Ozzy “Just Says No” to new Black Sabbath album?

Another entry in the “will they or won’t they” saga of the new Black Sabbath studio album was lodged today. In a billboard article that appeared today, Ozzy has re-signed with Epic records. However, in said article, Ozzy says this..
“I could go in the studio and write a bunch of stuff, but why do an album just for the sake of [drummer] Bill [Ward], [guitarist] Tony [Iommi], me and bassist [Geezer] Butler together playing if it’s not up to the Black Sabbath standard that I left?,” Ozzy tells Billboard.com. “It would f*ck it up, you know? It’s so sad when you hear these monumental bands do these piece of sh*t records just because they want the money.”
Check out the complete Billboard article above for more from Ozzy about all this. While this news doesn’t look particularly positive, I personally wouldn’t take this as the final statement on the subject. This album has been on and off for the last few years.
Remember, he said he was retiring in 1992 anyway, and we all know how well he stuck to that. :) Also, this seems to contract this quote by Ozzy from the UK “Classic Rock” magazine from the March 2005 issue..
Ozzy ” I’d love to do another Sabbath album , We’d be fc**ing idiots not to try again- and it’s on the cards we will “..”Tell that fu**ing aresole ( Behind the Ozzy sacking petition)that it’s not me (that won’t do it)I tried my best Last time (an abortive session with producer Rick Rubin) but Bill Ward (Drummer) had a heart attack .
Logistically ,We all live in different places .We’re friends again now ,But it’s like trying to rekindle a romance with a girlfriend you had when you were 20.
The heart attack comment doesn’t seem to jibe, as Bill had his heart attack in 1998, and they tried to make the album in 2001. Anyway, I think I can file all this under “we don’t really know what’s gonna happen”. :)