{"id":459507,"date":"2026-06-03T22:00:08","date_gmt":"2026-06-03T22:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/459507\/"},"modified":"2026-06-03T22:00:08","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T22:00:08","slug":"gozu-gozu-vi-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/459507\/","title":{"rendered":"Gozu – Gozu VI Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"In my continuing exploration of Boston bands<\/a>, the promo pit exhaled the latest from a stoner stalwart. Gozu have been dispensing their hybrid strain of stoner rock\/metal since 2007, with riffmeisters Marc Gaffney (vocals, guitar) and Doug Sherman (lead guitar) serving as the only consistent members. Current bassist Joseph Grotto joined Gozu for Revival (2016), and Seth Botos began helming the drums on Remedy (2023), the band\u2019s most recent output. Since their move to Metal Blade Records for Equilibrium (2018), Gozu have increasingly poppified their sound as Gaffney grows into a more versatile vocalist. Still, these Boston veterans haven\u2019t abandoned their identity; catchy choruses sweeten a familiar beanpot of droney riffs. Also intact is their tongue-in-cheek humor; this is a band that named a song \u201cCharles Bronson Pinchot\u201d in 2012 and another \u201cTom Cruise Control\u201d in 2023. As the first Gozu album to be covered on AMG, Gozu VI will achieve \u2018wicked pissah\u2019 status by continuing the band\u2019s trend of refining their sound while maintaining their signature charm.<\/p>\n

On the stoner continuum, Gozu veers closer to rock than metal while straddling the line. Indeed, this Boston quartet pack Clutch\u2019s shuffling grooves (\u201cCorinthian Leatherface\u201d), Corrosion of Conformity\u2019s bluesy dirges (\u201cMidnight Express\u201d), and Mot\u00f6rhead\u2019s straight-ahead speed (\u201cBanacek\u201d) into their musical chamber. Gaffney and Sherman\u2019s simple yet satisfying riffs hit listeners by way of production as warm and fuzzy as a Bay State bruin. Sometimes, the riffing is just as ferocious. On the excellently titled (and almost certainly referential<\/a>) \u201cGimme the Lute,\u201d fretboard gymnastics mingle with driving chugs and soupy sludge that feels more metallic than geological. Though new to the Gozu crew, Grotto and Botos form a serviceable rhythm section that doesn\u2019t necessarily shine, but that understands the assignment: let the riffs (and vocals) pop. Avoiding the monotony of stoner metal and the banality of stoner rock, Gozu VI strikes a salutary balance.<\/p>\n

Gozu VI by GOZU<\/a><\/p>\n

In his role as vocalist, Gaffney elevates Gozu by displaying a varied arsenal of skills. His voice recalls Neil Fallon of Clutch but with a grunge coloring that\u2019s more nose than chin (think Weiland, not Vedder). Gaffney\u2019s choruses shift between nimble croons suiting the livelier tracks (\u201cCorinthian Leatherface\u201d) and diaphragm-ed belts fitting the doomier cuts (\u201cMidnight Express\u201d). Throughout the album, he tucks falsetto harmonies into his main lines, blending major and minor tonality in a manner akin to Soundgarden and Stone Temple Pilots. \u201dCorner Lariat\u201d stands as Gaffney\u2019s most ambitious and arresting performance, threading tender verses through a big, wistful chorus, broaching power ballad territory. Not every verse and chorus on Gozu VI knocks it out of Fenway, but enough do to give Gozu a pure listenability that most stoner acts do not possess.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

At 8 tracks in 46 minutes, Gozu VI mostly delivers a cohesive album experience. \u201cCorinthian Leatherface\u201d gets this Boston Tea Party started strong, effortlessly tossing energetic riffs and sugary hooks off the side of the Stoner Ship in a rebellious yet controlled demonstration. From there, the album intermittently slows down, culminating with the pensive power of \u201cCorner Lariat.\u201d This is a solid run of tracks, though \u201cKiller Khan\u201d comes off as a bit redundant (and has some ham-fisted profanities). \u201cBanacek\u201d picks the pace back up, adding a unique freneticism to the album via interplay between Gaffney\u2019s chunky power chords and Sherman\u2019s wild shredding. Closing out the album is a scattershot three-track run. \u201cGimme the Lute\u201d doles out some of the finest riffwork on Gozu VI, but \u201cThey Did Know Karate\u201d suffers from bloat, while closer \u201cCorvette Summer\u201d anticlimactically fades out.<\/p>\n

Gozu VI is, undoubtedly, a pissah. Gaffney, Sherman, and crew are pros who know how to produce high-quality jams built around strong riffs and vocal hooks. Stoner rock\/metal proves a challenging paradigm within which to produce truly standout material, but Gozu come as close as I could imagine with their sixth LP. There\u2019s nothing really innovative about Gozu VI, but there\u2019s also nothing terribly wrong with it, and a lot to enjoy. While I hesitate to qualify their latest offering as \u2018wicked,\u2019 I don\u2019t at all hesitate to recommend Gozu VI to anyone looking for a familiar, fun time.<\/p>\n

Rating: 3.0\/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 256 kbps mp3
Label: Metal Blade Records<\/a> | Blacklight Media Records<\/a>
Websites: Official<\/a> | Bandcamp<\/a> | Facebook<\/a> | Instagram<\/a>
Releases Worldwide: May 15th, 2026<\/p>\n

\n\tGive in to Your Anger:\n<\/p>\n