Ozzy Praises Producer Rick Rubin Black As Sabbath Celebrates Release of New Album, 13.

More than 34 years after Black Sabbath last released a full-length studio effort with singer Ozzy Osbourne, the band is back with a brand-new album, 13.  The eight-song collection is packed with the heavy, infectious riffs and melodic vocals the rockers' fans have come to worship.

To celebrate the arrival of 13, Black Sabbath hosted a special "Town Hall" event that was streamed live over the Internet on Tuesday.  Osbourne and founding Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler took part in the festivities live from New York City, while guitarist Tony Iommi participated via satellite from Birmingham, England.

The album features songs that hearken back to the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers' classic sound, albeit with a modern dynamic sheen, courtesy in large part of Grammy-winning producer Rick Rubin.

Speaking before the event, Osbourne says he was very pleased with how the album came out, and praised Rubin for the way he helped the band creatively.

Osbourne recalled, "Rick Rubin was a really good guy to have do the album, 'cause he'd had a plan for it for a long time.  And, when we were writing it, coming into the studio and he'd say, 'I like that one, I'm not so sure about that one,' he guided us in the right way."

Osbourne said the band turned out a finished product of which he is proud. Calling 13 a "good all-around album," he noted, "I always felt when I left Sabbath in 1979 it wasn't a finished thing, you know? So, if for whatever reason we never do an album again, this album is going to round it off nicely. But...I'm not opposing another album."