Mystery surrounds the future of heavy rock icons Black Sabbath following the release of a statement from guitarist Tony Iommi, dismissing reunion talk he appears to have started.
A new Birmingham Mail article has sparked Internet buzz after the journalist quoted Iommi stating that he and Ozzy Osbourne were regrouping for a comeback album and tour.
He told the publication that keeping the reunion a secret was a challenge: "We’re really looking forward to it and I think the stuff we’ve been writing is really good. It’s all been very hush-hush. Ozzy’s been the worst at trying to hold it back. He’s doing a lot of TV and he’s being asked stuff about a reunion and he’s going, 'Well, I never say never'.
"And I had umpteen number of people on the phone asking if I fancied getting together with a band, but I couldn’t tell them what I was doing. I just had to say I was busy."
But now the guitar great is backtracking, insisting that his remarks were nothing more than speculation.
His statement reads, "I'm saddened that a Birmingham journalist whom I trusted has chosen this point in time to take a conversation we had back in June and make it sound like we spoke yesterday about a Black Sabbath reunion.
"At the time I was... merely speculating, shooting the breeze on something all of us get asked constantly: 'Are you getting back together?'
"Thanks to the Internet it's now gone round the world as some sort of 'official' statement on my part; absolute nonsense. I hope he's (reporter) enjoyed his moment of glory; he won't have another at my expense.
"To my old pals, Ozzy, Geezer (Butler) and Bill (Ward), sorry about this. I should have known better."
Black Sabbath last reunited for a tour in 2005 and they reconvened a year later for their induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.
Earlier this year, bassist Butler released a statement insisting the band would never reunite: "I would like to make it clear, because of mounting speculation and rumours, that there will be definitely no reunion of all four original members of Black Sabbath."
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