Review Summary: Gozu deliver their traditional stoner rock sermon.
One of the most consistent acts in stoner metal returns with
Gozu VI, another bulldozer-level collection of pummeling yet groovy riffs to add to their catalog. For those who have followed the band over the years, the familiar sound and overall direction of the songs will definitely feel satisfying. Cuts such as “Corinthian Leatherface” or “Banacek” are instant ear worms. Their pumping guitars and sturdy drumming, perfectly complement Marc Gaffney’s smooth voice, which is always a pleasure to listen to. The man does a fine job, especially on the lush choruses. Meanwhile, “Corvette Summer” leans a bit into Chevelle territory, while maintaining their own sonic trademarks too. The swinging progressions, alongside sing-along verses make for a pleasant tune. On the other hand, the slow burner “Midnight Express” echoes Alice in Chains’ antics. Insert a bit of Josh Homme type falsetto and it ends up an interesting and powerful mix. In fact, you could say Gozu are a solid example of how Queens of the Stone Age would have presented themselves, had they pursued the
Songs for the Deaf in a more metal direction.
Gozu quickly jump back into high octane mode, as “Gimme the Lute” features muscular guitar leads over a gritty, fruzz-drenched rhythm. Also, the chugging riffs on “Killer Khan” work very well together with the dreamy choruses. Despite doing things right, the Boston quartet could have shaken things up more on their sixth full-length. By now, they have proven multiple times how easy they can craft tight, hard hitting numbers, so it would be intriguing to branch out more. For example, the pop tinged tracks of 2012’s
The Fury of a Patient Man were fun and blended well with their usual material. Here, mainly “Corner Lariat” offers what is closest to a ballad and for a couple of minutes, it makes for a nice break from the wall of distortion. Overall,
Gozu VI is a direct continuation of
Remedy and it will definitely be a favorite for long time fans. The music is cohesive, the tunes flow seamlessly, however, at some point it helps to take a left turn into new sonic grounds.
