Gojira: A group involved in ecology

Hi Charlie, here’s my third article! Without more delay, let’s start!

Gojira is a metal group formed in Ondres, France, in 1996. It is currently composed of four members: Joseph Duplantier (vocalist and rhythm guitarist), Mario Duplantier, his brother (drummer), Christian Andreu (lead guitarist) and Jean-Michel Labadie (bassist). After 24 years of existence, they have now 6 studio albums and 2 live DVDs to their credit. This band is known for being involved in ecology and that’s what we are going to study here. You might be thinking “Is he really going to talk about a french group? Wait, that’s illegal!😂” and I agree with you but, their music and the message it conveys means a lot to me and I really wanted to share this with you.

A photo of the members of Gojira

First of all, the fact that their lyrics are in English shows the intentions of the group. 

Indeed, this language is the most spoken in the world so, everyone can understand the lyrics and 

therefore the ecological message they wish to transmit can be understood.

Then, they tackle different subjects concerning ecology. For example, the song “Silvera” from the album “Magma” is about becoming vegan and changing ourselves to change the world while the song “Global Warming” from the album “From Mars To Sirius” is more of a descriptive song about the critical situation of our planet. The lyrics from the song “A Sight To Behold” from the album “The Way Of All Flesh” are from my point of view a summary of all these different themes so let’s have a look at an extract of this:

“The way I see things is so simple

The fact I'm living, dying on this land

Exhausted is the realm of nature, friends are dying

The living creatures on our side

The way I see myself, so confused, so sophisticated

Don't have to stay away from me

But I still don't get the point, what's worth destroying all the worlds

Try not to get it anymore, try not to get it anymore

Try not to get it anymore, try not to get it anymore”

You can see here that there is a desire of saving our planet by changing our behavior and that’s what I find wonderful about this band: the fact that this music is committed.

In addition, they don’t just transmit a message, they also act.

Indeed, Gojira is a defender of the association “Sea Shepherd”, dedicated to the protection of the marine biodiversity. We can see this in the cover of their third album intitled “From Mars To Sirius” where the graphics look like the logo of the association. Furthermore, they did a "single" featuring Devin Townsend and Fredrik Thordendal named “Of Blood And Salt” so that all the funds created by this could return to the association.

Cover of the album "From Mars To Sirius"

Logo of "Sea Shepherd"

Finally, even their name is defending their point of view on the ecology.

Indeed, “Gojira” is the Japanese translation of “Godzilla”, the giant lizard born from nuclear waste. It is thus a criticism of the nuclear industry destroying the ecosystems. Moreover, it represents their music because this animal is massive and heavy just like their songs.

A picture of the creature "Godzilla"

To conclude, I would like to say that I really love this band due to what I talked about earlier but also because their music is just amazing. Indeed, they are really talented in what they're doing and I think they should have more popularity. I know that this music can be extreme for some persons but not all their songs are "agressive" and you can even find a great musicality and technique in "heavy" musics. Also, people should remember that this music is representing their pain concerning the ecology and that's why it is so moving.

Here are a few songs if you want to discover their music:

If you’re not used to metal music:

-“Unicorn” from the album “From Mars To Sirius”

-“The Silver Cord” from the album “The Way Of All Flesh”

-“Liberation” from their album “Magma”

If you’re a beginner metal listener:

-“Born In Winter” from the album “L’Enfant Sauvage”

-“The Shooting Star” from the album “Magma”

-“Yellow Stone” from the album “Magma”

If you’re an experimented metal listener:

-“Clone” from the album “Terra Incognita”

-“The Heaviest Matter Of The Universe” from the album “From Mars To Sirius”

-“The Art Of Dying” from the album “The Way Of All Flesh”

William