His thunderous bass lines have been a key part of rhythm machines of Crimson Glory, Crush and Dark Matter.
His incredible musical legacy is without question so we know that you wanna hear about the upcoming album by his band Gods of Centaurus which he and the band are feverishly working on right now. It’s gonna be huge if we know Jeff!
We caught up with Jeff to give us the juicy on the album…
Your new band, Gods of Centaurus are currently working on your second album with Jim Morris twiddling the knobs. How’s it going?
It's going great, or I should say it went great, because the mixing phase of things is completed. It will be going to mastering in the near future, which will most likely be done by Maor Appelbaum. As an aside, Jim Morris also mixed us when we were Dark Matter, which was the first incarnation of what is now GOC.
Does this album already feel different or is it familiar territory for you guys?
It feels different in that we are always excited to write, perform, show-case new material, yet, it still feels familiar in that we are just capitalizing on what we do best, which is setting the scene by creating peaks and valleys as we set the chosen subject matter to music. We can be brutally aggressive one minute, but be accessible and very tender the next.
Has the band lineup changed since the first album?
Yes. Shortly after our second effort as Dark Matter, which was an EP entitled "Encipher," we replaced our first drummer and then later added a keyboardist/co-lead singer. When it came time to work on Dark Matter's third album, we decided that this would be the perfect opportunity to change the band's name to something more unique. So, what would have been a song on Dark Matter's third album was chosen for the band's new name. So, technically, the album prior to this new GOC album was our debut album as GOC, which is self-titled. It's a digital download release only at this stage. But we do intend to have CDs made, with or without the help of a label. Possibly even vinyl.
The album is called “Volition “ and is out in the autumn. What is the inspiration for the album name?
The title "Volition" is just one of the eleven songs on the upcoming album. Although there is a twist in this song, there was really no inspiration in choosing that song title over another one. It's short, sweet, and memorable. So, we went with it.
And how about the songs, you never shy away from dark, uncomfortable subjects, what has inspired your songwriting for this record?
It's true, you are exactly right. When it comes to subject matter for songs, I like to throw an occasional curveball. I like to be thought-provoking. If you're only creating art that makes people comfortable, you risk being stagnant, plus, you alienate those of us who accept that there is chaos along with order in the universe. I make no bones about it; I'm an ugly truth vs beautiful lie sort of person. Taking a different approach inspires me. Can beauty be found in the macabre? I think that sometimes it can. I like being unpredictable, and I'll take this time to tell the world that I'm extremely lucky to be surrounded by bandmates who welcome the lyrical content I bring to the table.
Have you decided on a song to be the lead single?
Well, we're in a quandary with this one. On the one hand, I guess it's sort of cool that we're having a hard time picking a first single given the amount of contenders, but maybe not so cool when people want a definitive answer? We at least have it narrowed down. It will probably either be a song called "Voices," or one called "Hate Them to Pieces." The former is about child abuse, while the latter is about how the people who will put you on a pedastal will usually be the first people to knock you down.
You seem, for you at least,to be fairly settled in GOC but you always seem to be looking for another project, chasing the music in your head. Can we expect a lot more from GOC?
Actually, between the resurrection of my first band, Crimson Glory, and what GOCs got going on right now, no, I'm not looking for any other projects currently. My inbox on social media usually gets 2-3 offers a month to play bass on this, that, and the other thing, and I just don't have the time. Plus, to be perfectly honest, musically I'm at a place in my life where filling someone's shoes or playing on songs that I didn't write doesn't interest me. It just doesn't.
How about live dates?
Well, coming out of studio mode we will hop straight into rehearsal mode. So, yes, we intend to play live shows on the local level, but no dates are on the books as we speak. Ideally, we would like to get some shows opening for some national acts, or if I can dream, co-headlining. At least, this is the collective opinion of the people who've seen us live as far as where they feel that we belong.
Your bass sound has always been dark, heavy and full of tone. What gear do you use?
I get this question a lot. I use an Eden Traveler and a bass-extended Eden 4 x 10 cabinet for live gigs here in the U.S. My "workhorse" bass is an '82 Spector, which was still when Spectors were being made exclusively in Brooklyn, NY. Ask any Spector enthusiast and they will tell you that those early instruments are unmatched. Having said this, the technique with which a player comes into contact with the strings, as well as where the contact is made, is seriously underestimated in my opinion. I've been asked by producers to use a pick because they didn't like the string and fret noise I sometimes get because of my right hand technique, which can be aggressive at times. Because of this, I became adept at both using a pick and fingerstyle playing.
Is there anything you would like to say to your fans out there?
Yes. When we were Dark Matter, we established a pretty large fanbase, considering that we've always been self-produced/self-promoted. We've done our best to facilitate the name change to Gods of Centaurus and to keep the DM fans in the loop. The feedback has been positive, and I, Paul, John, Terry, and GJ would like to thank our fans, old and new, and of course, we welcome any brand new fans, including the people reading this interview who may have never heard of us. Special thanks to Carrie and all else at ROX network for granting me this interview!
Florida-based Gods of Centaurus, (GOC), actually morphed out the band Dark Matter. The album is being mixed at Morrisound Recording, Tampa with Jim Morris at the helm.
The album, entitled ‘Volition‘, is set to be released Autumn 2025 with the first single due out mid-Summer.
The band’s lineup consists of Paul Beach (lead vocals), John Beach(keyboards and backing vocals), Terry Schambers (guitar), Jeff Lords (bass), and GJ Gosman (drums).
As with any project Jeff is involved in this album will not shy away from dark subjects and heavy as fuck riffs so expect Topics to include child abuse, martyrdom, self-determination, sensationalism, in conjunction with concepts of the purely abstract.
The new album follows in the wake of their self-titled GOC debut, which featured the single and video ‘Sleeping Wide Awake which was killer! Check it below!
https://youtu.be/TtM22xldPWY?si=IhqU5E4O9w2hp6nX
Links:
https://www.godsofcentaurus.com/jeff-lords
https://www.instagram.com/sgtrawk/
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Hi and thanks for your input!