Today in Los Angeles, legendary, pioneering heavy metal group Black Sabbath convened in front of reporters at the Whiskey A Go Go to announce a 2012 reunion tour and album, set for a fall release. The event, hosted by Henry Rollins, was telegraphed by a countdown clock on the band's official site and a tweet or two from their Twitter account.

This past weekend at Fun Fun Fun Fest, Rollins was very excited about the event, himself being a longtime fan of the band and their imagery. We couldn't think of a better person to host a press conference announcing a Sabbath reunion. Or maybe Satan himself.

The original line-up of Black Sabbath reformed in 1997 and toured sporadically until 2005 when apparently there was a falling out amongst the members. They had tried to record a new disc in the '90s with producer Rick Rubin plans were scrapped once an Ozzy Osbourne solo album became the focal point.

The Ronnie James Dio line-up of Sabbath, known as Heaven and Hell, were active from 2006 until Dio's death in May 2010. The last Houston Sabbath date was a gig on January 25, 1999 at the Compaq Center with Pantera and the Deftones. Heaven and Hell played their final Houston set on August 23, 2008 with Judas Priest, Testament, and Motorhead also on the bill.

The video below details the plans, including that new studio album produced by knob-guru Rubin and a worldwide tour. On June 10, 2012, they will be headlining the Download Festival in Donington Park in the UK. Metallica has already been announced on that bill, and the hook will be that they will be performing their 1991 self-titled "Black Album" in it's entirety.

As of now, no dates or cities have been announced for the expansive Sabbath tour, but stay tuned to Rocks Off for updates.