### Gojira: Terra Incognita

#### 08/07/08 || theProphet

I was going to write something about how France is the new shit in metal for an intro, but then I thought “Fuck dat”. I’ll just settle with saying that Gojira is French death metal, with a kind of progressive touch.

In any case, taking the name of a huge Japanese lizard-god definitely gives you a certain standard to live up to. Fear not, though, because this album sounds fucking enormous. I can’t put my finger on it, but aside from the super-fat production and monstrous growl of Joe Duplantier, this album has a sort of soaring feeling to it. I really can’t express myself in a less vague way than that, but this album sounds like it needs lots of space.

The songs consist mostly of scores of staccato riffs, coupled with clean passages and the occasional odd time signature. Anyways, it’s distinctively different from any other death metal I’ve ever heard. Sure, there are parts one would immediately recognize from other bands, but together they are quite unique, bravo! I would not go as far as saying that Gojira is the Dillinger Escape Plan of death metal but nevertheless, this is some pretty ingenious and creative songwriting.

Lyrically it’s hard to tell whether these guys are using a modernist poetry style, where the lyrics are basically fragmented sentences and seemingly random words, or if they just plain suck at English. Personally, I am prepared to go with option 1, since the lyrics definitely work and are full of words that are all posh and complicated. The overall themes seem to be the environment, depression and physics (umm…) related stuff. Again, it fits perfectly to the music.

At times though, and I can’t stress this enough, “Terra Incognita” is seriously FUCKING BOOOOOOOOOORING. Gojira is sorta like Opeth in this way, yet I must say that I prefer these frog eaters to my pretentious countrymen.

Now, let me go to fucking sleep…

7 gargantuan reptiles out of 10.

- Information
- Released: 2001
- Label: Gabriel Editions
- Website: www.gojira-music.com
- Band
- Joe Duplantier: vocals, guitar
- Christian Andreu: guitar
- Jean-Michel Labadie: bass
- Mario Duplantier: drums

- Tracklist
- 01. Clone
- 02. Lizard Skin
- 03. Satan is a Lawyer
- 04. 04
- 05. Blow Me Away You (Niverse)
- 06. 5988 Trillions de Tonnes
- 07. Deliverance
- 08. Space Time
- 09. On the B.O.T.A
- 10. Rise
- 11. Fire Is Everything
- 12. Love
- 13. 1990 Quatrillions de Tonnes
- 14. In the Forest