BILL WARD Misses Playing BLACK SABBATH's 'Hand Of Doom': 'It's Part Of Who I Am'

On July 27, original BLACK SABBATH drummer Bill Ward appeared via live video feed at London, England's Regent Sounds (now a guitar shop),where the band's first two albums ("Black Sabbath" and "Paranoid"),were recorded to talk about SABBATH's forthcoming "Ten Year War" box set and his time in the pioneering heavy metal band.

Speaking about the so-called ten-year war, a period which saw BLACK SABBATH receive scathing reviews from a considerable segment of the music media, Ward said: "It's such a long time for me now. Yes, there were times when I felt very angry towards some of the press comments. [My comments about it] were made because I didn't like 'em. And it was [due to] my own selfishness and self-centeredness, actually, that I didn't like 'em. They were probably trying to be artistically provocative, maybe, in their statements, and if they were, then that's okay."

Ward, who played on ten of SABBATH's first eleven albums, named 1971's "Master Of Reality" as his favorite record.

"The great thing about being a great band is that it takes risks," he said, singling out album track "Children Of The Grave" for particular praise. "We had the basic foundation down, we had all the rhythms and the grooves and everything, but then it was time to take a risk. So someone — I don't know who it was; it might have been Geezer [Butler, bass], actually — decided to put that huge-sounding church organ right in the center of 'Master Of Reality'. And I think that when we did that, it changed the shape of music just by doing that. I think it showed people what BLACK SABBATH were capable of playing."

Ward admitted that he missed performing with SABBATH while discussing the "Paranoid" album track "Hand Of Doom". "I just love that song," he said. "It's great to play. I wish I was still playing it. I miss it. But I love it. It's part of who I am."

All four original members of SABBATH were present when the band announced its reunion in late 2011. But Ward split from the group in 2012, citing an "unsignable" contract, and Butler, singer Ozzy Osbourne and guitarist Tony Iommi carried on with their Rick Rubin–produced "13" LP and extensive international touring without him. The final BLACK SABBATH tour, which concluded in February in Birmingham, saw the founding member replaced by session drummer Tommy Clufetos.

It was rumored that SABBATH wanted to bring a second drummer on the road to share duties with Ward, something that Iommi confirmed late last month.

"The Ten Year War" — a limited-edition vinyl box set — will be released on September 29 via BMG. It brings together SABBATH's eight Ozzy-fronted albums, plus a swathe of other rarities, all housed within exclusive artwork created by renowned street artist, graphic designer and activist Shepard Fairey.