Black Science
In 1995, Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler formed the band G/Z/R with guitarist Pedro Howse and vocalist Burton C. Bell, and released the unrelentingly brutal albumPlastic Planet. But Bell's commitment to his other band Fear Factory forced him to leave G/Z/R. Unfortunately Bell took much of the group's immediacy and hostility with him. Renamed Geezer, the band's second albumBlack Scienceis more eclectic thanPlastic Planet, but instead of being creatively diverse, Geezer mines a somewhat uninspired well of eerie, crunching riffs, overly-melodic hooks, and trite electronics. Bell's replacement, Clark Brown, sings in a voice that ranges from a vibrato-laden yowl to a throaty growl, but his vocals lack emotion, and are ultimately unconvincing.--Jon Wiederhorn