Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi has issued a statement after he revealed earlier this week that he has been diagnosed with cancer.
The reunited metal legends stated on Monday (January 9) that Iommi had been diagnosed with the early stages of lymphoma and that they would now be moving the recording process for their new studio album over to the UK so the guitarist can undergo treatment.
In a statement on his official website Iommi.com, the axeman wrote: “I just want to say how overwhelmed I am with all your messages of support, thank you so much. Well it’s not what I wanted for Christmas, that’s for sure, but now I can’t wait for the test results to come in and get going with the treatment.”
He continued: “It’s really good that the guys are coming over so that we can continue working on the album as things are going great in the studio. Not much else to say at this time, so thanks again.”
The band have not said if Iommi’s condition affects their planned world tour as yet. The band are scheduled to tour Europe in the summer, with a headline slot at Download Festival among the dates.