GEEZER BUTLER Says BLACK SABBATH's Tours Aren't Long Enough For Him To Get Sick Of Playing The Songs

In a brand new interview with DigitalProductionME.com, BLACK SABBATH bassist Geezer Butler was asked how has the advancement in sound technology has been to the band's type of music over the four decades of SABBATH's existence.

"Well, we've never let technology divert from running a band," he replied. "I mean, we started off as club band, so as long as the stage man is good — it's up to the front of house. But these days, yeah, the technology is incredibly good. In the old days, you wouldn't even have a front-of-house speaker system — you'd just get on the stage and play. You might have a tiny PA and stuff, but today there's endless soundchecks. The quality of the equipment is excellent, and I'd say it just makes it all a lot more reliable."

Butler was also asked if there is any song he is sick of playing after 30 years of performing SABBATH's older material. "Not so far, no!" he laughed. "The tours genuinely aren't long enough to get sick of them. We only do four or five six weeks at a time, so it feels nice and fresh still. You do get tired of them when you're rehearsing them, but when you're playing them to the fans and to a big crowd — the energy that comes off all of them easily gets you into the songs again..."

Regarding what his favorite BLACK SABBATH album is, Butler said: "Hmm… Probably the 'Paranoid' album. I think it was just the complete album, and we sort of knew what we were doing. We knew that the first album was a success, so the 'Paranoid' one was made with a lot of relief. People believed in us and it was just really good times..."

BLACK SABBATH guitarist Tony Iommi last year said that he wasn't sure if making a follow-up to the band's reunion album, "13", would be a good idea for the group. Iommi said in Revolver magazine, "I don't know if that would be an anticlimax if we wrote another album. I'd like to, but we haven't actually spoken about it, you know? I don't know if that would be a good idea after this one, because this one's done so well. I'm sure we'd all like to do one. But I don't know. Maybe I should talk to the others about it."

Bassist Geezer Butler added, "I really haven't thought about it. I'm just glad that we made this one. It can't be something where you go in and go, 'Well, that one was No. 1, so let's do another No. 1 album.' I think we'll know if we can do it or if we can't. If we have to force it, then we won't be doing it."

"13", the first SABBATH album in 35 years to feature Iommi, Butler and singer Ozzy Osbourne recording together, went No. 1 around the world, earning the band their first chart-topper ever in the U.S.

Ozzy said about the prospects of making another record, "I don't want to say there's going to be another album, because I don't want you to ask me in another year, 'What happened when you said you were going to do another record?' I'll leave it open. I'm open for anything. I have three albums to deliver of my own solo thing to my record label."

Ozzy added, "We'll all still be doing music. It's been a lot of fun doing it with BLACK SABBATH, and I'm not sorry at all for getting back together."

The making of "13" was marked by several dramatic events, including drummer Bill Ward's withdrawal from the project over a contractual dispute and Iommi's cancer diagnosis.

Butler told Revolver that he started writing a song for "13", called "Hanging By A Thread", that was inspired by Iommi's illness. He explained, "It was very much about dying, about giving your last breath and passing your spirit on." But the track didn't make it onto the album because, Butler said, "We never came up with the finished thing."