Gozu return with their fifth album Remedy. For those who have been following Gozu’s career this is a welcome return after five years. If they are new to you, well Remedy is a god starting point as it delivers all the Things Gozu are known for. Namely Fat, Dirty Riffs, Melodic, powerful vocals and, enough heaviness to shake your cage.
They may be labeled a stoner band, but this is to narrow a description of what Gozu do. There is a Sabbath influence here (but what heavy guitar band doesn’t have that?)added to the recipe is a large cup full of Grunge in the mix as well.
Starting with the wonderfully named Tom Cruise Control an Alice in Chains melody coasts over the crunching riff. CLDZ starts with a bass drum pattern that could be at home in any thrash bands repertoire, before settling into a mid-pace crunch.
The one thing Gozu are is consistent. The quality of the song writing is very high, the melodies are strong, and the riffs come thick and fast. The word that comes to mind is economic. Bar the last tack The Handler, which clocks in at 9.09 minutes the average length of a song is 5.30. Plenty of time to get the point across and move on to the next song.
Quirky titles such as The Magnificent Maraco or Pillow Talk, do not detract from the open honesty of the lyrics such as “When I lost my mind, I found my soul.”
Ash is the closet Gozu come to doing a ballad with the vocals dispensing with the full throttle primal scream of the surrounding songs. The music for the most part sits back to allow a soulful delivery of Marc Gaffney’s vocals. He is a powerhouse that elevates Gozu above a lot of their peers. The conviction in his voice draws you in to the songs. It is the standout track for me.
Gozu know their strengths and play to them in an impressive display of Grunge, Metal and Stoner vibes. It is a great album from top to bottom. The title Remedy delivers exactly that. Drink this medicine down. You will feel much better after.
-Bobo Coen
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