By | Band name | Gnostic Gorilla |
| Members | Dean Mason |
| Location | In between Toronto and Montreal and near Ottawa. |
| Similar artists | Skinny Puppy, Ministry, Rammstein, Bauhaus, Gary Numan, Type O Negative |
| First release | “St. Basil’s Asylum” (2015) |
| Links | Website | Facebook | Twitter |
| The Music Addict’s Verdict | Abrasive and brooding. Definitely not the soundtrack to your next summer party, but mesmerizing nonetheless. Check out “Veil” in particular. |
How was the band formed?
I started flirting with writing/recording music back as a teenager and actually released a 45rpm as “Dean Mason” on “Lonely Ghost Productions”. (Dark Hallway/Golgotha) Later in 2001 I began looking at pursuing some sort of creative outlet and began “The Lonely Ghost Project” but it wasn’t until 2012 that I began to actually write and record electronic music. The name “Gnostic Gorilla” was originally the title of one of my songs from the album “The Secularization of Robotics” (now obsolete in it’s original form). I learned that there was a band called “The Lonely Ghost Parade” and so to avoid any confusion I changed the project name to “Gnostic Gorilla”.
What’s your songwriting process like?
I usually begin with either drums/beats or synth or bass riffs/samples and build on that. Usually I begin a project with a general idea of how I want a track to develop but often, as it progresses, things can change. Lyrics are written once most of the music is recorded and then after recording vocals and choosing the vocal style for the track, I do the final mixing and often add more FX or beats as is needed.
What are your influences?
Many artists have inspired me. Gary Numan, Japan (David Sylvian) Type O Negative, Skinny Puppy, Rammstein, and in a very special way, The Doors—especially the lyrics of Morrison. And who is NOT in some way inspired by KISS? I also should mention Nash The Slash (RIP) who is an inspiration to me as an independent and a Canadian and a solo artist.
How would you describe your music?
Most of my music is dark and often brooding and also abrasive. Some of my music borders on ‘trippy’ and bizarre. I’ve often been told that many of my songs would be great in horror flicks.
What’s the one thing that makes you/your band stand out from the rest?
I don’t see myself as terribly unique. I mean, who is today? It’s all been done. After KISS, Sabbath, Manson, Madonna, The Cure, Numan, Sex Pistols, and MANY others in the ‘pioneer’ league, it’s quite difficult to claim that one is unique. But that said, I guess I also don’t follow a whole lot of rules, especially the rules of obsessive compulsive studio engineers. LOL
What’s your latest release?
My latest release is “Freak’s Mind” and it was a complete accident. I had no plan on recording new material. It was written and recorded between November 2018 to January 2019. I’m actually very proud of that album. It’s actually received a fair bit of positive reactions everywhere. Now, some of the tracks are older, like “Veil” and perhaps there will be a bonus track called “The Centurion’s Vision” added to the album. We’ll see.
What are your touring plans for the next few months?
Gnostic Gorilla has not played any live shows yet and probably never will, but you never know.
He's also a regular contributor at the excellent news site Montreal Rampage
- I bought one of those music Advent Calendars so you wouldn’t have to. - December 5, 2021
- The Music Addict’s Band Name Challenge - October 11, 2021
- Book review: Rainbow in the Dark: The Autobiography – Ronnie James Dio - September 24, 2021