Black Sabbath released their final album, 13 , after an 18-year break following Forbidden from 1995. This album marked Ozzy Osbourne’s first with the band since 1978, and also brought bassist Geezer Butler back after almost 20 years. For the first time in decades, three original members of Black Sabbath were making an album together—Osbourne, Butler, and guitarist Tony Iommi.

But as Iommi revealed in an October 2026 interview with Planet Rock , working with legendary producer Rick Rubin on that album wasn’t exactly smooth sailing. Rubin is widely known for his eccentric work ethic and philosophies . But in this case, Iommi found his behavior more strange than eccentric.

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“On our last Sabbath album we did with [producer] Rick Rubin , we didn’t have time to absorb what we’d done,” Iommi began. “Because Rick wouldn’t talk to the others. He talked to me, and I’d have to tell them.…