Imagine standing in a dimly lit, smoke-filled room where the heavy, warm fuzz of 1970s rock collides head-on with the raw, aggressive grit of 1990s grunge. Out of the shadows of Boston, Massachusetts, emerges a beast that has spent nearly two decades defying the boundaries of heavy music. That beast is Gozu.
Today, Sound Stories by Jo and metalwar.gr are thrilled to welcome the driving force behind this fuzzy, soulful madness. We are sitting down with Marc “Gaff” Gaffney to dive deep into the emotional writing of the new record, the magic of the studio, and the chaotic beauty of life on the road.

Jo: Gaff, welcome to Sound Stories by Jo and metalwar.gr! It is an absolute honor and a pleasure to have you here with us today. First of all, congratulations on the release of “Gozu VI” on May 15th! How does it feel to finally have these 8 tracks out in the world, and what has the initial feedback from fans like so far?
Gaff: The feedback has been amazing. Many think it is our finest work and I am incredibly related with the responses.

Jo: For this album, you returned to Mad Oak Studios with producer Benny Grotto, the team behind your 2013 release “The Fury of a Patient Man”. What made you want to revisit this creative partnership, and how did Benny help shape the sonic landscape of the new record?
Gaff: We recorded Locust Season with Benny moons ago. He is Joe’s little brother an amazing engineer, producer, human. We chatted with him regarding recording and he was excited. He and I would email back and forth what I was looking for regarding harmonies, melody, structure and my guitar tone. He was able to capture everything and push me to a new place. He had Doug, Joe and myself try different heads, and pedals, we recorded them and picked what sounded the best. It was glorious.

Jo: Marc, you recently mentioned that you were “pretty roughed up emotionally” while writing this album, which led you to play guitar more than ever before. How did channeling those heavy emotions into your instrument affect the final outcome of the songs?
Gaff: It was by far the best playing I have done. Lyrically, I feel I hit my stride and let out the emotions that were pistol whipping me nightly. The music I wrote is different from what I have written before. I am very happy with it.

Jo: Tracks like “Corinthian Leatherface” and “Midnight Express” show two beautiful sides of Gozu—one fast and riff-driven, the other slow, dark, and melodic. How do you manage to balance raw sludge/stoner power with such soulful vocal harmonies?
Gaff: All of the music I listen to has many changes, different vibes and they all have harmonies that I love. Sly could be comfortable with and I really went for it on this album vocally, so thank you very much for noticing.take you from a shuffle to full on dance track in 30 seconds. I look at each song as its own thing and want to make them each
have their own identity. Singing on what is laid out by the boys is actually a dream come true. They let me do what I

Jo: You’ve described Gozu’s sound as “a heavy soulful band” where people can “shake their ass” while listening to honest lyrics. Do you feel that “Gozu VI” is the ultimate realization of this definition?
Gaff: I truly do. If you can’t feel sexy while listening to this album and letting your hips spell out the sentence, I feel for you and have a Dr you can call about that.

Jo: This is the second album featuring the stable lineup of yourself, Doug Sherman, Joe Grotto, and Seth Botos. How has the internal chemistry evolved over the last few years, and how much did this deep trust affect the songwriting process?
Gaff: This album was very easy to record as we all knew what we wanted to do and bring to the recording. It was done rather quickly and I feel the album shows that.

Jo: With a career spanning over 15 years, you’ve managed to maintain what you call a “childlike enthusiasm to play music” combined with a mature identity. What is your secret to keeping that inner flame and excitement alive after all these years?
Gaff: We all love to play. It really is that easy. You can have a shitty day, hop on stage and it all goes away. Even for 30-60 minutes, you have that time where it is you, your instrument, the band and the crowd. If you do not love playing, touring, making music,then why in the fuck would you do it? It is the only place where you can zone off into a
different world and make people feel great while you are doing a bit of healing from the day-to-day bullshit. It is a gift more than anything.

Jo: Gozu has always avoided strict genre labels, blending elements of stoner, doom, Motown, soul, and even power-pop. Who were some of the most unexpected musical influences that crept into the writing of “Gozu VI”?
Gaff: I am by far the least listener to metal in the group. I love Sleep, HOF, Sabbath, Soundgarden, AIC, Maiden, etc. I listen to more Allman Bros, Marshall Tucker, Skynyrd, D’angelo, Soulive, Stevie Wonder, Sly, Joy Division, Depeche Mode, Journey, Bonnie Raitt, Loverboy, Roxy Music, James Gang, Neil Young, CSN, Joni Mitchell, that sort of goodness. I am all about harmonies, n melodies, and what makes me feel alive and what speaks to me. I need a groove, huge vocals and feel it in my guts n nuts.

Jo: You are currently on a massive US Co-Headlining Tour with Restless Spirit, which runs from late May through late June! How is the tour going so far, and how are the audiences reacting to hearing the new tracks live for the first time?
Gaff: Tour was great. A few duds, but overall, it was fantastic. A lot of new fans and the crowds were spectacular. Some places are unfortunately tough as we are not a huge act.
So, in certain areas no one knows who you are and we might not be their cup of tea. So, you know it might be a tough night, but you still show up and play as if 500 people are there to see you. Again, if people are there, you play for them as if there are 500 there. That is the stuff I was talking about. You play because it is inside you and it is what you are meant to do. Audiences were def digging the new stuff and that was delish!

Jo: Being on the road right as a new album drops must be an intense experience. Which of the new songs from “Gozu VI” has been the most fun or challenging to perform live on stage?
Gaff: We played Corinthian, Midnight Express, Killer Khan, Banacek and They Did Know Karate. They are all tunes we love to play and after a few shows you can feel the vibe and cohesiveness. It is a beautiful thing to witness. Can I get an Amen?

Jo: After you wrap up this current US run in July, what are the next touring plans for Gozu? Are there any thoughts or discussions about bringing this heavy, soulful fuzz over to Europe or Greece for some live dates?
Gaff: We have a few dates in Sept and Jan in the states. If anyone in Europe wants to have, drop me a line and we will be over. We are discussing that right now.

Jo: Looking back at the entire journey of creating “Gozu VI”, from the emotional writing sessions to the studio and now the stage, what is the most valuable lesson this album has taught you as musicians and as human beings?
Gaff: Play what you feel and be honest. Hammer each show as it is your last because you truly never know. This world is so fucked up, we don’t take a thing for granted and once you start, you might as well by a recliner and retire because no one gives a fuck what you have done, they wanna know what you are doing.

Jo: 12+ 1: Gozu is famous for having some of the most hilariously brilliant song titles in the scene. On the new album, you have titles like “Corinthian Leatherface”—which sounds like a horror movie sponsored by a luxury car company—and “Tom Cruise Control”. If you had to pick one song title from “Gozu VI” to be written on your tombstone just to confuse future generations, which one would it be and why?
Gaff: It would actually be from Fury, Hey Hey Chicken George” No idea what it means or why, I find it funny and can’t even tell you what it means or how we came up with it. It was just a thing of throwing out stuff and it was gracefully caught. Woooo

Jo: Thank you so much, Gaff, for your time, your awesome music, and for doing this interview with us! It’s an absolute pleasure hosting you on Sound Stories by Jo and metalwar.gr. We wish you and the rest of the band an incredible, safe tour, and massive success with “Gozu VI”. The final words belong to you—any message you’d like to send to your fans in Greece and worldwide?
Gaff: My mother is Greek and thus I would love to play and visit. Thank you so much for taking the time and your beautiful questions, I hope you have a beautiful year and please take care. Much love and Eat a Peach. Gaff