METAL INSIDER GETS INSIDE GUS G.
The nicest compliment anyone can seem to muster about Scream is that it’s Ozzy’s best album this millenium, which is like saying that the genocide in Rwanda wasn’t the worst human rights atrocity of the twentieth century, because only a million people were massacred. Really, the best thing to come of this album is that it’s bringing Gus G. to the attention of a lot of people who might otherwise never know him. Gus is on the cover of Guitar World now, and that makes me really, really happy.
Of course, there’s always the possibility that the mediocrity of Scream will turn people off to the point where they don’t check out Firewind, or one of the other eight-hundred bands with whom Gus has played. I sincerely hope that doesn’t happen. And it wouldn’t have happened, I think, if Gus has been able to contribute to the writing of Scream. And he tells Metal Insider that, knock on wood, if there’s another Ozzy album and he’s the guitar player to be on it, Ozzy wants him — and the other members of the band — to contribute more:
“[Scream] wasn’t really done like a band. It was more like Kevin was doing stuff in the studio and computer/pro tools, and he did some stuff with Ozzy and all that. But Ozzy’s been talking about the next record. He’d like to do it more as a band like jamming in a room. So I guess if we get to do that, it’ll probably be like a back to basics type of album. Maybe a bit more raw production or a bit more of a traditional heavy metal production.”
Of course, Gus admits that “It’s a bit too early to talk about these things,” as there may never be another Ozzy album. But I’d wager that as long as Ozzy can at least stand semi-upright or can be propped upright, there will be more Ozzy records and tours. And hopefully the band will be allowed to contribute more and take things “back to basics.” You know me, I’m always skeptical, but I would really, really love for Ozzy to have his own Endgame moment, y’know?
Read the rest of the interview at Metal Insider. They also got the skinny on the current status of Gus’ relationship with Zakk Wylde and a bunch of other fun stuff.
-AR
