesting that the “previous reports” they referred to came from Sharon Osbourne herself. The question, of course, remained after the news as to whether this meant that Black Sabbath were done for good, or whether they were actually going to play shows before going away, which had never been answered from Sharon’s brief statement.
Billboard reached out to reps for Sabbath, who said that there could be hope for a full-on farewell tour. “There have been ongoing discussions about a Sabbath farewell tour, though nothing has been officially confirmed by the band,” they were told. There’s still no reason as to why Black Sabbath pulled out of Ozzfest Japan. Tony Iommi had been undergoing treatment for cancer, so it could be health-related. Ozzy Osbourne (and friends) are playing on NOvember 22 in place of Sabbath. Hopefully, we’ll get some clarity as to what’s going on in the Sabbath camp shortly.
