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
Aural Sects
G//Z/R Lyrics
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You are the figurehead of my insanity
Father, you are the criminoid
False possessor of my life and suicide
Brother, you are the subliside
Your reign of hate will now only amplify
All on your hated company
Play on without your company
I don't need to be him, I've just got to be
All on an ancient memory
I sold this soul out to all my enemies
You got to drown yourself in shit
And find a fucking face that fits
Then masturbate some self control
And tell the world to save your soul
All on your hated memory
You can take back all of your sympathy
Play on and moving toward the end
A negative light that I call my friend
Stay on the road that all you made
The faces of light now they start to fade
Hate on it's what it has to be
I don't need to be him, I just got to be me
You got to drown yourself in shit
And find a fucking face that fits
Then masturbate some self control
And tell the world to save your soul
You've got to fly on and fly on to save the world
Now that I've got you in my hands
And I am leaving, leaning on another
I'm relearning with new eyes
Mother, you are the entity
You are the figurehead of my insanity
Father, you are the criminoid
False possessor of my life and suicide
Brother, you are the subliside
Your reign of hate will now only amplify
All on your hated company
My only ties to you now have gone and died
Play on without your company
I don't need to be him, I've just got to be
All on an ancient memory
I sold this soul out to all my enemies
You got to drown yourself in shit
And find a fucking face that fits
Then masturbate some self control
And tell the world to save your soul
You've got to fly on and fly on to save the world
Now that I've got you in my hands
And I am leaving, leaning on another
I'm relearning with new eyes
All on a hated memory
All on a hated memory
All on a hated memory
All on a hated memory
All on a hated memory
All on a hated memory
All on a hated memory
All on a hated memory
All on a hated memory
All on a hated memory
The lyrics of G//Z/R's "Aural Sects" describe a person's detachment from their family members, who are portrayed as negative influences on their life. The first verse addresses the mother as the entity and figurehead of the singer's insanity, possibly suggesting that she was the one who caused or worsened their mental illness. The father is called a criminoid and false possessor, indicating that he may have manipulated or controlled the singer's life in a harmful way. The brother is described as a sublicide, meaning someone who destroys themselves through substance abuse or self-harm, and is blamed for amplifying the singer's hate.
The chorus emphasizes the singer's independence and rejection of their family's influence. They reject their ties to the hated company, referring to their family members, and sell their soul out to their enemies, indicating a willingness to sacrifice their own well-being to be rid of their family's negative impact. The bridge suggests a sense of rebirth or transformation as the singer develops new eyes and relearns with new perspectives, possibly suggesting their ability to move on from their past and start anew.
Overall, the lyrics of "Aural Sects" delve into complex family dynamics and the impact of familial relationships on one's mental health and personal growth. The singer rejects their family's influence and seeks independence, suggesting a need to break free from negative patterns and influences in order to move forward.
Line by Line Meaning
Mother, you are the entity
The singer addresses their mother as the driving force behind their existence.
You are the figurehead of my insanity
The singer regards their mother as the leading symbol of the singer's madness.
Father, you are the criminoid
The singer addresses their father as a criminal figure.
False possessor of my life and suicide
The artist believes that their father has no true ownership of their life and that he has led them closer to death.
Brother, you are the subliside
The artist regards their brother as the one who will destroy their will to live.
Your reign of hate will now only amplify
The singer believes that their brother's hate will only grow stronger from this point on.
All on your hated company
The singer's only connection to their family is now consumed by hatred.
My only ties to you now have gone and died
The artist feels completely disconnected from their family.
Play on without your company
The artist will continue to live without any familial support.
I don't need to be him, I've just got to be
The artist does not need to be like anyone else, only themselves.
All on an ancient memory
The singer reflects on a past memory.
I sold this soul out to all my enemies
The artist has sacrificed a part of themselves to those who are against them.
You got to drown yourself in shit
The singer suggests that the listener must go through hardship and difficult times.
And find a fucking face that fits
The listener must find a way to fit in with the world.
Then masturbate some self control
The listener must practice self-discipline in order to succeed.
And tell the world to save your soul
The artist suggests that the listener should ask for help from others.
Stay on the road that all you made
The listener should continue on the path that they have chosen.
The faces of light now they start to fade
The positive aspects of life are beginning to disappear.
Hate on it's what it has to be
The singer believes that hate is necessary in order to survive.
You've got to fly on and fly on to save the world
The listener must continue to strive towards making a positive impact on the world.
Now that I've got you in my hands
The artist has control over someone or something.
And I am leaving, leaning on another
The artist is moving on and relying on someone else for support.
I'm relearning with new eyes
The singer is taking in new knowledge and experiences.
All on a hated memory
The artist reflects on a memory filled with hatred.
Contributed by Olivia E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.