Black Sabbath announces farewell tour with Chicago show

After five decades of heavy metal, Black Sabbath will launch a farewell tour next year.

Rolling Stone reported September 3 that Black Sabbath announced that “The End” would begin near the end of January in Omaha, Nebraska, where, oddly enough, dead letters ultimately find their way.

Osbourne has two live shows scheduled for this fall, including a Halloween appearance at the Voodoo Music + Arts Experience in New Orleans and a November 22 headline set at Ozzfest Japan, which was originally announced by Sharon Osbourne to be Black Sabbath’s farewell concert. “It’s about time we draw the line, don’t you think?” he continues.

Days after Black Sabbath announced their final tour, guitarist and band leader Tony Iommi sat for a rare interview with The Birmingham Mail.

And Black Sabbath is legendary.

Iommi had this to say about the likelihood of a Ward reunion though: “That depends on Bill”.

The tour announcement, sadly, said nothing about a new Black Sabbath album. He added that he’s written new material since 13, but he isn’t sure those songs will be included in the tour. Ozzy Osbourne told Metal Hammer previous year he hoped his bandmates would start writing in early 2015.

“I can’t actually do this anymore”, Iommi said of touring. “Time isn’t on our side. We won’t be doing it again”.

And for one band member, not mentioned in the promotional video for the upcoming tour, the end might have come a bit sooner.

No word on whether the full original lineup will be coming Down Under, with drummer Bill Ward still estranged from the band in the wake of his unusual old man feud with Ozzy Osbourne. But that’s up in the air now so I don’t know when or where they might appear.