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
Giving up the Ghost
G//Z/R Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Castrated our conviction
You are desperately seeking Satan
Now that you've burned your bridges down
You plagiarised and parodied
The magic of our meaning
You can't admit that you're wrong
You don't bother me
You are history
A legend in your own mind
Left all your friends behind
No one seems to care
And Satan is not there
There's nothing left to boast
Time to give up the ghost
You are desperately seeking Satan
Black magic has turned to dust
It's time to put the thing to rest
You can't admit that you're wrong
The spirit is dead and gone
You don't bother me
You are history
A legend in your own mind
Left all your friends behind
No one seems to care
And Satan is not there
There's nothing left to boast
Time to give up the ghost
You cannot admit that you're wrong
The spirit is dead and gone
You cannot admit that you're wrong
The spirit is dead and gone
You plagiarised and parodied
The magic of our meaning
You can't admit that you're wrong
The spirit is dead and gone
You don't bother me
You are history
A legend in your own mind
Left all your friends behind
No one seems to care
And Satan is not there
There's nothing left to boast
Time to give up the ghost
Time to give up the ghost
Time to give up the ghost
Time to give up the ghost
Time to give up the ghost
Time to give up the ghost
Time to give up the ghost
Time to give up the ghost
Time to give up the ghost
Time to give up the ghost
Time to give up the ghost
Time to give up the ghost
Time to give up the ghost
Time to give up the ghost
Time to give up the ghost
The lyrics of G//Z/R’s song Giving up the Ghost convey a message of disappointment, frustration, and resignation towards a former ally or friend. The song appears to criticize the person's actions, accusing them of hurting their relationship by undermining their credibility and originality. The first stanza indicates that this person has damaged their connection, possibly by attacking their intellect and principles or betraying their trust. Furthermore, the reference to seeking Satan might suggest that the person has turned to evil or destructive behavior.
The second stanza continues the criticism by alleging that the person has stolen or copied their ideas, thereby robbing them of their creativity and unique voice. The line "The spirit is dead and gone" reinforces the sense of loss and disillusionment, implying that the person's actions have killed the passion and purpose that used to drive their collaboration. Throughout the song, the singer maintains a stance of detachment and indifference, suggesting that they have moved on from this situation and have no interest or sympathy for their former partner. The repeated refrain "Time to give up the ghost" reinforces this notion of closure and finality, as if the singer is urging the other person to accept the end of their bond and move on as well.
Overall, Giving up the Ghost reflects a sense of disappointment and betrayal that can arise when creative partnerships or personal relationships fall apart. The song suggests that even when people share a common vision or bond, they can still succumb to jealousy, ego, or other disruptive forces, leading to a bitter end. However, the lyrics also convey a sense of empowerment and resilience, as the singer asserts their own independence and self-determination, refusing to be dragged down by the other person's mistakes or misdeeds.
Line by Line Meaning
You bastardised my intellect
You twisted and distorted my intelligence
Castrated our conviction
You weakened our strong beliefs
You are desperately seeking Satan
You are in desperate search of evil or wrongdoing
Now that you've burned your bridges down
Now that you've destroyed important relationships and connections
You plagiarised and parodied
You copied and imitated in a mocking way
The magic of our meaning
The specialness and significance of our message
You can't admit that you're wrong
You refuse to acknowledge your mistakes or faults
The spirit is dead and gone
The enthusiasm and energy are gone
You don't bother me
Your behavior or actions don't affect or upset me
You are history
You are a thing of the past and no longer relevant
A legend in your own mind
You have an exaggerated perception of your own importance
Left all your friends behind
You abandoned or lost your friends
No one seems to care
Nobody is interested or concerned
And Satan is not there
No evil or wrongdoing is present
There's nothing left to boast
There is nothing to brag about or be proud of
Time to give up the ghost
It is time to let go and move on
Black magic has turned to dust
The once-powerful and mysterious practices have lost their potency
Contributed by Jayden O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@ChuckBrooklyn
i will never stop waving the flag for this album being one of the most underrated metal albums of the 90s
@alexeybobr4537
Remember I got this album somewhere in 98-99 and was absolutely blown away. It still sounds better than 99% of modern heavy groups.
@marewel
Brilliant 3 albums.🤟💪
@nosajiksnektoouglyforporn3204
Saw them here in Detroit on this tour. Everyone was talking to Burton, but my friend and I saw Geezer and chatted with him for a few minutes.
@yankeerose9011
This is just spectacular 💋🔥🤘❤
@romanagr
WTF!! This is amazing!! 🤘😀
@cwblackistonio1641
❤️💯
@gokhanburhan382
niceee
@kevinleahyjr1977
On lakland custom build list finally.. geezer bass maybe October 🤔I'll get it. Paid in full since April this year.. ... I remember way more lyrics of these albums than I thought I would...lol.
@icemike874
That's a Badass Bass 💯🔥