Not-so-speedy Gonzalez
Somewhere, Gonzalez has a fan so dedicated he advertises the group wherever he goes. Thing is, he doesn’t know it.
“I just saw ‘Gonzalez’ on a windshield and thought it was a great band name,” says guitarist/singer Joe Voisin, master of the dry aside. “We like knowing at least one person’s out [there] pushing for us.”
Car detailing wouldn’t be a bad second job for Gonzalez, because a highly appropriate adjective for its sound is “driving.” Melding hard rock, heavy metal and thrash in the key of “C” — a mix often referred to as “stoner rock” — Voisin, lead guitarist Allan Mozinta, bassist Ron Cook and drummer Kevin Watford straddle the line between Black Sabbath and Black Flag while following in a long line of blistering boogie bands from Uriah Heap to Soundgarden to Fu Manchu to Queens of the Stone Age.
Though Gonzalez just released its vise-tight self-released, self-titled 10-track collection (which is being shopped stateside), the majority of the riffs were written by Voisin around 2000. He and Watford recorded in bursts with producer Jeff Bakos and additional rotating personnel. Bringing in Cook, Watford’s old friend from their Florence, S.C., hometown, the group laid bass trimmings and then sat on the recording for lack of leads. Then they met Mozinta.
“Ron answered an ad that listed a few influences. I think it was the Hellacopters, Kyuss and Dolly Parton,” laughs Voisin. “Ron was the first guitarist who just plugged in and blazed solos we really felt.”
With Mozinta’s rippin’ leads, Gonzalez easily seesaws from lumber to limber beneath Voisin’s melodic vocals. “I hear ‘extreme’ is a buzzword, so write: Ron’s leads are eXXXtreme,” jokes Voisin.
And with a new deal on Belgium’s Buzzville Records and the band’s strong Southeastern showings, maybe it won’t be long before more windshields pop up.
Gonzalez plays 10 High Sat., Feb. 8.
“I just saw ‘Gonzalez’ on a windshield and thought it was a great band name,” says guitarist/singer Joe Voisin, master of the dry aside. “We like knowing at least one person’s out [there] pushing for us.”
Car detailing wouldn’t be a bad second job for Gonzalez, because a highly appropriate adjective for its sound is “driving.” Melding hard rock, heavy metal and thrash in the key of “C” — a mix often referred to as “stoner rock” — Voisin, lead guitarist Allan Mozinta, bassist Ron Cook and drummer Kevin Watford straddle the line between Black Sabbath and Black Flag while following in a long line of blistering boogie bands from Uriah Heap to Soundgarden to Fu Manchu to Queens of the Stone Age.
Though Gonzalez just released its vise-tight self-released, self-titled 10-track collection (which is being shopped stateside), the majority of the riffs were written by Voisin around 2000. He and Watford recorded in bursts with producer Jeff Bakos and additional rotating personnel. Bringing in Cook, Watford’s old friend from their Florence, S.C., hometown, the group laid bass trimmings and then sat on the recording for lack of leads. Then they met Mozinta.
“Ron answered an ad that listed a few influences. I think it was the Hellacopters, Kyuss and Dolly Parton,” laughs Voisin. “Ron was the first guitarist who just plugged in and blazed solos we really felt.”
With Mozinta’s rippin’ leads, Gonzalez easily seesaws from lumber to limber beneath Voisin’s melodic vocals. “I hear ‘extreme’ is a buzzword, so write: Ron’s leads are eXXXtreme,” jokes Voisin.
And with a new deal on Belgium’s Buzzville Records and the band’s strong Southeastern showings, maybe it won’t be long before more windshields pop up.
Gonzalez plays 10 High Sat., Feb. 8.