Natalie Heald
June 28, 2022| Dan Hillier |FEATURES
Introducing: Gozer | Sheffield’s Latest Combative and Miserable Post-Metal Export
The atmospherics of post-metal and dirging depths of sludge are often a vessel for disillusionment. Gozer demonstrate this in a form most bleak and visceral.
Birthed from the ashes that came following the cremation of the post-metal project Archelon, Gozer are a triad that mirror the ceaseless oppression and maddening noise that binds modern living through hypnotic aggression, tidal riffs and suffocating tension. Yes, they’re not what one would call optimal summer listening. But those who see the current state of the world for what it truly is will undoubtedly relate with the band’s outlook and approach to tortured post-metal.
By capturing the discomfort, dread and culturally ingrained misery of 21st century existence, Gozer authentically portray a warped, wired and oh so tired mind damaged by the constant miasmic misery that is silently suffocating us all. But yet, whilst this may sound defeatist, the band’s output also aims to battle such noise, overpower the perpetual static of life and to directly combat those in power who suppress the arts and the minority. Gozer straddle the line between miserable and holistic in a way that’s crushing and mesmeric, a fact proven with their recent debut LP An Endless Static.
Released via Trepantion Recordings, An Endless Static see’s Gozer navigating the monochromatic soundscapes formed by the glacial and earthshaking sounds of acts such as Cult Of Luna, Neurosis and Amenra. As pulverising riffs transform into hypnotic mantras lamenting a broken mind, suffocating sludge metal boils and curdles in order to create an engulfing and strained atmosphere that reflects the fractured and irredeemable situation that society has corned itself into. Even at it’s most sombre and reflective it’s brutally tense, with Gozer summoning musical maelstroms from even the most quiet of winds. It’s a record that’s certainly not for those with quaint hearts, but one ideal to look deep into a culture most oppressive has delivered an outbreak of anguish and contempt within the general population.
With that in consideration, we spoke to drummer and vocalist TJ Fairfax to get a better understanding of An Endless Static and Gozer as a collective.
For those new to Gozer, how would you briefly describe yourselves?
TJ: “Three people from Sheffield writing Heavy, atmospheric & emotionally driven music.”
Musically, what are your main inspirations?
TJ: “Between us, we’ve got quite a vast music taste, but to name some of the more obvious; Neurosis, Rosetta, Isis, Cult of Luna, Old Man Gloom.”
You’ve just released your new record An Endless Static, how are you feeling about the release?
TJ: “We’re really happy for it to finally be out there, it’ll be our first major output, it’s been a while in the making and we’re looking forward to see what people think of it.”
You explored a lot of musical avenues before landing on the bleak post-metal sound of An Endless Static. How did you finally reach your current sound?
TJ: “As a lot of things we tend to do, it was just a natural process of what feels right in that moment. Often what we write reflects where we are at, at that moment in our life and it’s not wise to try and force a certain sound.”
The record explores the mental turmoil of modern life and the constant dread and discomfort of modern living. How did you go about channelling and articulating such anguish?
TJ: “Looking at yourself and asking some hard questions and then putting it out there through expression, be it music, poetry, art, film or even just talking to people. Once you’ve got your language it becomes easier to speak it, the more you do it.”
The album also touches upon suppression, inequality and how modern living suppresses the arts and creativity. Could you elaborate on this?
TJ: “With these subjects in particular, we used on our own experience and the experiences of those close to us, of being made to feel weak, inadequate or wrong because of the way we look, who we love or even feeling certain emotions in the first place. There are so many facets to this issue, and we are constantly bombarded with it, and in our own way this is us trying to say, you are valid and so is what you create.”
A large portion of An Endless Static was recorded during the height of the Covid pandemic, how did this effect the final record?
TJ: “We did change as a band in a big way. Parting ways with a member and changing face had its effect, but the pandemic itself just made the process longer. It did allow us to see the record from a different perspective though, helping us to understand ourselves better.”
Post-metal and its related genres have often served as an outlet for mental strife. For you, what is it about this genre and sound that allows one to truly and authentically document such turmoil?
TJ: “In this particular genre you’ll encounter bands, more often than not, that choose to prioritise conveying a feeling or story in their songs. Post Metal seems to be driven purely by emotion and atmosphere, and so the music serves that purpose above all else.”
Finally, what do you want people to take away from this record?
TJ: “We want our record to create a space for people to explore and understand their feelings. This is what music does for us, so we hope it has the same effect for others.”
