BLACK SABBATH: European Tour Dates Announced

The reunited original lineup of the legendary heavy metal band BLACK SABBATH will headline a number of Europe's premier festivals in 2012. Kicking off on Friday May 18 in Moscow at Olimpski, the tour will bring BLACK SABBATH to the masses at: Download (U.K.),Azkena Rock (Spain),Hellfest (France),Graspop Metal Meeting (Belgium) and Gods Of Metal (Italy). However, that's only the beginning of the group's global tour which will take the band around the world, including countries the band has never played before and others they have not visited in more than three decades.

The four original members of BLACK SABBATHOzzy Osbourne (vocals),Tony Iommi (guitar),Geezer Butler (bass) and Bill Ward (drums) are preparing to record their first studio album in 33 years with legendary producer Rick Rubin (seven-time Grammy winner, two of those as "Producer Of The Year") for release worldwide on Vertigo, and Vertigo/Universal Republic in the U.S. in the fall 2012.

The dates are as follows:

May 18 - Moscow, Russia - Olimpiski
May 20 - St. Petersburg, Russia - New Arena
May 23 - Helsinki, Finland - Hartwall Arena
May 25 - Stockholm, Sweden - Stadium
May 29 - Bergen, Norway - Bergen Calling Festival
May 31 - Oslo, Norway - Spektrum
Jun. 02 - Malm, Sweden - Malm Stadium
Jun. 04 - Dortmund, Germany - Westfalenhalle
Jun. 10 - Donnington, UK - Download Festival
Jun. 12 - Rotterdam, Holland - Ahoy
Jun. 15 - Bilbao, Spain - Azkena Rock Festival
Jun. 17 - Nantes, France - Hellfest
Jun. 19 - Paris, France - Bercy
Jun. 22 - Dessel, Belgium - Graspop Metal Meeting
Jun. 24 - Milan, Italy - Gods of Metal

According to U.K.'s The People, BLACK SABBATH's planned world tour and festival appearances are expected to earn the musicians in excess of 100 million (around $159 million),meaning each member of the band could take home up to 25 million (approximately $40 million).

The band did attempt to record a new disc in 1998, but abandoned the attempt and released only two songs as part of a concert album called "Reunion".

Following a reunion tour in 1998, SABBATH reunited sporadically in 1999, 2002, 2004 and 2005 for live dates. The foursome last appeared together at their induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2006.

At their long-overdue induction, Tony Iommi and Ozzy Osbourne spoke about the respect that SABBATH had earned over the years. "For a while, nobody would take us seriously," Iommi said. "But as we went on, the more we carried on, the more we proved, the more we stayed there, you know? And I think we got the respect from that." Ozzy added, "I never thought anybody liked us, and people on the Ozzfest would come to me and go, 'You were really one of our inspirations.' And I didn't really, I didn't believe it, you know?"

Photo below courtesy of Black-Sabbath.com