WARD
SLIPKNOT’s JOEY JORDISON Has No Interest In Seeing BLACK SABBATH Without BILL WARD
U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine recently got the chance to chat to SLIPKNOT and SCAR THE MARTYR drummer Joey Jordison and asked him for his thoughts on some of metal's big-hitters that have been grabbing headlines this year. Here’s what he had to say.
On AVENGED SEVENFOLD:
Jordison: "Honestly, I don't own any AVENGED SEVENFOLD records and I've not heard the new record. I've read about comparisons to METALLICA on the new record, and I guess there's a certain controversy around that, but I've not paid that much attention to it. Nothing against them, I'm not knocking them, but I was just never a fan: not that they're bad, they're just one of those bands that kinda bypassed me."
On METALLICA:
Jordison: "That's the fucking band. Without METALLICA, I wouldn't be doing what I am doing. I have every METALLICA record, of course, and I would spend hours on drums in my parents' basement, with the stereo behind me, cranking those records and learning Lars' [Ulrich] drum beats, beat by beat. And nowadays, for me, METALLICA can do whatever the fuck they want. I'm not sure that 'Lulu' is something I'd be getting into, but METALLICA have a free pass from me to do anything, I can't really knock anything they do. I mean [LED] ZEPPELIN and THE WHO passed the torch to METALLICA; they're that band for our generation. Everything they do now is going to be met with a little bit of a backlash just because they're so big, but without METALLICA, there would be no heavy bands, hardly. People have a hard time saying that, and obviously there's a ton of other great bands, but there's a reason that they're huge and have been able to expand their audience to millions and millions and millions of people. I have nothing but praise for them."
MIKE PORTNOY: BLACK SABBATH Without BILL WARD Is ‘Not A Reunion’
Drummer Mike Portnoy (THE WINERY DOGS, DREAM THEATER, AVENGED SEVENFOLD, ADRENALINE MOB) was interviewed on the latest edition of former RIP magazine editor and veteran music journalist Lonn Friend's "Energize With Lonn Friend" podcast.
Commenting on BLACK SABBATH's decision to record and tour without original drummer Bill Ward, Portnoy said: "Here's my issue with it. I have no issue if Bill Ward is not fit to play in SABBATH, as they're saying. Or I have no issue with it if they're having money litigations and problems and they couldn't agree on something that was fair. My issue is that they're calling it a BLACK SABBATH reunion. It's not a BLACK SABBATH reunion without the four of them. It is now just the latest BLACK SABBATH lineup.
" He continued: "Why is this BLACK SABBATH, but HEAVEN & HELL wasn't BLACK SABBATH? I mean, we all know the real reason for it. But it's not a true BLACK SABBATH reunion without Bill Ward. And if they need to do it without Bill, then they do it without Bill. But don't call it a reunion. It's just BLACK SABBATH 2013.
" Portnoy, who co-founded DREAM THEATER more than 27 years ago, abruptly quit the band in September 2010 while on tour with AVENGED SEVENFOLD. He has since been replaced by Mike Mangini (ANNIHILATOR, EXTREME, JAMES LABRIE, STEVE VAI).
BUTLER: If WARD Played Like He Used To, We’d Have Welcomed Him With Open Arms
Brian McCollum of the Detroit Free Press recently conducted an interview with legendary BLACK SABBATH bassist Geezer Butler. A few excerpts from the chat follow below.
On the band's new album,"13", topping sales charts across the globe:
Butler: "It's just amazed us. We thought there'd be some interest in it. But never in our wildest dreams would we have expected it to go to No. 1. Around the world, all over the place, it's doing well."
On the original BLACK SABBATHlineup being considered the band's most definitive incarnation:
Butler: "When you mention it to the average person, they'll knowBLACK SABBATH withOzzy[Osbourne, vocals] in the band. That was our breakthrough (period) in the '70s. People so often associate Ozzy with SABBATH, and SABBATH with Ozzy. It's the same thing with a band like VAN HALEN— people like David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar, but the classic lineup would beDave."
On producerRick Rubin's contribution to the new album's success:
Butler: "When we tried to do albums in the past, we all had different ideas of what it should be like, and it never ended up being successful. This is what we needed — we needed a producer.Rick Rubinhad always made it known he wanted to be the first-choice producer if we all got back together.
"He wanted to go back to the old, basic sort of SABBATH sound — not a lot of overdubs, just a couple of guitar solos. You capture the feeling. With a lot of bands these days — and we have in the past — you'll go put the drums down, the next day you put on the bass, then guitar. It doesn't have the same feeling as being in the room together withOzzysinging. That's how we did the first three albums."
On BLACK SABBATH 's current touring drummer Tommy Clufetos, who has previously played withOsbourne,Ted Nugent,Alice CooperandRob Zombie:
Butler: "Tommy's a real nice bloke to get on with as well. He's a phenomenal drummer — he picks things up so quickly. It's incredible the way he works. He's really dedicated to the stuff he does."
On originalSABBATHdrummerBill Ward's absence from the"13"recording sessions and current tour:
OZZY OSBOURNE Wants BILL WARD Back For Next BLACK SABBATH Album
According to The Pulse Of Radio, BLACK SABBATH's new album, "13", is such a success for the reunited band that singer Ozzy Osbourne wants to make another one — and hopes that original drummer Bill Ward can join the group in the studio this time. When asked by NME about the chances of Ward returning, Ozzy answered, "It's a strong possibility. We would have loved to have Bill on this album. Maybe we can work things out by the next one. But it won't take another 35 years. I'm 65 now. There's no fucking recording studios in the afterlife. We're all even closer for all this shit so there's one positive, one fucking silver lining."
RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE drummer Brad Wilk played drums on "13"after Ward sat out the sessions. While money was believed to be an issue, Ward was reportedly also upset that the group wanted another drummer around anyway to back him up if he was physically unable to get the job done.
BLACK SABBATH’s OSBOURNE On Split With WARD: ‘We Couldn’t Keep The Fans Waiting Any Longer’
BLACK SABBATH singer Ozzy Osbourne recently spoke to U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine about "13", the first SABBATH record in 35 years to feature Ozzy, guitarist Tony Iommi and bassist Geezer Butler all playing together.
"I've not been this happy about an album in years," Ozzy said. "I'm not trying to sell my home. If this record was just OK, I'd fucking say it. But honestly, hand on heart, it's one of the best things I've done in my entire life."
Ozzy also offered some thoughts on the situation surrounding originalSABBATH drummer Bill Ward, who backed out of the band's reunion last year.
OZZY OSBOURNE Says BILL WARD Was ‘Out Of Condition’ During BLACK SABBATH Reunion Rehearsals
BLACK SABBATH singer Ozzy Osbourne spoke to Mojo magazine about original drummer Bill Ward's decision to bow out of the band's reunion early last year.
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