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13 Years of ‘13’: Geezer Butler Reflects on Black Sabbath’s Final Album and Why One Particular Aspect ‘Was a Bit of a Pain in the Anus’

Black Sabbath’s final album, ’13’, was released in June 2013, making 2026 the 13th anniversary of the chart-topping project.

By Stephen Andrew Galiher

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This month—June 2026—marks the 13th anniversary of Black Sabbath’s final album, 13. To celebrate the album’s momentous birthday, I had a chance to ask bassist Geezer Butler a couple of questions about it, and he certainly did not hold back.

After discussing his instrument of choice, Fender’s iconic Precision Bass, I mentioned 13. I wondered if, at the time, they expected it to be the band’s final album. “When we started it, we didn’t really look at it as a final album,” Butler confessed. “But by the time it was finished, I wanted it to be the final album.” He then went on to share why he felt that way. Spoiler: it was in part due to producer Rick Rubin.

“It was a........

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