Saturday 14 April 2018

GOZU - Equilibrium (Album Review)



Release date: April 13th 2018. Label: Blacklight Media/Metal Blade Records. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Equilibrium – Tracklisting

1.Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat 06:24
2.The People vs. Mr. T 07:13
3.King Cobra 05:03
4.Manimal 05:22
5.They Probably Know Karate 04:16
6.Prison Elbows 05:14
7.Stacy Keach 04:32
8.Ballad of ODB 10:59

Members

marc gaffney- vox/guitar
mike hubbard-drums
doug sherman- guitar
joe grotto- Bass

Review

Well….after two years listening and writing of music for Outlaws Of The Sun, I find myself reviewing the new album of my first ever band I reviewed for Steve, GOZU!

Their previous album, REVIVAL (Ripple Music), caught my attention thanks to their powerful style in the riffage and the wonderful voice of Marc, which always remind me the late Chris Cornell. Today, GOZU came back with EQUILIBRIUM (Metal Blade Records), an album able to masterfully handle fat-heavy-stoner riffs mixed with '70s psychedelic melodies. In EQUILIBRIUM, the band find a perfect mix between bands like MASTODON, BARONESS, HANG THE BASTARD and SOUNDGARDEN while keeping their own style in the songwriting. EQUILIBRIUM flows smoothly, never boring despite the length of the tracks, always above four minutes.

Songs like MANIMAL, PRISON ELBOWS and KING COBRA are example of how GOZU were able to manage all their influences, mixing grunge (listen the singing in KING COBRA), psychedelia (BALLAD OF ODB) and stoner in an absolutely exceptional product, always original and able to catch the listener, even those who still does not know the band.

The climax of EQUILIBRIUM is reached in BALLAD OF ODB, ten minutes of pure progressive expression (in the most literal sense of the term). In my opinion, this song contains all the essence of GOZU. There are rhythmic outbursts, there are solos in which to get lost is a moment, there is a perfect rhythm section, and there is the voice of Marc, the background to the worthy conclusion of a spectacular album.

Of course, it is true that I have a basic passion for GOZU, but it must be admitted that this album is, in my opinion, the greatest compositional and productive point of their career.

If you do not know GOZU, I’m sorry for you. Anyway, don’t worry, you still have time to redeem yourself. Buy this album and you never come back again!

Words by Bruno Bellisario

Thanks to Andy at Metal Blade Records for the promo. Equilibrium is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl from Metal Blade Records now.

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