On the three albums released so far the band has been known as G//Z/R, Geezer, and GZR, respectively. Despite the changing name, it is still considered the same project. However, Geezer Butler Band from the 1980s is an entirely separate entity.
The bands music is generally of a much harder edge than Butler is known for in Black Sabbath. This isn't a surprise, as the vocalist on his first album, Plastic Planet, was Burton C. Bell from Fear Factory, who is known for more driving and harder edged vocals than ever was displayed in Black Sabbath. The album also featured Pedro Howse on guitar, as well as Deen Castronovo (of Journey fame) on drums. Bell did not stay with the band past the recording of Plastic Planet due to Fear Factory commitments. In 1996 the band re-emerged with an exclusive track for the Mortal Kombat: More Kombat compilation, entitled 'Outworld' and featuring Anger On Anger vocalist, Mario Frasca.
This proved to be a one-time collaboration and Frasca was replaced by Clark Brown (SYMATIC) for their second album Black Science, released in 1997. G//Z/R did play a few live dates in 1997 behind the release of the album, however this was not a full fledged tour, most of these gigs were played concurrent to the Ozzfest tour of that year. The band opened for such folks as Bruce Dickinson, who was playing some live gigs at the time. Castronovo recorded, but did not play any of the live gigs. He was replaced on drums by Chad Smith (not to be confused with the Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer with the same name).
After the handful of live gigs in 1997, the band was mostly put on ice, as Geezer was busy with various things Black Sabbath related for quite a while. Geezer eventually got back into the studio with the same line-up that played the live gigs from 8 years previous, and recorded their third album, Ohmwork, which was released on May 9, 2005. The band is currently working on a new record, and began recording in January 2011, according to Geezer Butler.
The band has actually been marketed with three different names on the three releases they've had. In 1995, the band was marketed as G//Z/R. In 1997, it was merely Geezer, and in 2005, it was GZR. Most fans refer to the band as Geezer, although Butler himself refers to the band name as GEE-ZED-R.This incarnation of the band is not to be confused with Geezer's previous attempt in 1985 to form a solo band, then known as The Geezer Butler Band - the two bands are totally separate.
The band's name is derived from the name of its creator: Terence "Geezer" Butler.
Pedro Howse, the guitarist in the band, is Geezer's nephew.
There are several bands with the name Geezer as well, a stoner rock band and a techno artist, so please vote on the redirected Geezer artist page that this name is correct: http://www.last.fm/music/+noredirect/Geezer
Among the Cybermen
G//Z/R Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Close my eyes, say a last farewell
Who, now who forgot my angry side?
Now I'll return by starlight
Tell me who lies dead among the cybermen?
How long can they keep him underground?
Tell me who lies dead among the cybermen?
Saint of shades fills my clone with spook songs
Who, now who can blame my angry side?
I'll return by twilight
Tell me who lies dead among the cybermen?
How long can they keep him underground?
Tell me who lies dead among the cybermen?
How long can they keep him underground?
Dead among the cybermen
Dead among the cybermen
Cybermen
Robots sanction my extreme unction
Clockwork ciphers delete my soul
Who, now who forgot my angry side?
Tell me who lies dead among the cybermen?
How long can they keep him underground?
Tell me who lies dead among the cybermen?
How long can they keep him underground?
Tell me who lies dead among the cybermen?
How long can they keep him underground?
Tell me who lies dead among the cybermen?
How long can they keep him underground?
Tell me who lies dead among the cybermen?
The lyrics to G//Z/R's song "Among the Cybermen" are quite cryptic, yet hauntingly beautiful in their own way. The song starts with a reference to an ice-cold killer, who brings death's sweet darkness. The singer then closes their eyes and says a last farewell, hinting that they are about to embark on some sort of journey, possibly to avenge someone's death. The following lines, "Who, now who forgot my angry side? Now I'll return by starlight," add to this speculation, as they suggest that the singer is someone who has been wronged in some way, and is now determined to set things right, even if it means taking matters into their own hands.
The rest of the song is an intricate web of metaphors and allusions, with the mention of cybermen and clockwork ciphers adding to the dystopian, sci-fi vibe of the piece. The chorus repeats the same question over and over again: "Tell me who lies dead among the cybermen? How long can they keep him underground?" This could be a reference to the death of a loved one or a friend, and the singer's search for their killer, who may have some kind of connection to the world of cybermen and robots. The mention of a "saint of shades" and "clone with spook songs" further adds to the surreal, almost otherworldly nature of the piece, hinting at themes of resurrection and the afterlife. Overall, "Among the Cybermen" is a song that is open to interpretation, but has a distinct aura of melancholy and mystery that is hard to resist.
Line by Line Meaning
Ice cold killer brings death's sweet darkness
The singer is describing a feeling of death approaching, perhaps by someone who is emotionless and detached.
Close my eyes, say a last farewell
The singer is preparing to die and saying goodbye to the world.
Who, now who forgot my angry side?
The singer is questioning who has underestimated or forgotten their capacity for anger and retribution.
Now I'll return by starlight
The artist plans to come back after their presumed death, perhaps with a new identity or mission.
Tell me who lies dead among the cybermen?
The artist is demanding to know who has died among a group of cybernetic beings.
How long can they keep him underground?
The singer is questioning how long the cybermen can keep their victim buried or hidden away.
Saint of shades fills my clone with spook songs
The singer is describing a feeling of being possessed or influenced by some kind of phantom or ghostly presence.
Who, now who can blame my angry side?
The artist is still questioning who has underestimated or forgotten their tendency towards anger and violence, but now also implying that it is not their fault for being that way.
I'll return by twilight
The artist reiterates their plan to come back in a different form or under cloak of darkness.
Dead among the cybermen
The artist repeats the phrase from earlier, emphasizing the importance of this person or thing that has died among the cybermen.
Cybermen
The singer repeats the name of the cybernetic beings, perhaps as a way of emphasizing their power or threat.
Robots sanction my extreme unction
The artist is describing a feeling of being at the mercy of machines or robots, likely in a moment of extreme danger or vulnerability.
Clockwork ciphers delete my soul
The singer is describing a feeling of being erased or eliminated from existence by a group of machines or robots, perhaps in a cold and calculated way.
Tell me who lies dead among the cybermen?
The singer repeats the demand to know who has died among the cybermen, suggesting its importance.
How long can they keep him underground?
Again, the singer questions how long whoever is hiding this person among the cybermen can keep them buried or hidden away.
Tell me who lies dead among the cybermen?
The artist repeats the question again, driving home its significance.
How long can they keep him underground?
Finally, the artist repeats the question for a third time as a way of emphasizing the importance of this person's location and status.
Contributed by Benjamin O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Digital Phantom
Ice cold killer brings Death´s sweet darkness
Close my eyes, say a last farewell
Who, now who forgot my angry side
I´ll return by starlight
Tell me who lies dead among the Cybermen
How long can they keep him underground
Tell me who lies dead among the Cybermen
How long can they keep him underground
Saint of shades fills my clone with Spook Songs
Who, now who can blame my angry side
I´ll return by twilight
Tell me who lies dead among the Cybermen
How long can they keep him underground
Tell me who lies dead among the Cybermen
How long can they keep him underground
Dead among the Cybermen
Dead among the Cybermen...
Cybermen
Robots sanction my extreme unction
Clockwork ciphers delete my soul
Who, now who forgot my angry side
Tell me who lies dead among the Cybermen
How long can they keep him underground
Tell me who lies dead among the Cybermen
How long can they keep him underground
Tell me who lies dead among the Cybermen
How long can they keep him underground
Tell me who lies dead among the Cybermen
How long can they keep him underground
Tell me who lies dead among the Cybermen
GavatronX9
One of my favs from this CD
Rex DuBois
Damn, what a groove.
Notyet Skeletal
I haven't hear this song in 23 years...here we go!
QuarrellaDeVil
This was to have been "Doctor Who Lies Dead Among the Cybermen", but Geezer (who's a big Doctor Who fan) thought it wouldn't work, and changed it. So what happened to Peter Capaldi's Doctor before he handed things over to Jodie Whitaker?
Iliyan Vasilev
the best one