BLACK SABBATH RE-RE-UNITING

UPDATE: Uh, maybe this isn’t happening — check out Tony Iommi’s official statement.

They are, according to  MetalTalk.net, who broke the news yesterday, and now the Birmingham Mail, who have gotten a confirmation from Tony Iommi.

It’s not exactly shocking news; after Dio passed away, putting an end to Heaven and Hell (which was really just a reunion of a different era of Sabbath), it seemed like an inevitability. And it’s not exactly bad news, either; last time I saw this reunited line-up, at Ozzfest 2005, they put on a fun enough show, even if Ozzy is Ozzy and none of these guys are exactly vibrant and youthful. But it’s the kind of thing where I’d say if you’re either a huge Sabbath fan or you’ve never gotten to see them before, it’s worth checking out a show.

The flipside, of course, is that, like I said, these dudes ain’t no spring chickens, and even though I’ve had fun seeing them in the past, they definitely got blown off the stage at that Ozzfest by Iron Maiden — and a year prior, by a then-just-reunited Judas Priest. And they can’t hold a candle to Heaven and Hell — and I say that as someone who enjoys Ozzy Sabbath and Dio Sabbath more or less equally.

So, in conclusion: The Sabbath reunion is happening, and it will probably be a lot of fun, although there are other classic metal bands out there whose live show will probably be more fun.

Weigh in with your thoughts below.

-AR

Thanks to everyone who e-mailed us the Music Radar article which directed us to the MetalTalk.net article.