Earlier this year (15), the group's frontman Ozzy Osbourne revealed he was planning to hit the studio to record new material with Geezer Butler and Tony Iommi for a 2016 album, prior to the band's farewell tour.

The record would be a follow-up to Black Sabbath's 13, which became a huge chart hit in 2013, but Osbourne has now confirmed to Nola.com that the album plans have been dropped.

"It's the end of Sabbath, believe me," he says. "In December, I'll be f**king 68 and I think it's time to call it the end of the day. I'm not saying I won't get on stage with Geezer or Tony (Iommi) or any of them some time, but officially we're going to be done.

"I don't want it to dwindle and dwindle and play just for the sake of making another f**king sack full of cash. So it's time, and then I'll go back to doing my own thing."

The band's The End tour kicks off in Omaha, Nebraska on 20 January (16).