Jacob Lewis
Ye Olde GM
Did someone say "Metal"? Don't mind if I do!
Original Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler had wanted to embark on a solo recording career since back in the '80s, but the opportunity -- and more importantly, the right group of musicians -- was never provided to the godfather of all heavy metal bassists until 1995 when the musician released Plastic Planet on TVT Records under the moniker of GZR. While many fans might have been unaware of the group's substantial metal lineage due to the confusing name, those in the know were surely sated by GZR's ultra-heavy aggro thrash metal. Besides its driving sound, this debut is most notable for the scathing Tony Iommi commentary on the track "Giving Up the Ghost."
In 1997, Butler released a second disc under the edited (and more recognizable) moniker Geezer. The record was called Black Science, and like Plastic Planet, this second release featured punishing riffs and fine sonic packaging, proving Butler to be an inventive and singularly heavy artist. While Plastic Planet had been a forward-looking album, this time around Geezer found himself in nostalgic form and harking back to the British TV shows that he’d watched in the late '60s – most specifically a number of science fiction series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson.
Lyrically, this album is laced with futuristic and science fiction references – subject matter that has fascinated Butler since his days in Black Sabbath. The songs that Butler began to write included "Among The Cybermen" (in reference to Dr Who’s square-headed, cyborg enemies), "Mysterons" (named after Captain Scarlet’s extra-terrestrial opponents) and opener "Man In A Suitcase" (titled after the ‘60s crime thriller of the same name). Despite their fanciful titles, the lyrics penned by Butler reflected a sense of lost innocence and a deep desire for escapism.
Geezer
Album: Black Science (1997)
Original Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler had wanted to embark on a solo recording career since back in the '80s, but the opportunity -- and more importantly, the right group of musicians -- was never provided to the godfather of all heavy metal bassists until 1995 when the musician released Plastic Planet on TVT Records under the moniker of GZR. While many fans might have been unaware of the group's substantial metal lineage due to the confusing name, those in the know were surely sated by GZR's ultra-heavy aggro thrash metal. Besides its driving sound, this debut is most notable for the scathing Tony Iommi commentary on the track "Giving Up the Ghost."
In 1997, Butler released a second disc under the edited (and more recognizable) moniker Geezer. The record was called Black Science, and like Plastic Planet, this second release featured punishing riffs and fine sonic packaging, proving Butler to be an inventive and singularly heavy artist. While Plastic Planet had been a forward-looking album, this time around Geezer found himself in nostalgic form and harking back to the British TV shows that he’d watched in the late '60s – most specifically a number of science fiction series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson.
Lyrically, this album is laced with futuristic and science fiction references – subject matter that has fascinated Butler since his days in Black Sabbath. The songs that Butler began to write included "Among The Cybermen" (in reference to Dr Who’s square-headed, cyborg enemies), "Mysterons" (named after Captain Scarlet’s extra-terrestrial opponents) and opener "Man In A Suitcase" (titled after the ‘60s crime thriller of the same name). Despite their fanciful titles, the lyrics penned by Butler reflected a sense of lost innocence and a deep desire for escapism.
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