GZR – Ohmwork
1. Misfit
2. Pardon My Depression
3. Prisoner 103
4. I Believe
5. Aural Sects
6. Pseudocide
7. Pull the String
8. Alone
9. Dogs of Whore
10. Don’t You Know
Before diving into this album, I’ll first present a brief history lesson. GZR…or
G//Z/R, or Geezer…is the side project for seminal rocker Geezer Butler, bassist
for Black Sabbath. They have two previous releases: Plastic Planet
(1995) and Black Science (1997). Butler took his band in a much heavier
direction than Black Sabbath, which is very much evident on those two albums.
Plastic Planet featured Fear Factory’s Burton C. Bell on vocals, and
the result was a heavy, sort of industrial, science-fictiony album. Cool stuff.
Black Science saw Clark Brown on vocals, and it was on this album that
I felt that Geezer truly found his identity, as Plastic Planet sounded
vaguely like Fear Factory (go figure). Clark Brown brought some intense vocals,
and really brought you into the songs, like "Man in the Suitcase."
Pedro Howse’s guitar work was suitably crunchy, and Geezer himself played his
incomparable bass grooves to perfection.
Oh Ohmwork, Clark Brown returns on vocals, but really seems to be
lacking in his former intensity, and the album suffers greatly from that. The
"industrial" edge has also been lost, as the songs have been scaled
way back (having been recorded in only 10 days). The result of all of this?
It hurts to say it, as a huge fan of Geezer, but Ohmwork is just not
very good, and is an entirely forgettable album.
I would go into a track-by-track analysis, but honestly, the songs all just
blend together in their blandness. Clark Brown’s vocals are terribly generic,
and he even attempts (poorly) to rap on a couple of tracks. Pedro Howse’s guitar
work is also very pedestrian; there really aren’t any memorable riffs. The saddest
part of all is that Geezer Butler’s traditional bass groove is pretty much absent
throughout. About the only thing that remains from the "old" Geezer
is the clever song titles…a Geezer staple.
After waiting 8 years for a new album, I couldn’t have been more disappointed.
I really had high hopes for this album, but I honestly don’t think there is
any reason for me to ever play it again. Entirely forgettable.
…"Aural Sects," however, is a GREAT song title.
AIM = GoldenAce 007
