When a band playing Stoner Rock appears, I must warn them: beware, because this genre is so full of bands that you'll be in great trouble if you have nothing to show. Bands as CORROSION OF CONFORMITY, TROUBLE and CATHEDRAL are hard to beat, because they helped to build what we all know from the genre, and the first and the second are still active and expanding musical limits, and many others just follow their steps. The quartet GOZU, from Boston (USA), has some good ideas, but have to improve, as "Equilibrium" is here to show.

They play a form of Stoner Rock, but as many bands of this same genre; they are like many others, without being good or bad, but being common. Musically, we can hear that they have talent to create very good melodies and deeper atmospheres, but it's not enough to be great. To grow, you must have your own face, and they still have a way to go to be on this level. "Equilibrium" has as best point its sound quality. All works fine, and the balance between musical aggressiveness, weight and sound clarity is almost perfect. And unlike all those bands that prefers something crude and dirty, to sound as BLACK SABBATH did on the band's earlier works, these guys prefer something clearer, where their melodies could be evident. It's really excellent.

Musically, they must mature a bit more. Their mix between a melodic and heavy sound with psychedelic elements is good, but not excellent, not different. All their songs are good, but we keep waiting for a moment that we can get up from our chairs and applaud them but it never comes. The raw energy from "Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat" (good melodies can be heard here), the nasty and psychedelic "King Cobra", the abrasive guitars distilling good harmonies on "Manimal", the good work from bass guitar and drums on "Prison Elbows", and the long, funereal and oppressive "Ballad of ODB" are filled with excellent musical ideas, but aren't enough to save the album, due the lack of a personality.

I really want to hear them again in a future opportunity, because I believe that GOZU has potential to create an amazing album, but for now, "Equilibrium" is a fine recollection of good ideas, but that can be bounded together. By the way, I want to request of them (and from my Editor-In-Chief) to hear them again in the future and to review their coming album, because I believe in them.