Black Sabbath’s Geezer Butler recently revealed details about an unreleased album the band scrapped in the early 2000s. He shared his candid thoughts on the decision in an interview with Gabbing With Girlfriends.
The bassist explained how the band had completed several tracks during recording sessions in Wales. They ultimately decided the material wasn’t up to their standards when they played it for producer Rick Rubin.
“Yeah, I think we had about eight [new] songs written [during those sessions],” Butler said. “We did them in Monmouth, down in Wales. And we had at least six [tracks] completed and I think a couple of more in the works. That’s when [producer] Rick Rubin first got in touch with us. He wanted to do that album back in — I think it was 2002.”
Butler described the moment when the band realized the material wasn’t working for them.
“And we went to his house to play him what we had, and as we were playing them, I was thinking, ‘What a load of crap,'” he continued. “[Laughs] I just didn’t like them at all. I just completely went off them. I don’t know if it was ’cause I was playing them to somebody else. And I just went, ‘Nah, after all these years to come out with this, I don’t think it’s right.’ So we knocked it on the head.”
The interview also touched on whether the band ever made a proper studio recording of “Scary Dreams,” the slow and bluesy number they performed during the Ozzfest tour in 2001.
This scrapped album project represents a significant chapter in Black Sabbath’s complex reunion history. It highlights the band’s commitment to maintaining their legendary standards even when it meant abandoning completed work.
The early 2000s sessions marked the original lineup’s attempt at creating new material following their successful reunion tours in 1997 and 1999. However, Consequence of Sound reported that drummer Bill Ward’s departure from the project ultimately led to its abandonment, leaving fans without what could have been a historic reunion album.
Despite the setback with the Wales recordings, Rick Rubin’s relationship with Black Sabbath continued. This eventually led to their collaboration on the 2013 album *13*. Sound on Sound noted that under Rubin’s guidance, Black Sabbath returned to their roots for this later project, which topped charts worldwide and was mixed by Andrew Scheps.
However, Butler’s experience working with Rubin wasn’t entirely smooth. In later interviews, Consequence of Sound revealed that Butler described the *13* recording process as a “weird experience.” He cited frustrations with repeated vocal takes and Rubin’s demands for vintage amplifiers.
The producer’s meticulous approach to capturing Black Sabbath’s classic sound involved extensive attention to detail. Eddie Trunk documented that Rubin has discussed his work with the band extensively, emphasizing how Black Sabbath represents a pre-heavy metal era that required careful handling to maintain their authentic sound.
