Gojira
In my previous blog, I introduced you to Meshuggah. Now it's time for an introduction to another, technical band called Gojira.They were formed in 1996, in the French town of Bayonne. The band consists of 4 people: Joe Duplantier on lead vocals and rythm guitar, Mario Duplantier on drums, Jean-Michel Labadie on bass and Christian Andreu on lead guitar, whom I blogged about one month ago. It was the guy who got a face full of fire at a show in the US.
Anyway, this is a post dedicated to the band, and not the guitarplayer.
The lineup has remained unchanged since 1998, and they have released six albums, the latest one is called Magma. How do Gojira sound like? Like this:
Their music is VERY technical, and Mario is widely considered one of the best drummers in modern metal, which is fully deserved. The guy is a machine, and he is extremely powerful live.
I have seen Gojira live twice - once at Download Festival and then once in Copenhagen, on their Magma headline tour. Let me tell you: They are VERY loud! They also care about the world. One of the organizations they support, is the Sea Shepherd Whaling Group. Gojira's sound is not easily classifiable as they blend several styles. They are a technical death metal band that blends death metal, groove metal, and progressive metal. Gojira have been influenced by heavy metal artists such as Godflesh, Slayer, Sepultura, Death, Morbid Angel, Meshuggah, Tool, Metallica, Pantera, and Neurosis.
They play a technical and rhythmic style of heavy metal with precision drumming along with blast beats, unusual rhythm patterns, and start-and-stop riffs. The band have also been known to incorporate textured atmospheric elements and instrumental songs into their music. Their songs have progressive and uncommon song structures, rarely using the standard verse-chorus songwriting. The vocal style is varied, using the screamed style often employed in extreme metal, with the death growl style predominantly used in death metal, in addition to clean vocals and higher screams. At times, death metal growls and clean vocals are mixed to create an aggressive but melodic effect.
The lyrics that Joe writes, tackle themes of life, death, rebirth, spirituality, and nature. In particular, their 2005 album From Mars to Sirius is a concept album tackling environmental issues and broader themes of life, death, and rebirth.
They really are a fantastic live band, that anyone should see in concert. I met them once, at Download Festival, and they are all fantastic humans! I really am a fan of them!