Black Sabbath

Any time a veteran band returns from a long hiatus with a new album, fans hope it means they're back on track creatively and ready to follow up with another record sooner than later. But rather than the start of a new chapter, it looks like Black Sabbath's '13' could wind up serving as the group's swan song.

This past Friday, the 2014 Grammy nominations were announced, and Black Sabbath received nods in three categories: Best Rock Album (’13′), Best Metal Performance (‘God Is Dead?’) and Best Rock Song (‘God Is Dead?). Now, singer Ozzy Osbourne has responded to the good news.

Metal may not get the wealth of recognition that other genres receive, but the big category that every metalhead music fan should be paying attention to is the Best Metal Performance category. The nominees for the 2014 Grammy Awards were just announced and there's a diverse group of acts populating the category.

A big congrats is in order to Black Sabbath and Queens of the Stone Age as they're among the rock leaders for the 2013 Grammy Awards. Each of the acts received three nominations when the Grammy Awards nods were revealed Friday night (Dec. 6).

This became their fifth and final universally adored masterpiece, but it wasn't easy.

Black Sabbath made one of metal's all-time greatest comebacks in 2013, releasing '13' and embarking on a world tour despite guitarist Tony Iommi's lymphoma diagnosis and parting ways with founding drummer Bill Ward over apparent contract issues. The band had forced itself past those hardships, but underneath it all, singer Ozzy Osbourne had relapsed on drugs and alcohol.

It took Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler 35 years to find their way back to the studio for an album together -- and now it seems like their long-awaited reunion might mark the end of this version of Black Sabbath as a recording act.

Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi is already the 'Rock 'N' Roll Doctor,' but the iconic guitarist is now an actual doctor thanks to Coventry University. On Nov. 19, Iommi received an Honorary Doctorate of Arts "in recognition of his contribution to the world of popular music."

Black Sabbath have enjoyed a banner year and it just got better at the Classic Rock Roll of Honour at London's Roundhouse. The group won three of the night's top honors at the event.

Black Sabbath have traveled the globe in 2013, touring in support of their comeback album '13.' The shows will continue into 2014, with the band a new run of North American dates beginning in March.

The Bass Player Live! Concert & Awards took place Saturday night (Nov. 9) in Los Angeles and you'd be hard pressed to find a better honoree than Black Sabbath's Geezer Butler. The bassist, who received a lifetime achievement award from event sponsor Hartke, was also saluted with a 10-song tribute featuring some of metal's top names.

Drummer Bill Ward tried to listen to '13,' the album Black Sabbath recorded without him following a contract dispute, but he had to stop after only a few difficult moments.