This evening, Geezer Butler posted an update to his website, detailing some of the progress around the new album, as well as some remarks on Tony and his cancer diagnosis. Check it out:
Greetings Earth people,
Today [Jan19th] we got the engines back up and running @ Tony’s home studio. Far from being down and depressed about his lymphoma diagnosis, Tony had already written the music for two new songs, and I must say it has given us all a kick up the rump- it’s great to hear him churning out those riffs again, assuaging the Demon C. Takes more than that to stop Tony. Can’t wait for you all to hear our workings, it has been great working on this stuff.
I want to thank the lovely encouraging emails sent to this site giving Tony love and encouragement and great vibes. It really does help, not only Tony, but us as a band- it raises up our spirits and restores our faith in this tarnished world. Sabb fans are good people, time and again you have proven your faith in us and boosted our endeavour.
Thanks, love, peace.
Geezer
Go on Tony, Go on All Black Sabbath Band!!! God Blessyou all and gives you the strength to keep fighting ! We wait for you in South America!!
Mr.Iommi you are in my prayers……cant wait to see sabbath in concert 2012
Yeah, Tony and the rest of the band deserve all the support they can get. Us sabbath fans will never let you down. Get well Tony!!!
Thanks Geezer for the update. Keep fighing Tony. The entire Rock / METAL world is behind you Tony. We all can’t wait to hear you are doing ok – and can’t wait for the new album. Keep Jamming and keep those spirits high – everyone !!!! \m/
Wishing Tony the best from NJ-NY area see you on the road God bless!!
Cheers Tony! Cheers Black Sabbath!!!
Are you planning to come to India???
Tony will beat this and we are waiting here in australia for your return
I’m sure Tony will beat this cancer and will remain writing earth-shaking riffs. I admire him for continuing work on this new album depite his diagnosis.
Never say die Tony. The b@st@rd cannot beat you.
Gather your mates and get down here to Athens RIFF MASTER.
My prayers and my love to you and the band.
Dimos
Athens, Greece
Never Say Die Tony you are a true great and a massive inspiration to me. Both you and Sabbath helped me in my ongoing battle with Depression and you saved my life by giving me hope and faith to carry on. You are my Idol and Lymphoma chose the wrong Guy when it struck you cos you are going to batter the shit into it. Keep up those brilliant riffs Tony and I look forward to hearing the new album and seeing you where you belong up there on that stage grinding out those legendary riffs and solos. God Bless you Tony Love from Andy.
I know good people live more, you are a saint Iommi and you will recover from cancer soon, Gods cannot die, remember you are the one and only heavy metal God. God bless you Iommi!
Hello Tony,
your one of the all-time greats,I can”t wait to see and hear you and the other guys
in Ahoy Rotterdam in June,
God bless
You Rulles GZR, Tony vill fix it. .!! Se you soon on tour!
Looking forward to the new album when it comes out… nice to hear Tony’s still creating, he is the master of riffs and licks that started it all… Get well soon Tony and prosperity and success to all in Sabbath!!
Dear Tony…
News of your illness came as quite a shock to me because I lost my wife of 17 years to cancer in 2008. I know that you are able and will do all that is required in order to beat this thing…much as you have every other challenge in your life.
You have been what feels like a dear friend to me through your music since I was a young boy. Through nearly every upheaval in my life, you and your music have been there and helped me through some of the most difficult experiences I have faced (my above loss included).
I feel as though I have been enabled and allowed to play guitar and make music almost solely because of your example. You persevered against all odds and forged something so unique that its impact has been felt all over the world. “Iron Man” was the first riff I ever learned at 13 years old and your playing always inspired and encouraged me (unlike so many other players) to use what I had been given and make something uniquely my own out of it instead of comparing it to everybody else’s abilites and accomplishments and ending up feeling inferior. In short, I might never have become a musician but for you.
For all of this, I thank you and I hope and pray for your complete recovery. I hope this not just because of the continued music I hope to hear you create, but also for your friends and family that they may have you around to enjoy your presence and experience the joy of your life’s accomplishments for many years to come.
Take care, God bless and best wishes…
Randy Michaud (TrogDawn)
Thank YOU Geezer and Tony for toughing this out and fighting. As a cancer survivor myself I had a related cancer with my lymph nodes. So my heart goes our to Tony and his family and family band! Thank you for always giving us the best there is to get! Love you!
Dear Tony, You will beat this!! Cant wait to hear the new album! This is the one thing im really looking foward to!! I still work out to the mor cassette from when I was 16 now im 44. Thank you for all the great music so far, I still say to myself when listening to some of your music like sbs how the hell did they write such great music!! recover quickly !! you have a huge tour to do with ozzy!! you have a huge fan in connecticut!!
Tony,
Wishing you a short and to-the-point battle with, and victory over, the coward called cancer! It is a message that something is not right in your body, and an opportunity to make it right. I recommend you seek out Dr. gonzalez in NYC at dr-gonzalez.com In my humble opinion, he has the best option for a permanent CURE of your cancer, read his case studies and decide for yourself.
On the METAL side of things, I am so excited about a new BLACK SABBATH album, and especially the tour to follow! My 21yo son Nathan wants to see SABBATH live so bad it hurts! I hope you play CLEVELAND, my home town, and Northern New England where I currently live, so I can see you twice!
May GOD ALMIGHTY and THE LORD JESES CHRIST bless and heal you,
Tim Zim
PS: Please play MEGALOMANIA live when on tour!
hiya tony, you have beaten the odds before and you will beat them again, it is not only us sabbath fanatics but every rock fan the world over, looking foreward to the new cd and hope to catch you on tour, good look and best wishes
Tony you really need us! You and your friends are make great music! You have millions fans around the world, and that’s fine, I know you will win in the fight with the damn cancer! Because we’re with you, and we are millions and what you are doing-need for us! because your music has changed world for the better! Serj from Lithuania
Sir, you and the band have been all over my record rack for the last, say, 35 years, so, the gods willing, I am sure and wish it with all my heart, that you’ll overcome this! Your riffs are also on my guitars and to put it bluntly, you taught me to play them. All the best and a quick recovery! Hope you’ll come to Portugal sometime soon…
GET WELL TONY ! PRAYERS AND THOUGHTS DAILY FOR YOU ! AND THE SAME FOR THE WHOLE BAND ! CAN’T WAIT TO SEE YOU ALL ON TOUR AND HEAR THE NEW DISC ! ANYTHING ELSE YOU NEED TONY , JUST ASK ! LONG TIME FAN ! THANKS BLACK SABBATH ! REMEMBER TONY , “IT’S NEVER SAY DIE” !
Hi together…..
I also wish you the Best, Tony…..
I know you will beat the cancer, and I hope to see you in June in Vienna….. :-)
All the best to Tony and the Band….
thank you to keep us informed!
See you soon ;-)
Keep on Banging!!!
I’ll put it short – If it wasn’t for tony iommi I wouldn’t be playing the stuff I’m playing on my guitar today and consequentially I wouldn’t be enjoying my life as much as I do every day or when playing with my band. I just really really hope you’ll get well and do the tour and I’ll see you for the first time in wienna on the 26th and in belgrade on the 28th.
as ever, yours truly
Gojo
get well tony god will help u through this you are a amazing man never say die see u soon
I pray and hope for Tony. I have been a Black Sabbath fan since 1970 and will always be.
Jan Ivan from far north in Norway.
I pray and hope for Tony..I have been a fan of Black Sabbath since 1970, I still am and will be forever..
Jan Ivan (from far north in Norway)
TonY we love you (all ) !
@)–,–‘—-
I hope Tony is well and recovering fast. Waiting for good news, Debora – Portugal
All the Sabbath fans here in Sjoa hope you soon get well so we see YOU & the rest of the guys in Oslo Spektrum this spring ! All the best from all of us !
You are our Eternal Idol. God bless your music forever!!!
I cannot wait to hear the new material. I wish you all the best, especially Tony!
You guys rock, and will soon continue to do so.
Please, come to Vancouver!!!
All the best to the guitar master, an inspiration and influence to millions of people around the world.
Can’t wait to see the best band in the world-BLACK SABBATH.
Ata boy Tony… Go Tony Go..
All the best to Tony, Geezer, Bill and Ozzy.
Iommi…
heal soon so we can hear u soon in Croatia!!!!
IN SORTE DIABOLI!
Go Tony, Geeze, Bill and Ozzy and continuos to make a great music !
Thw World await for us very soon.
Tony, you are immortal
Should there be any moment when you feel like giving up, just think of all your fans worldwide waiting for you to recover and to continue rocking the world along with your bandmates. It is by far not yet the time to put Black Sabbath at rest!
I would love if the current line-up would pay tribute R J Dio and a do a version of Heavern and Hell.
Either in the studio ( maybe as a down load only version or as an album track ) or live (maybe at the venue nearest to Dio’s birth or were he lived )
This was the last track Ozzy tried in 1979 ,and the name that Dio line-up choose in respect to the current situation with the Ozzy line up.The respect would come full circle
I would love that, too. Remember Ronnie.
Stiff upper lip and all that, Tony. No one puts as much into his art as you. We’re all pulling for you!
to tony ,and my forvorite band black sabbath,so glad the boys are there for you ton and so is the sabbath nation,the origional do tone poster hangs in my bedroom where it has been for years and will remain.my god give you lots of strenth tony the sabbath nation is praying for our iron man to come though this with that new set of sabbath songs under yourarm brother.god bless black sabbath your in my prays and never far from my heart.love you boys! rodney from pennsylvania.
Can’t wait for the new music…never say die Tony,fight with everything you have Tony I’m sure you can beat this thing.Geezer…you seem like a great guy to have for a friend.You’re in my prayers Tony,get well.
Hi Joe great new website. Can’t wait to hear the new stuff and see how different it will be from Bible Black, if at all. How heavy will it be, will there a be a nod to the old stuff and mixed a flavour of the future. Regardless, we know it is going to be excellent. All the best lads and we are an army of sabbath fans standing strong behind you Tony and all the band and his family.
Take it easy
Slainte
Kevin
ps that should read TheDevil You Know, personally i call it the bible black alabum.
That’s understandable because that’s probably the album’s best known song.
Tony and rest of Sabbath, I had the privilege to see you live and meet you on a couple of occasions in Philadelphia, USA at the time of your last album and tour in 1999. You guys were very nice and took the time to speak with everybody at the hotel (Rittenhouse Square). I hope you get well and God bless you. We, the fans from Costa Rica, are waiting for Sabbath here at the new national Stadium. Its capacity is 40000 fans. You are guaranteed to sell out. Thanks a lot. Oscar
Black sabbath’s music saved my life. I’m glad I have the opportunity to repay the favour…Keep Going Tony!
Thanks to Mr. Geezer for the attention to let us know about Tony and all the band.
I’m shure that Tony will win this battle, and that legendary band called BLACK SABBATH, The Mother of all the Metal bands on Planet Earth will be playing with the original line-up very soon.
You guys (Tony, Geezer, Ozzy and Bill) are not the owners of the METAL MAGIC FORMULA, YOU GUYS ARE THE FORMULA!!!.. God bless you forever!!
Tony you are a true gentleman,we met twice in NYC at the Best Buy and Sam Ash gatherings,always eager to meet your fans.Been a Sabbath fan from day one im 55,and i just think its awesome when a band takes the time to meet and greet their fans.Wish you all the best health and our prayers go out to you and your family.
Tony and eveyone else for that matter, you guys are my idols. i’ll try my hardest to get to a show nearest to me. you guys are thee greatest band walking this earth. thankyou so much for years of just the most incredable music ever played. thankyou so much. Tony get better \m/ devil horning just for you. i cant wait for the new album and the tour. you 4 gentlemen are just the greatest ever. thankyou again.
Guys, keep the fight alive, in your souls and in your hearts. We — people– rock lovers — and die hard fans — need to be in front of you (and behind you) as you deliver this epic 2012 tour. Hopefully there will be young fans there as well, so just one of them see’s and learns what true rock is, so they, some day, may be able to take the baton and in the future deliver pure rock as you have. Love is going to be there for you at every show this year, as it has been throughout all the years! Rock N Roll boyz – you gave it to us and we love you for it