British heavy metal legends BLACK SABBATH, who are scheduled to perform at the 2016 edition of United Kingdom's Download festival this weekend, are apparently planning to close out their "The End" farewell tour with a string of U.K. dates in January/February 2017. Although there has been no confirmation from SABBATH's official web site or social media sites, a leaked image of one of many flyers around Donington Park ahead of this year's Download appears to confirm that the band will return to the U.K. for seven more shows, including two in London, one in Scotland and two in the heavy metal legends' hometown of Birmingham. BLACK SABBATH guitarist Tony Iommi recently said that "it would be nice to think ['The End' tour] could finish back where it all started — in Birmingham. "When we are home where we started, we have always found it a bit nerve-racking, but Birmingham means such a lot to us." Asked if there could be a live album, he said: "It's possible, because we are doing a lot of filming during the tour, too." Iommi said that SABBATH's farewell tour, which began in January, is truly its last because he is not physically capable of doing it any longer. But he insisted that he would continue to play music. "I just can't keep going out on these long tours," he said. Iommi, who was diagnosed with lymphoma in 2012 and was treated all through SABBATH's extensive 2013 world tour, admitted last year that he was worried the rigors of the road could bring the disease back. He revealed: "I don't want that creeping back again, and all the traveling involved in SABBATH tours increasingly takes its toll. That's why we're going out on one last tour, to say our farewells. And then it very definitely is the end. We won't be doing it again." The legendary guitarist continued: "Don't get me wrong, I still love gigging. It's all the traveling and the exhaustion that goes with it that's the problem. That side of things has a big impact on me… I love being up there onstage, playing with SABBATH. What I don't love is all the other stuff necessary to enable that to happen." Iommi was hospitalized last year with back problems, and he still requires blood tests every six weeks to monitor his lymphoma. Unconfirmed BLACK SABBATH 2017 tour dates: Jan. 22 - Manchester, UK @ Arena Jan. 24 - Glasgow, UK @ The SSE Hydro Jan. 26 - Leeds, UK @ First Direct Arena Jan. 29 - London, UK @ The 02 Jan. 31 - London, UK @ The 02 Feb. 02 - Birmingham, UK @ Genting Arena Feb. 04 - Birmingham, UK @ Genting Arena
Black Sabbath UK Tour January/February 2017 pic.twitter.com/VKWAcwlSKe
— Anthony Spencer (@AnthonyDelonge) June 8, 2016
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Black Sabbath UK Tour January/February 2017 pic.twitter.com/VKWAcwlSKe
— Anthony Spencer (@AnthonyDelonge) June 8, 2016
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