Ward Refusing To Rule Out Black Sabbath Reunion

Osbourne sued the guitarist over rights to the name of the band, but drummer Ward insists the bitter battle won't wreck a reunion if it's meant to be.

He tells BackstageAxxess.com, "I spoke to Tony a couple of times this year. Me and him seem to be getting along fine. We had a good heart-to-heart on some things. I know he's been busy. We talk to each other over the phone. I talk to Ozzy at least twice a week. He will call and I'll try to call him back and what have you. We are always talking to each other.

"Geezer (Butler), I don't talk to on the phone. He likes to email. I don't get to correspond with him very often. He's always in my heart. He's just there, period, all the time.

"I have a complete open mind (about a reunion). I would be available to see what we would like to do and how we would like to do it. I would have to look at the entire picture.

"We would have to see if that was possible by how everybody else is feeling, and if there is a possibility to move forward. It's hard. It's so wonderful to play with the band that I didn't want to come off the last tour.... I think the last tour ended, like, three years ago. When the band played Europe, I just thought the band was flying high and the band sounded great! It sounded tight. I thought, 'My God, let's keep on playing! Let's go around the world with this all the way around and around again.'

"It was hard to come off the tour. I know all good things must come to an end but it was tough."

Ward admits he stayed out of the 2009 battle between Osbourne and Iommi, but he's convinced his bandmates have settled their differences: "I spoke to Ozz only a few days ago and he mentioned in passing that's all been done and dealt with now... If someone is arguing with somebody one day, that doesn't mean that's the entire future. These things have a way of sorting themselves out, settling, and then moving on. I don't think it paralyses all or diminishes any possibilities of future Black Sabbath work.

"We have overcome some pretty mean stuff between each other and still got onstage and played."