He left the band in 2012 ahead of the making of 13, with the group staying he was too ill to take part in their reunion. Ward has disputed this point, stating the claims only materialized after he refused to agree to a contract he regarded as "unsignable."

He tells Ghost Cult: "I spent nearly a year with Black Sabbath, working on what would have been the 13 album. I was never in a position where I was never able to drum. It's really sad that those statements made about me that inferred that I wasn't able to drum.