GOJIRA
"The Way of All Flesh"
(Prosthetic; 2008)
Reviewed by Metal Mark
You'd expect that a French band with a Japanese name might be different and Gojira's music stands out. Much like the giant monster they are named after, Gojira triumphantly stomp their way forward, only they do it with an arsenal of death, thrash and hardcore here on their fourth album.
The overall pace is certainly familiar, but their down-tuned sound helps define their style. Although they incorporate several well-known styles they are difficult to pin down because, like a moving target, they always seem to stay in motion.
The band seems to have an ceaseless supply of tremor-inducing riffs and rattling, odd sounds. The song structures are remarkably tight and they have a good idea of how to sustain a song, but I did feel like they missed some chances to insert a few more melodies and movements at various points.
Gojira are easily distancing themselves from the rest of the pack these days due to their willingness to blend several different sounds at once. They frequently manage to make use of repeated riffs as a positive feature. Normally, that approach would mean being repetitious in a negative sense, but Gojira manages to turn it into the backbone for many of their songs and it advances the overall feel. The difference is likely that this band knows how to use and manipulate layers of sound to their advantage.
I did get a definite feeling that the album was a little too long. I think we all could of benefited from it being a song or two shorter.
Gojira are certainly a band who have come into their own in recent years.
For more information, check out http://www.gojira-music.com.
"From
Mars To Sirius" (Listenable; 2005)
Reviewed by Mike SOS
The bruising French outfit known as Gojira (a derivation of Godzilla), plays a brand of technically proficient death metal whose crushing smorgasbord of sound encompasses everything from blistering death metal to ambient industrial to suffocating doom metal.
Twelve tracks that run over an hour long may make some listeners wary; however, this quartet keep the intensity consistently flowing and the changes jaw-dropping and staggeringly brilliant until the last note of “Global Warming.” And, to top it all off, this band takes on heady issues like environmental misuse to their credit, truly meshing heavy topics with extreme music.
If you ever wished an amalgamation of Fear Factory, Morbid Angel, Death, Sepultura, and Meshuggah was to be created, "From Mars to Sirius" is the closest thing to making that fantasy a reality.
For more information, check out http://www.gojira-music.com.
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.
Copyright © 2008 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights
reserved.
Revised: 18 Nov 2024 12:24:00 -0500.
