CARL PALMER Says He Turned Down Opportunity To Play With BLACK SABBATH

Carl Palmer, the rock percussionist and veteran of hit British rock bands — including EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER, ASIA, THE CRAZY WORLD OF ARTHUR BROWN and ATOMIC ROOSTER — says he turned down an opportunity to play with BLACK SABBATH when the heavy metal legends were looking for a drummer to replace Bill Ward for the "13" album sessions.

Palmer told WENN that BLACK SABBATH guitarist Tony Iommi approached him about laying down tracks on the CD to when it became clear that Ward would no longer be participating in the SABBATH reunion.

"Tony and I did talk when they were looking for drummers to make the album and he put me forward," explained Palmer. "I couldn't do it because I was off with ASIA, we were touring and then something else came up. I couldn't have done it but I would have loved to. It just wasn't on the cards."

He added: "I was classically trained but, basically, I'm a rock drummer and I've never been in a true out-and-out guitar band like BLACK SABBATH, where it's just big riffs — very simple but very dynamic. It would be extremely invigorating. The older I get, the more I appreciate that music. I was late to come to heavy metal. ASIA had a bit of that, but we were a little bit more corporate rock and melodic."

Ward claimed that he sat out the current BLACK SABBATH reunion because of unfair contractual terms, although the members of SABBATH have hinted in other interviews that he wasn't physically up to the task.

Ward was on board for the reunion when it was first announced in November 2011, but backed out soon after.

SABBATH has used Ozzy's regular touring drummer Tommy Clufetos since then for live work. RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE's Brad Wilk laid down the drum tracks on SABBATH's new album, "13", which came out June 11.