

Stoner riffs, heavy grooves, and soulful vocals abound on Gozu’s appropriately titled sixth album. As usual, the Boston rockers show their sense of humor in the song titles, which typically have nothing to do with vocalist/guitarist Marc Gaffney’s more personal lyrics. Opener “Corinthian Leatherface” rides a Spiritual Beggars-style power groove while Gaffney layers on tasteful vocal harmonies and a high-flying falsetto. “Banacek” name-checks a short-lived ’70s detective show starring George Peppard (later of A-Team fame) while plowing Melvins-esque thunder into a soaring chorus. “They Did Know Karate,” presumably a follow-up to Gozu’s 2018 song “They Probably Know Karate,” is the album’s sprawling slow burner, while “Corner Lariat” offers a spacey and spacious detour even as the title refers to a pro-wrestling move.