It's led indirectly to a friendship with estranged Black Sabbath sticksman Bill Ward, who didn't take part in his band's current reunion after saying he hadn't been offered a contract he regarded as "signable."

The thrash drummer says he can't listen to Sabbath album 13 because Ward's not there. "Just knowing a little bit of the situation, I really didn't have the interest to listen to that album," he admits. "But I will one day, eventually."