Black Sabbath is on the way back.
Just a few months after topping the UK charts for the first time in more than 40 years, the heavy metal pioneers have a new album and DVD coming out.
The album and DVD — titled Live… Gathered in Their Masses — was filmed at the band’s Melbourne concert, part of their reunion tour. The album was recorded April 29 and May 1, and features three of the band’s four original members — Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iomma, and Geezer Butler. Tommy Clufetos took over on drums during the tour.
In June the band reached the top of the UK charts for the first time in 43 years. Their new album, titled 13, reached No. 1 in the UK after its release and sold more than 155,000 copies in its first week.
The last time Black Sabbath held the top spot was 1970 for the release of their second album, Paranoid.
The success was a surprise to Ozzy Osbourne, who had done more work in reality television than music over the past decade.
“I’m in shock!” Osbourne told the Official Charts Company. “The success of this album has blown me off my feet. We’ve never had a record climb the charts so fast.”
Ironically, Black Sabbath knocked off another classic artist with their rise to the top. The previous No. 1 had been Rod Stewart with his new album Time.
“It’s all manufactured bull these days,” Osbourne told BBC News . “But the likes of Rod, and Elton John and us have got something different. We know our craft.’
Black Sabbath is set to continue touring, with a slate of shows across South America in October before a return to Europe. The band plays in London in December.
The new Black Sabbath album and DVD will be released November 26 on Vertigo/Republic.