Black Sabbath to tour North America, play L.A. on Sept. 3

By Mikael Wood

April 25, 2013 12 AM PT

Here’s some Ozzy Osbourne news that has nothing to do with the singer’s marital troubles: Black Sabbath is headed out on a full North American tour.

The legendary English heavy-metal band -- or three-fourths of it, anyway -- announced Thursday that it will launch a 20-city swing through North America on July 25 in Houston. The tour is scheduled to stop Aug. 28 at Irvine’s Verizon Wireless Amphitheater before wrapping at the Los Angeles Sports Arena on Sept. 3.

The shows are to begin not long after the scheduled June 11 release of “13,” Black Sabbath’s first album with Osbourne since “Never Say Die!” in 1978. Thursday’s announcement expand’s on last week’s unveiling of four North American dates.

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Drummer Bill Ward -- who formed the band in 1969 with Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi and bassist Geezer Butler -- originally signed on for the current reunion in 2011 but quit last year over a contract dispute. Brad Wilk of Rage Against the Machine played drums on “13,” which Black Sabbath recorded primarily in L.A. with producer Rick Rubin, best known for his collaborations with Johnny Cash, Metallica and Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Listen to the album’s first single, “God Is Dead?” below.