Divided by Zero formed in San Diego in 2002 from the remains of Ghoulspoon, with Zach Goode on vocals and Jeremy Ronstadt on guitar. The band pushed away from Ghoulspoon’s rap-rock roots toward a heavier, more melodic sound built from hard rock, punk, metal and reggae.

In 2003, Divided by Zero released The Separation EP, earning a San Diego Music Awards nomination for Best Hard Rock Album. Songs including “Drowning Not Waving,” “Heavy Metal Parking Lot” and “Protection” helped establish the band’s sound and were later re-recorded for its full-length debut.

After signing with Sik World Records, the band entered the studio with producer Mikey Doling of Snot and Soulfly to record The Black Sea, released in 2006.

Zach conceived the album’s title around the real Black Sea, where unusual conditions preserve ancient shipwrecks on the ocean floor. He saw those wrecks as a metaphor for musicians—lives and ambitions suspended beneath the surface, waiting to be discovered. That idea runs through songs dealing with frustration, alienation, lost love, hope and redemption.

Musically, The Black Sea moves from the aggressive “Ashes of Armies” and “Chemical” to the melodic centerpiece “Helicopter” and the nearly acoustic closing track “Shame.”

Following the album’s release, Divided by Zero toured on the Sik World Rock n Roll Circus Tour and received another San Diego Music Awards nomination. The band went on indefinite hiatus in 2007, with Zach and guitarist James “Spooky” Albers later continuing together in The Secret Seven.