Gozer
Schenectady, New York, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2022
Music
Press
Gozer’s self-titled debut release on August 23rd featured three great tracks from the band. With all of the songs being relatively short but sweet, this listener was definitely left wanting to hear more. The first track, “My Design,” began with a layered guitar intro, whose overdriven and distorted elements – a major component of the overarching sound – created clashing, but great overtones. Excellent drum sounds, interesting lyrics, and a compelling guitar solo near the song’s end, all worked in concert to make this a wonderful introductory tune.
“Braindead,” the second track, featured more of the same, but with slightly different song arranging tricks. This listener found it very interesting that the tune’s intro served as the music for the refrains which occurred later in the song. The closing track, “Zeke,” consisted of the thickest guitar and bass tones out of all the songs. Despite that roughness in tone, no definition of the sound was lost.
It was my pleasure to get a chance to sit down and discuss this release with Gozer. Continue reading below for our interview.
Lucas Garrett: Thanks for sitting down with me today! I really dug your latest release. How did this EP come to be?
Nick Kossor: First off, we’re really happy you dug the release. Thanks for listening and giving us the opportunity to speak about it. I, along with Sean and original Gozer drummer Mark Podbielski, had an overall vision for a band to replace the previous project we were in together (Hard Soul). We wanted to create songs that evoked feeling, were full of energy and got our heads banging. After the songs were written, Mark moved to Texas, and we filled the percussion slot with long-time friend Seth Maset to record the tracks. Once recorded, we were able to solidify our lineup so we could start showcasing this project to the public. Currently, the lineup consists of Mykah Dillenger, Sean Murphy, Nick Masucci, Mark Hamilton, and me. That process, which took a matter of seconds to describe, took much longer of course. Considering all the stars that need to be aligned to launch a project like this, we’re eternally grateful for everyone involved – past and present.
LG: What are your current plans to support this release?
NK: To supplement our online distribution, we would love to play live for anyone who wants to hear. Anyone who’s been to a live show would most likely agree that live performances can add an element of feeling that is unattainable from a record. These songs mean a lot to us, and we hope that listeners can connect with the same passion, themes, and authenticity that we felt when writing them. If not, thank you for listening anyway. Also, at the end of the day, our main goal is to continue to make music, so this release is going to be supported with more material in the near future.
LG: I think I was able to narrow down some of your influences, but what makes you folks tick, musically? Who are your creative influences in general, and for this record?
NK: Our creative influences range from classic Black Sabbath & The Sword riff-based grooves to more contemporary based artists like Queens of The Stone Age & Trivium. A few of us are also big horror movie fans and get creative influences from directors like John Carpenter. The music/scores in his films really take a life of their own and supplement the visuals in a colossal way.
LG: I see on your bio that you’ve written music for film and podcasts. What was that experience like?
NK: It’s been a trip. The first podcast we wrote for was “Botched: A D&D Podcast”. They’re hilarious and definitely worth checking out by the way. Word spread of our contribution throughout the podcasting network and the requests for original intro music just kept coming. It’s great collaborating with different people with different stylistic requests because it’s a great “musical workout” that helps keep the creative process fresh. The two songs in the Irish zombie film Follow the Dead were instrumentals of two songs from the EP, “Braindead” and “My Design”. That film has won a lot of awards on the film circuit, and we’re incredibly grateful to have been asked to contribute.
LG: Lastly, is there anything else you’d like to discuss? The floor is yours!
NK: Support the supporters of local music/art, stay creative, stay humble, stay passionate. Thank you & hope to see you at a show!
LG: Thanks again for the chat, and I look forward to hearing more from you! - Nippertown
"Gozer has a mainstream rock radio sound while still keeping their edge. All the members of the band have synergy and are focused on one goal. Making music."
- Tim Lynch of "The Recording Company" - The Recording Company
Discography
Gozer - Gozer (2021)
Photos
Bio
Gozer is a 4 piece original rock/hard rock project that combines classic Black Sabbath riff based grooves with a contemporary rock vibe ala Queens of the Stone Age. All current members have years of gig/tour experience and have one unified goal...to make and perform music. Lyrical influences and inspiration range from horror movies to the importance of continually setting goals/moving forward. Gozer currently also writes for various podcasts including "Botched: A D&D Podcast". Two instrumental Gozer tracks were also used in the Irish based film "Follow The Dead" which has won several "best film" awards on the international indie film circuit.
Band Members
Links
