From Mars to Sirius

"In some cultures, Mars symbolizes war and Sirius peace. I'm simplifying! It is a journey of a state of war, even if in France we are preserved, but it can be a war within us, in our flesh, in our mind, a war with ourselves" -Joe Duplantier, 2005

I think we need to take a moment to appreciate just how appropriate the cover art for From Mars to Sirius is to the music within. Gojira have never been ones to shy away from environmental themes, which they’d been exploring as early as 2001’s Terra Incognita. But the illustration of a whale travelling to a more peaceful world takes us right to the heart of their beliefs and ideals. As such, it also represents the first proper concept album for Gojira - one that relates the issues we face on a planetary scale to the greater concept of mortality. This relationship between internal conflict and external repercussions is what elevates From Mars to Sirius above the band’s previous outings; they already had the ingredients to make an era-defining album, yet they never could put them all together in such a stunning way until this record.

From Mars to Sirius is the product of several influences - Meshuggah, Pantera, Morbid Angel, Converge, and several others come to mind - but it doesn’t feel derivative in the slightest. It’s a testament to how well Gojira can use their own building blocks to their advantage, as the personality and charm of the record compliment the crushing riffs and harsh vocals perfectly. And when I say crushing, I do mean crushing. Despite most of the songs being in standard D tuning, they manage to crank out a thicker and weightier sound than most of the deathcore and djent bands playing in much lower tunings. This can largely be attributed to the presence of the underrated Jean-Michel Labadie, whose bass work provides a wonderfully heavy undertow to Joe Duplantier and Christian Andreu’s relentless guitar assaults. Combined with the technical and highly impressive drumming of Joe’s brother Mario, there’s always the sense that the band is just “locked in”, no matter how much the album threatens to go off the rails. The chemistry here is undeniable, and it’s pretty easy to guess why the group haven’t had a lineup change since their very first record.

But a lot of this can be said about the previous two records as well. What really puts From Mars to Sirius in a higher echelon is the incredible focus that went into the songwriting. It is true that a few parts can meander once in a while - the 66-minute runtime could have been trimmed by about five minutes or so - but when the band are firing on all cylinders, the result is both brutally heavy and utterly entrancing. “Ocean Planet” immediately sets the scene, as faint whale calls are met with a grinding sludge-oriented riff; doomy, yet captivating and even melodic. This song tells us a lot about the album we’re about to hear: pounding riffs combined with a heavy dose of atmosphere, near-pristine production values, and the band’s most ambitious lyrics to date. That’s not to say their technical abilities have waned in the slightest though, as heard in more turbulent cuts such as absolute barnburners “The Heaviest Matter in the Universe” and “Backbone” or the epic, progressive stylings of album centerpiece “Flying Whales.” The latter is especially noteworthy as it really puts every facet of the band’s sound on display. The beginning sees us traversing a beautiful soundscape filled with the aforementioned whale calls, before plunging us into some of the heaviest grooves on the entire album; finally, the last section of the track throws in all the weird time signatures and varied rhythms to seal the deal. The whole song is like a summary of the band’s career, and it’s no wonder that it’s their most famous tune to this day.

While we’re talking about songwriting, it’s crucial to talk about just how well the lyrics and concept compliment the music itself. Not only does From Mars to Sirius tackle the theme of moving to a more peaceful place, but it also concerns the resurrection of the world we currently live in. While the heavier songs obviously present the more turbulent and intense moments of this “interplanetary quest” as it’s been dubbed, there are also slower tracks that present a more contemplative side. “World to Come” is very true to its title, using doomy melodic riffs and beautiful lead guitar playing to illustrate what our planet might eventually become, depending on the way we treat it. “Global Warming” hits a lot of the same lyrical notes while presenting a more hopeful tone, as the repetition of the words “we will see our children growing” closes out the record as a whole. Add to that some nice (if a tad repetitive) guitar tapping from our Duplantier/Andreu duo, and it’s a nice way to resolve a lot of the tension and conflicts of the story. And quite a few of the songs, such as “In the Wilderness” and “From the Sky”, seem to paradoxically marry brutal music with contemplative lyrics effortlessly. The band’s ability to blend so many disparate elements without sounding sloppy is really impressive, especially considering the ambition of this project.

That’s really what makes From Mars to Sirius one of the benchmarks for modern metal. It’s such a varied experience, yet it never strays too far from its core appeal. The riffs are brutal, the themes are thought-provoking, the songwriting is progressive and ambitious, the atmosphere is thick, the playing is super tight… and somehow all of this converges into one incredible experience. If you enjoy modern extreme metal or progressive metal, you owe it to yourself to listen to From Mars to Sirius at least once. Then again, given Gojira’s rapidly-increasing stature in today’s metal scene, chances are that you've probably heard it already.

Morbid Angel. Wait, what ? Oh, right. This album is massively inspired by the death metal band Morbid Angel. And yet, it isn't a death metal record. Which is interesting. But seriously though, they do rip off the Floridian legends on a few occasions here. So the point is this album is a mashup of all sorts of influences (maybe not reggae - thankfully), combined into one work, albeit a work that is really long. I guess the band needed over an hour to cram all those influences together.

So what's so good about this alleged astral voyage ? Oh, easy: the production. No, not exclusively the production, there are other unique qualities at play as well, but although I don't know where Sirius is, as far as I'm concerned this album may've well been made there. They've got that Peavey 5150 type sound, but for every single guitar stroke whether continuous tremolo picking or finely articulated triplet shifts, slick octave chords (often Morbid style harmonized) or mean tritones and suspended muffled chugs, there's a perfect distribution of saturation where the guitars never sound bloated but never starved for gain either. They sound perfectly balanced the whole time, despite the versatile array of sections on display. Added to the interesting (and rare) use of reverb at the back of them that helps them breathe and exude more fullness and a realistic grit, as they're reinforced by an equally balanced and lovely tone of the bass guitar, adding its own bite and aural might to the mix. The drums are ace, and the other Duplantier (the one who plays a bit of guitar and also behind the mic) delivers with an overall excellent performance of tight, forceful shouts with enough variation throughout (including several cleans) that animate and fit this style perfectly.

The album starts with the now iconic 'Ocean Planet' and its dramatic opener, the brisk breakdown ended with a raging pinch harmonic before an ocean opens up it seems in the subsequent verse section with its awe-inspiring bliss. Later on the song, the signature pick-slide over all six strings action makes a first appearance, and although it is brilliantly used in that full context here with its harpy-like shriek, it does tend to become gimmicky past a certain point on the record. So a strong argument would be made that this track is the ambassador for the album as it demonstrates all of its most poignant strengths and originality in a five minute format - not to say the rest is filler, of course. What the rest is though is an exploration of those many moods the band were keen on showing off in songs that may not for any of them be truly great songs in their own right, and instead serve as platforms to delve into that sound and the different ways they could expand on basic premises with a production that most rock/metal musicians would envy. Going through those tracks, most main sections are actually quite basic; often flat-out simplistic melodically; and the value comes more from the effort put into making them as intense and pleasing to the ear as possible.

Think: if the song-writing on an album was a bit above average, but every second passing oozes with glorious guitar/bass tones over exquisite drums and an excellent vocal performance, ear-candy, peppered with a genuinely strong part here and there - the lure of that album would be difficult not to succumb to. Is it the most substantial album of 2005 though ? Certainly not. To put it simply we're given mostly pretty cool parts, but not great. For example the Morbid Angel riffs sound like randomly stuck together shapes, a homage of sorts to the latter - not really top drawer musical ideas, and far from Azagthoth's creative flair. This could almost be described as a really long, semi-organized jam, with certain guiding principles leading the four-piece until they get comfortable with a part and run it sixteen times or thirty two.

Parts that stand out with their heaviness or viciousness include 'Ocean Planet' breakdown riff, 'From the sky' (right in the middle), 'The heaviest matter in the universe' (that riff), and among the more emotionally climactic endings: 'Where dragons dwell' outro, 'To Sirius' outro.

One aspect, briefly touched on mentioning Morbid Angel is as much as it is positive to see bands mixing influences together, this often comes across as too comfortable with emulating those different influences where there's a feeling of outright imitation of other bands there. A quick example would be on 'World to come': the stoner rock riff with that old chromatic bass change trick and the nosy, almost sarcastic voice tone. Time and time again there's a slight feeling of déjà vu in the sections, a tad too obvious. There's also quite frankly a cheesy feel on this with the overly fantasy-driven lyrics and song titles. Dragons and flying whales, an instrumental called 'Unicorn' or even a track simply called 'Global warming' (that's basically an 8-min tapping section, or nearly that)... all this adds up to put this a bit on the pretentious/affected side, if not precious. Here's an attempt at a song title for this: "Dancing Mermaid". Or "Flight of the gryphon". Aren't you now imagining exactly what those are sounding like in your head ?

I think I can safely say that this is the first official Gojira album that I overall liked, the first listen was quite satisfying (although it was a bit long) and the following ones have had a quite comfortable tone that has not caused me any kind of rejection.

In fact, I could even say that I liked most of the elements of the album, the quality of the songs in terms of structure has improved, they are not very intuitive which makes them intriguing and keeps you interested in the music, and although the groove elements are still present they are not so prominent and those that are there come to fit naturally with the rest of the elements so they don't become obnoxious. The music itself feels cohesive, both in the way it interacts moving between the heavier and more melodic parts and how it fits in with the atmosphere and aesthetics of the album, even the instrumental doesn't feel like a filler as it used to be, but rather a component of the message that prevails in this album. With all of the above, I think it is worth mentioning a great production and a superb performance on drums and vocals by the Duplantier brothers.

So if almost all the elements of this album are good or improved over their previous releases, why am I giving them a grade, which without being bad, is rather discreet? Because the main problem I have with this album, and with most of Gojira's songbook, is the horrendous quality of the riffs, in a few words I find it incredible that in a one hour album I have been unable to find a single riff that was worth the mention. Well that' s a lie, there are some riffs that are ok and those are all the ones that emulate the classic Morbid Angel riff from the Domination/Formulas era, which are so blatant that they can only be described as "tribute" rather than something of their own making.

I think this album is the one that has made me understand Gojira the best, not in vain is the one that has always been recommended to me by the Gojira fans I've met, it represents an easy way to consume death metal giving a sense of technique and complexity that will surprise your high school friends who would laugh at you if you showed them Cannibal Corpse instaed. I think it's thanks to this sound that pretends to be more than what it really is that has made Gojira a really popular band, so I can say that the sound that has made them become famous is one that will never fit me because of the way I see death metal. Still, I won't do as many do when they face a work that intentionally pretends to be easy to listen to for a more casual audience, I can appreciate many qualities of this album and I really see this kind of albums even necessary as they will serve for many people as a first contact to a great musical genre, as a counterpart we have to deal with uneducated unconditional fans of the French who will clamor without any sense about the technical and artistic quality of the band that they do lack, but you know, not everything can be perfect and this album is also far from it.

I don't want to end this in a too negative tone because so far it has been the first album of these guys that I have liked, so let's just enjoy this album, I doubt that there will be again the progression that there has been so far because given what they have shown to me I think this is the pinnacle of the style they have been working on since the horrifying "Terra Incognita" but who knows? Maybe in part V I will be surprised.

From Mars To Sirius, as you may know, is the 3rd full-length release by French metal giants Gojira, and the one that catapulted them to the forefront of modern metal music, thanks to its unique sound and style, both of which to this day haven’t been emulated by many, if any other bands.

Album opener "Ocean Planet" starts off things in a somewhat calm manner during the first half of the track, where the heavy riffing is broken up by a more melodic passage, while the second leg kicks things up a notch with some heavy breakdowns, which help with maintaining the listener's attention, and enhance the somewhat melancholic mood of the song.

The following tracks, "Backbone" and "From The Sky", are 2 tracks that showcase Gojira's tendency to mix things up and not just groove with no end in sight. The former is one of the more aggressive tracks on the album, barely letting up throughout its entire duration, with some fast tremolo picking breaking up the grooving and chugging, along with a very nice buildup to a breakdown around the 3:26 mark. "From The Sky" on the other hand, while starting off with a very fast blast beat is a much more melodic affair, and makes use of pick scraping on its verse riff, along with some great double bass from Mario Duplantier, who plays some very interesting patterns between all the blast beats and breakdowns, and is without a doubt one of the album's highlights.

The album's midsection is home to some of the best songs the band has ever written, "The Heaviest Matter of the Universe" and "Flying Whales". Both tracks contrast well with each other, not only through their duration, with "Matter" being one of the shortest songs on the LP (discounting the interlude that is "Unicorn" and "From Mars", which I'll get to later), but also through their pacing, with the former of the two being much faster in pace and maintaining a sense of urgency during its runtime. "Flying Whales" on the other hand is nearly twice as long, and progressively builds up throughout its almost 8 minute runtime, with the first 2 and a half minutes of acoustic buildup that lead into the massive riff that the band hits us with, making for the greatest moment in their discography. From that point the song ebbs and flows until the end, where Joe's voice soars over the band exploding for the finale. In all honesty, I cannot imagine them ever writing a better song than this.

The album is then bookended by the couple of "From Mars/To Sirius"(FM/TS) (can't figure out for the life of me why they decided to have them be separate tracks) and "Global Warming". The first segment of FM/TS is a relaxed acoustic segment with Joe whispering and crooning over it, which then plays into "From Sirius", which is much heavier, with fast double bass underpinning some grooving riffs during the verses, a rather odd riff which appears around 0:40, and a nice stop-start section at 3:00, with the track fading away from 4:25 onward, setting the stage for the album's end. The final track is much more solemn in tone than the rest of the album, which can be felt through the main riff and the vocals, which for the most part are clean singing, rather than the usual throaty yell used through most of the tracks, which is mostly used to punctuate the end of each verse and lead into the more aggressive sections between verses. Another notable moment in the song is how the bass seems to be "singing" the final bars of the track right before Joe starts singing them, which wraps the whole experience up perfectly.

The vocals are a great positive on this album, since Joe Duplantier exhibits great variety on all the tracks here, from his usual throaty yell to his clean singing (From Mars, Global Warming), a mid-to-low range growl which he uses on some occasions, but his best moments are whenever his voice soars over the instrumentation, which is used on a lot of tracks, but not to the point where it feels like a crutch (From The Sky, Flying Whales).

Lyrically we have a concept album that on a surface level is about having an out of body experience and observing a planet being destroyed and reborn, but there are also some environmental undertones (if the title of the final song wasn't enough of a giveaway) and some of the lyrics can also be interpreted as someone's struggle with mental health, which can be seen on tracks such as "Ocean Planet" and "Flying Whales", which can be interpreted as allegories for depression.

The album as a whole doesn't have too many drawbacks, barring the fact that some songs like "Where Dragons Dwell" and "In The Wilderness" tend to drag on a little and would've been better off if they had a minute or so trimmed from their runtime. Another potential negative for some people might be the fact that the band tends to groove at a medium speed for the most part and doesn't play leads of any kind, although I think that the quality of said riffs and how they blend in with the drumming more than makes up for those two points.

The production is another point that might turn some people off the album because, while the instruments and vocals are nicely mixed and not struggling to be heard, barring the bass getting somewhat buried on occasion, it has a rather "industrial" sound to it, with the guitars specifically sounding like heavy machinery in terms of tone and weight, which might prove to be grating after a while for some people.

From Mars To Sirius is the result of a band that strove for greatness, and put together an album which, despite how divisive it might've been among metal music fans, has cemented itself as one of the most important albums of the century so far. As a result, I feel inclined to recommend it to every metal fan who has yet to listen to it.

Highlights: From The Sky, The Heaviest Matter of the Universe, Flying Whales, Global Warming

Over 50.000 square kilometers of rainforest are lost every year. There is an island of 87.000 tons of plastic trash in the pacific. Many animal species have been exterminated or driven to the brink of extinction by humanity. And while half of earth’s habitable land is used for food production, a third of all food worldwide is wasted. But these are all things we know. Numbers and facts contextualize the impact we have on our planet, but they lack an emotional component.

Emotionally charging a topic is not something that is limited to art, but art is one of the best suited mediums for the process. And as the awareness for our impact on the environment has risen, more artists express ecological views in their work. As a counterculture, metal critical of society is as old as the genre itself. For decades, bands have put the focus on nature and environmental themes. Take for example the forest romanticism of second wave black metal or, more recently, green metal bands like Botanist.

In the 2000s, french Gojira began making their way towards becoming one of the most successful proponents of spiritual and environmental metal. And the album that elevated them to the rank of legends was the monumental From Mars to Sirius. Since their arthouse beginnings with Terra Incognita, the band had their sight turned inward, to the human spirit and our place in nature.

Though their lyrical content was consistent, Gojira reinvented their sound on From Mars to Sirius. While previous albums were more experimental in some places and more Morbid Angel in others, From Mars to Sirius laid down the band’s definitive sound. Along with the production quality of their music, Gojira perfected their style of huge, rhythmic, and passionate progressive metal.

Conceptually, From Mars to Sirius is a story of death and rebirth, war and peace. In an interview with Spirit of Metal, Joe Duplantier explains that Mars and Sirius are symbolic of war and peace. Over the course of the album, the protagonist overcomes their inner war. With the guidance of extraterrestial beings, they learn to restore peace on earth.

Musically, From Mars to Sirius poses the question of where to even begin. Tracks like the invigorating Backbone and the definitive Heaviest Matter of the Universe invite to pump your fists and bang your head. Emotionally deep cuts like Where Dragons Dwell and Global Warming place the message of the album front and center. Unicorn and From Mars present softer tones and the band’s willingness to experiment present on all of their albums. There is no filler or dull moments. Every song matters and every note has its place.

Further, both the mix and production are an integral part of the album’s appeal. In combination with the performances, the monolithic sound of the album comes to life. Thundering drums, massive guitars and a mix that is just compact but spacious enough to convey both intensity and vastness. The work done on this album by Studio des Milans is nothing short of masterclass.

And more than just the sound Gojira create, it is evident how invested they are in their cause. They are passionate in their appeal to both our consciousness and our spirit. The ways of humanity are frustrating. We short-sightedly destroy both ourselves and our home. In spite of that, the message of From Mars to Sirius is heartfelt and hopeful. There is a conviction that we can change and move towards a brighter future, echoed in the mantra of album closer Global Warming: We will see our children growing.

(Total rewrite, original shitty version posted on February 11th, 2008)

Gojira is one of the most random heavy bands to completely catch fire and take off in the mainstream metal press. On one hand I kinda get it since they sound like a conglomeration of three other huge bands in that same sphere, sounding like a mix between a slow Meshuggah, prog-era Mastodon, and Devin Townsend's heavier solo works like Terria. The problem for me is that they sound like a worse version of all three of those bands, since Meshuggah works best when they kick the tempo up, Mastodon was infinitely superior as a kinda-sludgy outfit with a fuckload of hooks, and Devin is at his best when he's leaning fully into chaotic metal or calming ambient/prog while his more blended work tends to be hit or miss. Gojira is the perfect trifecta in that regard, created in a lab to appeal to bearded metal journalists in coffee shops while maintaining an undeniable weight to their riffs.

The problem is that these riffs suck. At least on From Mars to Sirius (admittedly I haven't bothered listening to their more recent albums simply because this one is such a turnoff) they tend to stick to simplistic chugs and squealy harmonics and not much else. They tend to shy away from cliche power chords I suppose but they replace them almost exclusively with dissonant clangs and drawn out ringing chords that I think are supposed to sound ethereal but ultimately just sound confused. This hyper specific "dumb guy gets a smart job" style of riff writing winds up turning every song into a midpaced slog that feels like it never ends, which is only exacerbated by the hour long runtime. I don't want to harp on them too hard simply for their music not being particularly complex but holy shit really pay attention to "Ocean Planet". It's like five and a half minutes long and features a whopping three riffs, two of which are more or less purely made up of unchanging quarter note chugs. The closest thing to a hook they have is the verse riff, which repeats so many times that my eyes seriously glazed over when I tried giving it my full attention. That pinch harmonic gets repeated thirty fucking times throughout the song, which doesn't sound like a big deal since who cares it's only one note, but trust me when I say it's the central feature of the song, the only thing that gives it some sort of identity, and it's just one fucking squealy bend that sits in the middle of the same riff in the same place with the same lead in palm mutes every fucking time. It is absolutely agonizing. Also keep your ears open for that pick scrape/rake thing they do in this song. It shows up in like six other tracks and just sounds like when you mess up in Guitar Hero. Maybe it feels unfair to rag on a band for reusing techniques throughout an album, especially since metal as a whole is so heavily dominated by bands that never graduated beyond palm mutes and power chords, but at least those cliche bands are playing different notes with those basic techniques. This is more akin to putting the "Master of Puppets" riff in every single song. Not as a leitmotif, but because the song needs a thrash riff at that particular point and it happens to be the only one you know.

The rest of the album really doesn't fare much better. Their only saving grace is the absolutely undeniable heaviness they carry. "From the Sky" switches things up by focusing on a tremolo riff instead of a chug, and it's ultimately just as boring as the rest of the album but I'd be lying if I said it didn't feel like getting brained with a bag of hammers. "Flying Whales" seems to be the most iconic song on the album, and honestly I think that's pretty well deserved since it's the only one that moves forward in any capacity and switches things up as it goes, deftly weaving between Leviathan era Mastodon and soaring Townsend splendor. It's the only song that justifies its runtime and winds up being pretty good in spite of itself. That smothering weight can't save the rest of the album though, and it winds up being a brief respite in the middle of the album that showcases the correct way to make all of these elements work. Everything else is just neverending chugs and drums that somehow follow the guitars almost perfectly. I don't think it's exactly fair to blame an album simply for not being something, but the fact that this is seen as an important album in modern prog metal is absolutely baffling to me because these riffs are as simple as fucking Pantera. You can't fool me by making the actual chords jangly when the meat of what you're doing is just "5 Minutes Alone" but lamer. The only other exception is the closer, "Global Warming", but I'm not even kidding when I say it has the exact same tapping melody playing over the top for a solid seven and a half minutes without breaking. Come on guys even when you do something different you do it for way too fucking long.

I don't even want to talk about this anymore. From Mars to Sirius is just boring as fuck and that's about all there is to say about it. It slogs on and on through the same handful of tricks for a torturous amount of time and genuinely gives me a headache to listen to. I can dig simple shit, I think Amon Amarth used to be absolute titans when it came to making the most basic beginner level riffs sound like the coolest shit in the world, but Gojira absolutely misses the mark.


Originally written for Lair of the Bastard

I might be putting my head on the chopping block here as far as some fans are concerned, but here’s the thing - I firmly believe that this is Gojira’s best album, hands down. Believe me, having enjoyed all their full-length releases (with the probable exception of their recent release Magma) from time to time, I do not say this lightly. Yes, in my opinion it is even better than The Way Of All Flesh. Not to say I didn't enjoy that album, but somehow I didn’t end up enjoying it as much as I thought I would, finding the whole album rather inconsistent with a few killer picks along the way. No the case with this. Every goddamn song kicks your teeth all the way in, yet mystifies you with the band's unique approach to progressive death metal. The closer “Global Warming” softly fades away bit by bit with a slow numbing melodic assault (the good kind, of course) of gentle guitar hammer-ons and pull-offs.

The opener “Ocean Planet” pulls absolutely no punches with the sound of whales leading into a furious riff storm progression that should have you in the mosh-pit in no time at all. The subtly melodic breakdown towards the end after a furious bout of guitar chugging is quite a surprise and turnaround. Now enough has been said about Mario being a demigod on the drums and suffice to say, he delivers freaking 110%. He always was an exceptionally talented drummer, but my word if you heard The Link and From Mars To Sirius, there’s no way in hell you’d be able to comprehend that it’s that same guy who’s playing. And to achieve such a feat of kicking your talent up several notches in a mere two years! Truly exemplary, to say the least. Check out prime cuts like “From The Sky” (where Joe even showcases his unique blend of a hardcore shout and clean singing making for one hell of a contrast. Check out this song if you’re yet to hear the sound of this band) and “Backbone” and try to keep your jaw from dropping. Not gonna happen. “World To Come” starts on quite the strange psychedelic note (honestly I can’t think of any other way to describe it) with some of the most melodic riffs and progressions on the album along with Joe’s embittered snarling.

For those of you still wondering about the main sound of Gojira, I would say that that the twin influence of Meshuggah and Opeth (incidentally two of my favourite bands as well) are most certainly present as far as the progressive metal influence is concerned, whereas the death and groove metal aspect of the music certainly comes from the searing brutality of bands like Strapping Young Lad and Pantera. If that combo reads as fascinatingly insane to you, then rest assured that it also sounds exactly so! You will hear the death metal influence most on songs like “The Heaviest Matter Of The Universe” (my personal favourite on the album with a bone-crushingly groovy breakdown kicking in at 1:50) “Backbone ”and “Where Dragons Fall” (check out the melodic brutality oozing out from that goddamn intro. Simply masterful). If you’re looking for the most progressive cuts “Flying Whales” (an excellent example of a slow almost post-rockish build-up to an earth-shattering verse with an amazing clean picking mid-section) and “Into The Wilderness” (more on the brutal side with choppy riffs and grooves aplenty) will suit you just fine.

That’s the thing about Gojira. Even if it’s about one goddamn riff, they make sure that it sounds planet-smashingly heavy as fuck. Their scattershot breed of riffing has been put to full potential here. Sure, there were hints of it on The Link, but on this album they seem to have truly seized that potential to the fullest effect. Combine that with Mario’s drumming and you’ve got a hydrogen bomb of a rhythm section right there. Small wonder that this has been called their breakthrough album. What I particularly like about this album is that the band actually put interlude tracks to good use, case in point “Unicorn” and “From Mars” (that leads perfectly into the pounding “To Sirius”) that add to the mysterious and unique atmosphere of this album, not to mention actually progressing from the tracks they’re sandwiched against. A great deal of bands and albums simply use them as a space filler, adding no real depth or musicality to the music as a whole but not these guys.

Let’s face it - it’s certainly not everyday you stumble upon a progressive death metal album that’s thoroughly brutal as fuck with a subtle atmospheric tinge every now and then. Which is exactly why this is one of the few places where the term “thinking man’s metal” can actually be used. Bold words indeed, but once you hear the album (or if you already have), you’ll surely understand what I mean. If you are yet to hear this gem, kindly remedy the situation with haste. It may take some patience and repeated listens (it is quite the long album after all, but really doesn’t feel as such), but it’ll be more than worth it in the end. Just trust me on that one.

If anyone could have anticipated Gojira's third full-length, they would probably have made a healthy sum at the bookmaker's and then bought themselves a whole load of Gojira concert tickets as a reward. When From Mars to Sirius crashed down onto stereos in 2005 it was with all the impact of the flying whale on the cover. In a similar story to Mastodon a year or two earlier, the critics fairly lapped it up, new fans started appearing from all over the place, and a bunch of French longhairs suddenly became the plat du jour. Quite how they transformed from The Link to the finished product in two years is quite beyond me, but this album was a great showcase for a new kind of metal that surprised a lot of people at the time and has influenced plenty of bands since.

Pinning down Gojira's sound is difficult, not least because this is the only album that equally combines those three elements that make up the key ingredients of their music - death, groove, and prog metal. Naturally, it seems like a strange mix at first, but if one can imagine '00s Meshuggah attacking '90s Opeth and somehow making the resulting brawl cinematic and memorable, that would be close. The brunt of death metal guitars and Joe Duplantier's howling vocals form the driving force of many of the songs, while the band are just as happy to break into a tidal wave of surging groove or a spaz of time signatures and shards of guitar noise, including that now famous "whale cry" from 'Ocean Planet' and several other songs. There aren't any guttural vocals, there aren't consistent blastbeats, and there aren't any guitar solos, although there are lots of riffs and a few melodies, so true death metal fans might feel rather confused, yet the formula still sounds fresh in 2016 and the mixed traits provide enough variety for a fairly long album. The band would later shift their sound around, but that trinity of styles is the basis for most of the music on From Mars to Sirius, with the exception of 'World to Come' and the calmer interludes.

Maybe it's the fact that Gojira came from Bayonne in France (e.g. nowhere in metal terms), but almost all the songs seem genuinely innovative and are covered by barely a shadow from other bands. One could point fingers at Amon Amarth for some of the fat rolling tremolos or at Meshuggah for the disjointed stabs of guitar and juddering drums or even at Strapping Young Lad for the way some of the riffs take off with searing, sandblasted vocals behind them, but these songs constantly change from point to point and avoid specific association with any of those bands, though work as a single unit. The shallow rock pool that is 'From Mars' erupts into the spray and crashing percussion of 'To Sirius' near the end of the album and those two songs (or, more accurately, the title track and its intro) just about hit every corner of heavy music in eight minutes and the whole experience is one of constant progress. The tranquility of the first piece is also a perfect match for its reflective lyrics, while 'To Sirius' explodes with its own scorn and also possesses an appropriate balance considering the themes within. That kind of progress and apposite synthesis of musical and lyrical content is what pushes the album towards progressive metal, since Gojira rarely write choruses, preferring to use the catchier riffs as repeating parts; thus, nothing is too simple even though there are still hooks.

The songs cover a rather large area of different metal disciplines, but I will spare myself the trouble of enumerating everything in detail. According to popular opinion, 'Ocean Planet' is the real killer here and - while it does seem to encapsulate the album - I can't agree that its lurching heaviness is a match for the comet-trail momentum of 'To Sirius', the enormous grooves of 'Flying Whales', or the majestic climax of 'From the Sky'. Perhaps 'Ocean Planet' does a good job of showing what a hero Mario Duplantier is on the drumkit, yet 'Backbone' is unquestionably the song to go to for pure heaviness and skill, the middle section pissing on almost any death metal band that has walked the earth. 'Where Dragons Dwell' takes a slower and less direct route to heaviness, while 'World to Come' dispenses with most of the metal traits for a lope through clanging semi-clean melodies in a manner that reminds one of southern rock until the conclusion gets doomy and prophetic. The closer 'Global Warning' is also a variation from the noise of the other songs, winding hammer-on melodies propping up Joe Duplantier's clean vocals as he melds himself into the fate of the world, eventually settling for a message of caution and hope.

What made From Mars to Sirius such a revelation in 2005 still endears it to metal fans over a decade later and ensures its place as a pivotal release in the 21st century development of the genre. The freshness of many of the ideas and the integration of disparate elements into a united whole remains its greatest feature, while the evident skill and passion of the musicians is met by their wise restraint and organic structuring. Minor problems occur with the lack of a lead instrument and relatively few hooks, both of which become slightly more serious in view of the running time that - at 67 minutes - would seem to be excessive and detrimental to the overall effect of the songs. However, this is a must listen for any fan of modern metal and a diverting album from start to finish.

I was first introduced to Gojira back in 2013 with the album L'Enfant Sauvage. I dug their sound from the get go but for some reason didn't explore their back catalog until recently. After hearing the first single Stranded from their new album I was curious to see what the older works had to offer. My curiosity certainly paid off as From Mars to Sirius is one hell of a record. From start to finish each track is excellently varied and never stale. You have the slow atmospheric songs, the absolute head crushers, and even a seemingly grunge inspired song. The production is crystal clear which works for such complex music. Albeit a little sterile, it works very well with the mechanized sound heard on many tracks.

Every member is in top form when it comes to their particular instrument. Mario Duplantier is a monster on the kit, churning out fantastic fills and jackhammer like double bass. He really is the driving force of this album. Joe Duplantier and Christian Andreu supply the crushingly heavy riffs that songs like Backbone are known for. Jean-Michel Labadie helps keep the rhythm in check on bass although he is slightly low in the mix. The vocals are a completely different beast altogether. Joe spews out everything from the deepest growls, highest screams, and excellent cleans. It's very interesting to see how he incorporates multiple styles into one song.

I could talk about every nuance of this amazing album but instead I'm going to highlight some key tracks. Ocean Planet is a great opener that encapsulates everything you can expect from this album. Backbone hammers your brain with an unrelenting riff fest that never loses any steam, a truly intense song. From the Sky is a fast paced number perfectly utilizing the trademark squeal Gojira is known for. A slower and more atmospheric song, Where Dragons Dwell delves into mythological themes. If there is only one track you check out from this album, please let it be The Heaviest Matter of the Universe. The Morbid Angel influence is strong as chaotic drumming makes way for fantastically heavy riffs and a deluge of alternate vocal styles. Oddly enough World to Come reminds me of an early Alice in Chains song, with cleanly sung verses and slowed down guitar work. The song wouldn't feel out of place on Facelift or Dirt in my opinion. And the last highlight is Flying Whales, a nearly 7 minute epic with many great tricks up its sleeve. It starts out with gentle drumming mixed with whale sounds before turning into a groovy riff heavy tale about the majestic flying whales.

Really the only flaw I can find with this album is some songs tend to drag on a little too long. But even then it's only a minor nitpick. There really is no bad track on this album, and while I like some better than others I'm never inclined to hit next. From beginning to end it remains an engaging listen absolutely worth your time. If you're a fan of death metal or extreme metal in general then give this one a shot. I guarantee you will find at least some semblance of enjoyment from this magnificent effort.

Without a doubt one of the heaviest metal bands in the progressive scene nowadays, France's premier extreme quartet Gojira's real breakthrough was this album; the conceptually geared 'From Mars To Sirius'. Drawing inspiration and their topic of interest from the looming modern problem of ecological preservation, Gojira has developed their death metal sound into something with a much grander scope. While the band's next release 'The Way Of All Flesh' would improve and further develop upon the sound of Gojira, 'From Mars To Sirius' stands as being a landmark in French metal, and will be for decades to come.

While the crushing guitar and rhythm sound here could be compared to the tumultuous origins of the universe, Gojira manages to harness such a ferocious sound and channel it into something that is moreoften memorable and impressive than not. With the opening behemoth 'Ocean Planet' showing little hesitation to jump into the trademark primordial riffage that drives throughout most of the album. To give a much fresher sound to the music however, there are plenty of more moderate moments, and atmospheric soundscapes behind the main work, that give 'From Mars To Sirius' a stylistic similarity to some of Devin Townsend (of Strapping Young Lad)'s career work.

Dealing with a profound real-world topic through some aspects of fantasy, Gojira's sludgy take on 'From Mars To Sirius' is filled with small details in the production, but is quite straightfoward in terms of it's sound and uniformity, especially when compared to things Gojira have achieved after this point. While the style is done very well, some tricks (such as making the guitar squeal in between breakdowns) are a bit overdone. The songwriting here and delivery are still for the most part, quite excellent. Despite being quite inventive with the way they craft the music, there are still many songs that fit the anger and call for change into as little as five minutes.

As has been said before, the album does sound quite similar throughout, giving the album a nice flow, although some unexpected moments of variety would have been the strong songwriting here even better. The only song that does not stand out as being excellent is 'In The Wilderness,' which while engaging enough, lacks any ideas that distinguish it as a song of it's own. However, this album from the French death metallers is surprisingly consistent, and with time, I would imagine that popular appreciation for this piece will only serve to grow in the metal community.

For their third act, the French mod metal squad Gojira aspired to make a mountain out of a molehill. From Mars to Sirius goes beyond aspiration to accomplishment, quashing their previous efforts like a landslide, so hard that rubble continues to pour onto The Link's face long past the original, explosive tremors. This is a dense and effective offering which transformed a band that was a mere curiosity into a massive, touring force and one that many journalists and hipsters acclaim to be 'the future of metal'. We've heard this expression before and it almost always peters out in the end, but one cannot deny the increasing success experienced by this band.

And it's just impossible to deny. By the end of the first track, "Ocean Planet", the band has already crushed all of their prior songwriting. Bold, accessible and yet dusted in flecks of industrial rust and grime, the track functions off an alternating discordant groove akin to something Voivod might have crafted on their Negatron album (in particular the breakdown at 2:00), but blocky, mechanical and uniquely graceful. It's like a chunk of factory gaining sentience and operating itself, yet adorned in the bands pseudo-universal 'life peace love Earth' sentimentality. "Backbone" constructs an appropriate chug which reminded me of the rhythm to Primus' "Toys Go Winding Down", albeit glazed in industrial rock and Joe Duplantier's carnal multi-faceted throating. The song experiences a beautiful shift towards sombering melodic death metal at its own 2:00 mark, immediately an album favorite. "From the Sky" continues this trend with a barrage of fundamental grooving death metal and chugging fortitude, both barrels rolling forward towards a beautiful climax. "Unicorn" is another of the band's frequent interludes, this one's shining harmonics and tranquil beat winning out over the namesake.

This flight into deceptive fantasy continues with "Where Dragons Dwell", a winding passage of bass floes and chugging excess at the end of its cavernous melodies. The ambient break is very cool, transforming into another huge bottom end riff, which leads the track through its final pacing before "The Heaviest Matter of the Universe" explodes like a galactic genesis, which a flattening groove which will have you either twitching and banging your head like a goddamn automaton or throwing your hat in about how horrible this band must be for its ability to create such a convincing, simplistic slaughter. "Flying Whales" features whale song samples and melancholic clean guitars that slowly propel into another stompfest, and you can almost close your eyes to imagine the travails of such a figurative beast as it navigates the phlogiston between worlds and realities. "In the Wilderness" follows with more desolate crunching barbarity, as if the 'wilderness' of the title were in fact a post-apocalyptic scene, retired metal hulls stretching the horizon as we celebrate the waste of our passing.

'Trees so strong, that they never can fall
Four suns alight, in silver grey sky
Wild river flows, with rage alive
Lions of fire approach me'

Such stark and baleful imagery translates entirely too well into the plodding, slugging murder fest of the bands rhythmic guts, ever rising forth from the primordial elixir with a strong melodic surge that balances them back to the more accessible, impatient ear. From here, the crawling cosmic blues of "World to Come", and the brief, distant, half-titled prog piece "From Mars", which feels like a bit of Floyd-ian paving across the band's crushing path, offering a respite before the melee that is "To Sirius", a sequence of colossal grooves against the black border of interspace. "Global Warming" returns the band to its love for the guitar tapped rhythm, a slight sliver of foreshadowing towards the album that would follow this. The track is lovely, even as it digresses into another of the bands lumbering juggernaut riffs, and a gentle end.

From Mars to Sirius is one of those albums with the transient ability to 'grow'. As easily accessed as it was upon release, I have found the years nothing but kind to its wiles, and I rank this now far higher than I ever would have in 2005. A beautiful, winged thing has emerged from its larval stage within the creative cortex of these four Frenchmen, and we are all the richer for its presence, trailing stardust and inspiration upon the potential found in the cauled corners of our beloved medium. Like the massive waves swelling across Tokyo Bay, Gojira has finally arrived.

Highlights: Both the liftoff and the landing.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

Gojira, the menacing progressive death metal band from France, have more or less made a record to be remembered, for a very long time.


First things first, the name Gojira is very misleading. These guys are basically the Green Peace of extreme metal, not some kind of “destroyer of worlds” band. It greatly influences their music, not only in their lyrics, but in the themes as well, which is particularly obvious on this album.


From Mars To Sirius starts out with a crushing groove as “Ocean Planet” more or less assaults the listener. The mood has already been set for the rest of the album by now, but unlike many bands who just maintain a constant mood, Gojira decides to mix things up and have both uplifting, happy songs, but also melancholic songs, such as Where Dragons Dwell.
The crushing grooves certainly don’t stop there. Many of the songs on From Mars To Sirius have grooves- MIGHTY grooves mind you, instead of the typical blast beats you often find in Death Metal. It’s certainly a welcome change from the usual, and they have managed to perfect it with their style.
Standout tracks on this album are definitely the crushing Ocean Planet, the fast Backbone, and In The Wilderness. That’s not to say there are bad tracks on this album though, they all fit the theme and the style very well. Great songwriting on Gojira’s part.


The production of the album is more or less stellar. Very clear sound quality, with great mixes that’s sure to satisfy people who look specifically for that.
All the members are extremely proficient at what they do. The drummer is a maniac, pumping out some of the best fills you’ll ever hear, while the guitarists mix things up even more, with their “whale songs”. They basically play the guitar in a way that makes it sound like a whale. You have to hear it to understand it.
The lead singer is really good as well. He sings in many different ways throughout this record (Shrieks, growls, yells, screams and clean singing, also with some doomish spoken parts). It fits the music very well.
One could’ve wished for even more “ocean” influences than are here, but what’s there is appreciated. It makes the concept of the album, that is, global warming, much easier to understand, for us people who don’t really understand harsh lyrics that well.
The album is also extremely long for a death metal record, as death metal albums nearly never even reach 50 minutes. This album is 65 minutes, of pure awesomeness.


So what’s actually bad about this album?
Some of the riffs seem a bit uninspired, and it could’ve been more progressive than it is now. While the songs do change their mood, they usually only do it BETWEEN songs, not IN songs. However, if you see the album as 3 huge songs, it’s definitely progressive in nature.


From Mars To Sirius is an astounding achievement by Gojira. One can only hope their next album will be just as good, hey, maybe even better?

Gojira were a bit of a surprise, that's for sure. Lately, i've been willing to put aside my issues with the death metal genre and search for some talent within it. I came across Gojira by sheer accident, as per usual and decided, as their latest full-length received some positive reviews, that I would give it a whirl and see how it goes. I was pleasantly surprised by what I had found. It was unlike any death metal band I had heard before and because I don't exactly have an acid passion for the genre, that was a good thing.


It's not the most brutal of affairs, is 'From Mars To Sirius'. It's not as aggressive as I had expected. Death metal bands usually opt for an attack on the mind, body and soul by using superhuman low growls brought to you by the devil himself. Their approach is also quite restricted due to the brutality they are aiming to create. The guitars don't really have much room to manoeuvre and are restricted to fast and heavy solos, much of the time anyway. Gojira aim to tear this stereotype of death metal apart. They this rather convincingly and have even me, a man who usually shuns away from the genre, drooling over what they have created.


Finally, a death metal band who can express themselves competently through instruments and vocals, perhaps the most surprising element of all. According to Metal Archives, the band also incorporate thrash into their music, this is perhaps where the vocals profit so much from. They're not typical at all. They don't come in the form of low guttural growls. Instead, they're more open to change. Variation is something the vocals like to surprise you with. They have a habit of sticking to one particular style and then surprising the audience with a new sound at different intervals. They're unpredictable, but in a good sense of the word. Generally speaking, they're high pitched screams, but with a low edge. It's quite unusual. This very fact makes Gojira instantly interesting. As well as the always altering percussion section. 'From Mars To Sirius' isn't simply filled with blast beats and overly using the cymbals, it's varied and exciting.


By no means are they restricted from change. They, at times, do turn from these screams to low growls which will appeal to the hardcore fans of the genre. Although seemingly not brutal on the surface, if you peel away the facade that Gojira elegantly wears, you'll come across an uncompromising band that leaves no prisoners. The lyrical themes suggest the brutality lies hidden within the band. The one element that keeps cropping up, is the fact that the individuals behind the instruments and the vocalist, aren't restricted by the genre. There is always room for musical expression. Mostly, this comes in the form of the melodies created by using two guitarists. They play simultaneously together and it works a treat. Solid riffs flow from the hands of the musicians and will keep fans of melodic music happy for hours on end.


The bass is where the heaviness of the band lies. It's subtle, but effectively working it's magic behind the scenes. Weaving it's way in and out of the solos, it majestically forms a concrete barrier of noise. Gojira's atmospheric tendencies are what keeps them interesting. Generally speaking, death metal bands keep atmospheres on records quite similar throughout. It's meant to portray an image of death and brutality. To an extent, it works. Gojira don't aim to do this.


They change the soundscapes throughout, making this full-length incredibly interesting. There is always a new element of the music that you pick up on every time you listen to it, which makes it a winner. Also, unlike many death metal acts, Gojira aren't afraid of producing lengthy songs. To me, this is a great thing. I like gradual build ups and an explosion of noise towards the middle and end. Gojira fulfil this desire effortlessly. With their sufficiently good production, they're able to let all their musical explorations out with ease. Highlights have to be 'Ocean Planet' and 'From The Sky'.

WOW...I am throughly impressed with this band. WIth minor quibbles aside, this is an excellent effort that moves me. Like the reviewer before me, I first heard these guys opening for Behemoth last month and I was impressed enough to score this album, and I am not disappointed at all.

This is reminiscent of a primo mashup of Strapping Young Lad, Morbid Angel, and even Helmet. You've got the sweeping, dramatic feel of SYL, which includes a plethora of riffs that are equal parts disciplined, structured, melodic, and crushingly heavy; there is the throughly chaotic feel on several songs that evokes MA in their evil prime (the riffs in "From The Sky", "Backbone", and "In The Wilderness" in particular--tell me you don't hear Trey Azagthoth's warped sensibility in their approach on these tunes); and the drumming is the ace in the hole in this album. Like John Stanier (Helmet), Mario Duplantier is the hero in Gojira, his style providing a versatile and swinging feel to even the heaviest riffing moments, the odd blast parts excepted, of course. His is the role that makes the music really breathe and work and groove--yes, groove, and not in the lunkheaded Pantera/Lamb of God wannabe sense. Groove in the elusively funky sense, I mean, a la Van Williams of Nevermore, to cite another example.

The songs focus on swaggering, stomping mid tempos with a palpable sense of forward motion no matter how repetitive the music gets. And they work the repetition angle to its maximum effect, establishing a concrete base and a hypnotic feel that really drags you in. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that they channel the essence of their daikaiju namesake very, very well, menacing and dark yet heroic in an odd manner. The odd blast part surfaces here and there, and while I thought they were gratuitous at first they've grown on me, like the chaotic rush of "Backbone". But yet they also come off as simultaneously relaxed and confident as well as aggressive, an odd-sounding combination that manages to work.

Gojira even incorporate gentle, atmospheric instrumental parts like the short and sweet "Unicorn", which has haunting snippets of whale songs--those, in fact, pop up throughout the album to add a thematic coherence to it--and that takes courage and a firm belief in your music to write something like that and have it fit so well instead of seeming out of place.

Joe Duplantier's vocals are best described as a harsh yet melodic shouting that somehow seems all him. He delivers his deep lyrics with conviction and occasional clean vocals as well as death growls here and there, all the while surprisingly coherent too--his accent is very minimal and he enunciates very well. And the lyrics are heady stuff, intelligent and well-written, dealing with a variety of subject matter of the spiritual/personal order that adds a healthy dollop of emotional resonance. His and Christian Andreu's riffing is tight and makes ample use of pinch harmonic squawks for punctuation and occasional Martian squalls--but no solos. And I don't miss them on this album at all; if there were any they'd seem out of place and disruptive. You do not interrupt a groove this massive and profound for self-indulgence.

The production is perfect, as well; the kick drums only occasionally sound triggered and the guitars are crisp and clear, plus the bass has its own niche in the mix that fills out the sound with gritty Fender tone to maximum effect. Every instrument fits into the whole to create a beautfuil sonic picture, something you don't get too often with metal at all. And I love it!

Standouts for me are "Ocean Planet" (what a great opener), "Backbone", "Unicorn", the crushing "Where Dragons Dwell", and the menacing Morbid Angel worship of "In The Wilderness" and "From The Sky". Overall, the grand and again, sweeping epic feel of this album is breathtaking and will have you gently bobbing your head rhythmically in time witht the music more than headbanging. And this is not a bad thing, to me.

I really hope these guys make some headway in America given that the anti-French sentiments of a few years back may well still be alive in some parts of this country. Forget all about that crap and settle in with this album for some deep listening, you will need to absorb this album over the course of several listens, as I did. Give it time to win you over, I think you will not regret it.

Finally, real genre-spanning progressive metal. This record touches on too many styles to name, but never stays on one long enough to be labelled. That is something you cannot dismiss.

My first exposure to these songs was live, and it prompted me to pick up the record immediately. And I was not disappointed; the energy in performance and passion for the subject matter is perfectly carried through to disc. It really feels like Gojira is doing exactly what they want to do and don’t care at all what anyone thinks. Although this can be a marketing ploy in itself I really feel it may be true here.

What I find coolest about this band is that none of the members are trying to be the next virtuoso of their instrument. They don’t overshadow each other, and everything is in place sonically. That is a great accomplishment in metal, where usually people can complain about one instrument or the other being too high or low in the mix. Not the case here.

Almost every song has a really cool part or arrangement which adds a particular Gojira stamp and has you remembering the compositions individually. What’s coolest is that these stamps are never the same gimmick, sometimes it’s a technical progression, other times just a properly pitched vocal, or even just the way a note rings out. I won’t ruin any surprises by doing a track by track, but I will say with no shame (okay maybe a little shame) that I shed a tear the first time I read along to Global Warming when he sings “I hold my inner child within / And tell him not to cry / Don't fear the living”.

My only criticism after repeated (and lo!) listens is that a few of the songs drag on a little too long. Mostly this happens with outros, which makes it that much more noticeable because it is usually in the intros that Gojira throw in the most stop-start-surprise-prog stuff.

Definitely worth a purchase, because I promise it’s different than anything in your collection.

Who knew it - FRANCE of all places strikes again. Between Yyrkoon, Hypokras, and Gojira, I find myself growing a silly moustache and drinking red wine more than ever. Well, maybe not Hypokras, though they do have some of the funniest band member pictures EVER.

Gojira is a very different beast than the other groups I've mentioned - though I heard they got their start in death metal this is disc seems to be a style unto itself. The closest comparison I can make is Meshuggah, but differences between the Swede masters of weird and Gojira abound. What they have in common is a super-low, bowel scraping guitar tone (think "Nothing"), vocals that are more clean than growls but do sometimes venture into the cookie-monster/gremlin territory, and precision-drill drumming. The atmosphere that each band creates is different, though - Meshuggah are trying to bring about the rise of the machines, whereas Gojira just want to watch some whales fly around in space.

It appears that a hate trend has grown around Gojira simply because they are getting popular. I think that trend may also have developed because many underground metallers don't like some of the things the group incorporates - (relatively) clean vocals and a bit of stop-start, simplistic riffage. I can understand the vocal gripe, though the singer's tone fits the music well. The guitars, though, CHUG - and that ain't a bad thing when the drums are hard at work. It makes a nice, Morbid Angel style sound (Gateways to Annihilation era) to have some low, slow riffage with a double bass barrage tearing shit apart at the same time.

So as you can tell I haven't fallen into the hate trend, in fact I find "From Mars to Sirius" to be a challenging, intelligent, and inventive listen. There are quite a few highlights on here, which have already been mentioned, I'd have to say "From the Sky" is a personal favorite. I just saw them live, and they held their own with Amon Amarth (and easily outshined Children of Scrotum - damn I hate that fucking band). For metalheads who are willing to branch out, Gojira is worth a listen.

What to make of this band? They have their own sound, that much is clear. Gojira tends to chug along like the 1000-ton behemoth they are named after. Guitars are heeeaaaavy, and alternate between low-tuned power chords and squalling pick-scrapes and harmonics. It's not technical in the sense of being show-offy, but it's well-performed and leaves bruises. Under the guitars are usually precision double bass and other mathematical drum parts, reminding me of Meshuggah only more tolerable and less machine-like; and soaring over the top of it all is a powerful voice that sounds quite a lot like Max Cavalera, if Max was able to be melodic. It's a very forceful and raw, yet melodic, sound. And it really works for this music.

Speaking of which, the music Gojira makes is very difficult to categorize. They come from a death metal background, but there are lots of other elements: doom metal, hardcore, and post-rock. They are in the same neighborhood as Isis and Mastodon, but I find their sound to be both heavier and more distinctive. They throw in some chiming Pink Floyd-like clean passages, some whale sounds and similar atmospheric shenanigans... just enough variety to keep you on your toes, and to make the heaviest parts more effective by contrast. Crystal-clear production gives the proceedings a sheen that is definitely not kvlt, but definitely abets the massive, magestic feel.

Gojira is one of those hype bands of the moment, but I'd encourage you to look past the hype and find out on your own if you enjoy them or not. I keep going back to this album and finding more in its rich textures and ambitious scope. Their previous album "The Link" is also recommended, and is just a little rougher and deathier than this release.

This is the only album of 'Gojira' (bit of a silly name, but then they are French) I have heard, and it at least made me notice them. Not a terribly heavy album, nor terribly brutal, it does have a lot of catchy riffs that have you wishing the rest of the song was better.

The vocals are good, sometimes excellent, but never brilliant, a kind of aggressive yell similar to Tom Araya except with more melody. Duplantier has a strong voice and he knows how to use it, although the lyrics lack in creativity. The general theme of the album is global warming and the world flooding.

The guitar work ranges from crummy cliche metalcore licks to these quite nice thrashy riffs, an unfortunate mix for those of us who can't stand our metal 'compromised'. Some impressive pieces from these new-comers, however. The bass also has a few interesting fills, but thats about all.

Drumming is good, not great. Nothing terribly original in that department, but definently skilled. The double kick is scattered throughout songs, which I prefer instead of a constant barrage.

The production is a little glossy and overdone, with the guitars sounding a bit too flat at times. Not for experienced metalheads, definently something aimed at all the kiddies who love Bodom and similar shit.

I won't be running out to buy the next release or even rushing to downloading the next album, but I would definently keep an eye on these boys and hope they grow the balls to shake off their metalcore influences and make some serious death metal, which I think they are very capable of doing.

Not a bad effort at all, but let's hope it improves next time around.

Well, Gojira. These guys seem to be the flavour of the month at the moment. An issue of Terrorizer Magazine (#151) had them on the front cover with the heading “Are these guys the saviours of metal?”

While these guys are pretty good, they’re definitely not the be-all-and-end-all of metal.

The collection of songs here are very unique. They’re not thrash, they’re not completely death, hints of metalcore. They’re not limited to one style of playing, and that makes for a good, varied spread of songs.

The best thing about the album is easily the production. Everything is crystal clear, the drums have a slight echo, and nothing dominates or takes over anything else. If the production were muddy, then it wouldn’t fit the vocals, which would give off a false interpretation of what the album is trying to convey. Could you imagine the opening riff of “Where Dragons Dwell” with thicker production? Neither could I.

As of the vocals, he does vary his style from clean to harsh. He never uses deep growls or grunts, which, again, wouldn’t fit the flow of the music at all. His voice is almost epic in a way, leaving a sense of beauty (perhaps), and connects perfectly with the sound of the music. The deepest his voice gets would probably be on “Global Warming” where he says: “What is this thing that we call hate? And that’s inside of me? Get out of here!”

The guitar work is very good. All the notes are heard very crisply. While they never solo, I don’t really think the album needs it, as the riffs they use are fulfilling enough. One of the best guitar riffs is at 4:20 on “From The Sky”, using a long, simple riff structure, but it just fits really well.

As for the drums, they’re also great. Plenty of double-kick action, putting it just where it is needed, plus slower and faster beating action, and even a blast beat thrown in occasionally. He goes through the whole repertoire of drumming techniques, so there is no limitation. All the beats are played tightly, and they all just sound great. “Ocean Planet” is a good example of his skills behind the drum kit. The best part of the album, however, in both the drum and guitar aspect, is the final two minutes or so of “In The Wilderness”. Everything about that is completely kick-ass. Listen to it, and I dare you not to have it stuck in your head.

Flaws? Well, not major ones. “World To Come” is a pretty average song, probably the weakest of the album. The fact that it goes for over 6 minutes doesn’t really do it any good. In fact, 8 of the 12 songs on offer go over 5 minutes, two over 7 minutes, making the whole album approximately 67 minutes long. For album standards, it’s an exhausting listen, but if there are heaps of intriguing musical pieces, then it won’t seem so long.

So, in saying that, this album is pretty good. It’s also very accessible. With the clean production and understandable vocals, this album is a good place to start for someone who is new to metal. However, unlike what Terrorizer thinks, they’re not the saviours of metal (who said metal needed saving?). Fans of extreme metal won’t like it, but it is a well thought-out, unique listen for everybody else.

Best tracks: Ocean Planet, Flying Whales, In The Wilderness

I've heard a lot of interesting things about this album, and it has a pretty damn cool cover (Whales!! IN SPACE!!!) so I bought it, and damn is it good. My friend described it as Pink Floyd's Metalcore project, and while I don't think that's quite accurate, it's definetly a cool, progressive and exciting album.

The album starts off on a pretty strong foot. "Ocean Planet" Besides being a cool name, is full of interesting, off beat and fairly oceanic riffs. Great vocals here, both sung and screamed, with some pounding riffs, and some unique sound that are pitch harmonies and something else. Maybe a whale song put through a few fx pedals. Either way, it's a great start, great to headbang to. The thick, raw but fairly clear production helps too.. every hit of the snare, every guitar riff is represented really good here. Great production doesnt make an album great, but it definetly improves an album.

Fair bit of variety on show here too folks. We have the oceanic riffs of the first song, the fast, chugging monster that is From the Sky, the cool mellow interlude of Unicorn, and the song with the coolest title in the universe, 'The heaviest matter in the universe' also being full of great riffs, sounding at times like a psycho version of In Flames. but with some good clean vocals. The vocalist is a pretty decent. All too often, great bands can be let down by the singer, but everything this dude does makes the songs better, whether it's growling, or singing.

A lot of bands will have some good first few songs but then the album will go downhill. Not Gojira though.. Indeed, the album improves. Flying Whales, In the Wilderness and Global Warming are almost 8 minutes long, and these extended lengths give Gojira a chance to be a bit more progressive, to stretch out a bit, and they do that well. Flying Whales has a super awesome mellow intro, while In the Wilderness is just real heavy and doomy for the whole time.. It's quite an exhausting listen. Global Warming has some damn cool riffs, even if it does beat you over the head with a message. The opening riff of Global Warming is maybe the best one here, and shows of the Guitarists' skills. The guitarists, while they doesn't solo much, they are always playing great riffs, all of which are super headbangable, and fit the songs great.

Gojira aren't reinventing the wheel, but you won't really find any other bands doing the same thing. Their next album should be real exciting. A great album that most metalheads would dig. Highly recommended!

The french metal scene has always been subject to much ridicule. People have been known to say that the book "Great French Metal Bands" is just as thick as the "Norwegian Warheroes". But Gojira is here to blow you all away! With their progressive mix of Devin Townsend and Morbid Angel they create a very eerie and beautiful sonic soundscape full of monstrous destruction power and awesome moments.

Vocally this is one of my favorite albums. When Joe is screaming his guts out he still holds this massacre under control and manages to keep it sounding just purely awesome. It's not mindless shit, you can hear the technique. And no amount of "awesome punk attitude" can replace that. That's the real shit, kids. In just the perfect places Gojira slashes us with excellent clean vocals that cuts the air with long strung out notes. My skin is crawling.

Drumming has awesome time-signatures and fills. Riffs crunch your face off and everything is played together with great skill. And the silent parts get the finishing touches with whales singing. Man, nothing is cooler than whales. Especially in outerspace.

One of the best albums of 2005! All hail Gojira!

Gojira is something of a conundrum. Consider the cover to their newest album ‘From Mars to Sirius’. It’s color is white, which is hardly skull-crushing, but there is also a flying whale on the cover, as large as the planets it appears to be circling. Whales are quite weighty, so that might imply heaviness. The band was originally named Godzilla, but changed to Gojira after copyright fussing ensued, and hell, the album even has a song titled ‘The Heaviest Matter Of The Universe’, so this has got to be thick stuff, right? Well, that’s the thing.

Gojira never takes off. I definitely want to like this album, and I definitely do, but only to an extent. I like most everything about this album ‘to an extent’ (except for the amazing pinches, which I simply cannot get enough of). It’s heavy, to an extent. It’s creative, to an extent. It’s progressive, to an extent. The press release uses words like ‘memorable…chunky…extreme…groovy’, and I agree with all of these…to an extent.

Let me explain. The album starts with a few seconds of whale song, which almost immediately kicks into a large, rolling riff, and a fantastic pinch harmonic. The pinches could be a motif of whale song emulation, but I’ll leave that to you to decide. Moving on. The drums are tight, the bass usually mimics the lead to lend it strength, and when the vocals come in, they are quite apropos. Think Andreas Sydow of Darkane, just slower. And it is true, ‘Ocean Planet’ is a good track. It’s different. Darkane meets SYL meets something else; head-banging is required.

All this is well and good, but the album just doesn’t get off the ground. There’s a fantastic foundation here; solid low end, good production, and guitarists who have their riffing technique perfectly set. I have no doubt that in time Gojira will lay down on the table a slab of metal-so-thick-and-groovy-I-can-hardly-believe-it. It’s just not that time yet.

We’ll hear some well-placed pinches and unique theme-and-variations on lead guitar, but then pops up a filler riff. A few good choruses, then a completely uninspired passage that kills the momentum of the song. For example, ‘From the Sky’ spends a few minutes building up, and at about 3:30 comes to a segue with a bit of dissonant ambience in the background. No problems so far. It cuts out, and the overused somewhat mild but trying-to-be-foreboding quiet part comes in, which again builds back up to a louder repetition of the same riff. This style represents at least 10 percent of each song, and it can go. Gojira would have well served themselves if they’d cut this album down a third or so. It’s already a monster at 70 minutes plus; around 50 and they would have had a killer album. But, since I can’t go in and slice this apart, I’ll just recommend listening to it in half-hour segments. Much longer than that, and I stop appreciating the nice ideas I do find and begin to think how this could be improved by brevity.

So, to take my own advice, I’ll end it here. I do recommend this, but with sligh reservations.
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(Originally written for Maximummetal.com)