Metal band Pathways breaks down their latest single, "GOO"

Metal band Pathways breaks down their latest single, “GOO”

The track (and the accompanying music video) uses elements of Lovecraftian cosmic horror to showcase themes of scale.

Metal band Pathways breaks down their latest single, “GOO” March 29, 2021

Dan Ray

Raised by a single mother in the suburbs of Detroit, Dan discovered an early passion for singing, songwriting, and the arts as a whole. She got her BA in English and music at the University of Michigan, where she reported for the school’s paper, The Michigan Daily. She worked as a Senior News Reporter on the government beat, transitioned to arts writing, and eventually became the managing editor of the social media department. She moved to Seattle in 2017. After losing her job during the COVID-19 pandemic and discouraged about the lack of press surrounding Seattle’s music scene, Dan made the decision to turn Dan’s Tunes, a fully fledged music journalism website focused on showcasing the Seattle area’s musicians, into its own startup. There’s so much music happening in the city that spawned Pearl Jam, Nirvana, and Jimi Hendrix — among others — and Dan’s Tunes is determined to find and expose those outstanding acts. The goal is to have satellites in every major US city, uplifting diverse and compelling voices and helping music communities thrive. In 2020, Dan was featured in the Seattle Times’s year-end music critic poll. Other than her musical endeavors (singing, playing ukulele, and auditioning for American Idol four times before the age of 24) Ray is passionate about food and education around the American food system, and she’s also a large proponent of eliminating the stigma around mental health. Ray loves cats, especially her own, who is named Macaulay Culkin (but she’s a lady).

Photo courtesy of Pathways

The project of guitarist Jon Rose, metal quartet Pathways has seen over 14 lineup changes since its inception in the early 2010s in southern Florida. After a stint with Tragic Hero Records — a hardcore label founded in North Carolina that has represented bands like Strawberry Girls and Alesana — Rose and drummer Wil Lanagan decided to leave their representation, previous band members, and Florida behind on their way to a new sound and the PNW.

Now featuring bassist Kyle Miller (Biddadat, Vaens) and vocalist Caner Gökeri, Pathways is gearing up for its upcoming album release with a new, standalone single, “Great Old Ones” (or, as we like to call it, “GOO”). In 2017, the band wrote a 42-piece symphony overture as the basis for their album, in which each of the melodies in the overture are referenced. While “GOO” isn’t featured on the LP, the intro riff comes from a variation melody rooted in the process of writing the symphony.

The track (and the accompanying music video) uses elements of Lovecraftian cosmic horror to showcase themes of scale. Especially in the times of quarantine and isolation, when it’s easy to get stuck in your own head, it’s a reminder that we’re all just a tiny part of this greater universe. There are some Great Old Ones who came before us, and soon we’ll be the Great Old Ones for future generations.

I caught up with the band to talk about their journey from label to independence, adding diversity to the metal genre, and what to expect from “GOO” and the upcoming album. Check it out below, and let us know in the comments if it makes you feel all gooey inside.