Gozu are a cut above the rest and always have been. Their new album solidifies this, and then some!

Boston heavy rock quartet Gozu return with VI, their sixth full-length album and another muscular collision of stoner rock, metal, soul and groove-driven hard rock. Following 2023's Remedy, the eight-song record finds vocalist/guitarist Marc Gaffney, lead guitarist Doug Sherman, bassist Joseph Grotto and drummer Seth Botos pushing the band's established combination of massive riffs and melodic vocals in a more emotionally charged direction. Gaffney has described the writing period as particularly intense, with guitar becoming an outlet during a difficult stretch in his life.

That combination of heaviness and melody gives VI its character. 'Corinthian Leatherface' merges the band's affection for Queens of the Stone Age-style heavy rock with Queen and Motown-inspired vocal harmonies, while 'Midnight Express' slows the momentum into a darker, weightier groove. 'Killer Khan' moves from a Pete Townshend-inspired opening toward Southern-rock territory, and 'Banacek' brings a galloping heavy-metal pulse together with the melodic energy of power pop. Throughout the album, Gozu's thick guitar tones are balanced by hooks and soulful vocal harmonies rather than relying on sheer heaviness alone.

Gozu have spent years developing that unusually broad approach to heavy music. Beginning with Locust Season in 2010 and continuing through The Fury of a Patient Man, Revival, Equilibrium and Remedy, the band has built a catalog around substantial riffs, deep rhythmic grooves and Gaffney's distinctive melodic singing. VI retains those foundations while allowing the individual songs to draw from classic hard rock, stoner metal, Southern rock, power pop and other influences without losing the band's identity.

Produced and mixed by Benny Grotto at Mad Oak Studios in Boston, VI captures Gozu as a seasoned quartet whose heaviness increasingly serves the songs rather than defining their limits. From the opening charge of 'Corinthian Leatherface' through the expansive 'They Did Know Karate,' 'Gimme the Lute' and closing 'Corvette Summer,' the album delivers 45 minutes of riff-heavy rock with substantial grooves, melodic instincts and the confidence of a band entering its sixth album with its chemistry firmly established.

Media

Track Listing

• Corinthian Leatherface
• Midnight Express
• Killer Khan
• Corner Lariat
• Banacek
• They Did Know Karate
• Gimme The Lute
• Corvette Summer

Additional Details

Label: Ripple Music

Genre: Metal

Language: English

Run Time: 45:31 mins

Region: 0

Release Date: 11/06/26

UPC: 850074887850