The Link

The French are most certainly not pussies. They've provided us with fine black metal (Anorexia Nervosa), brutal death metal (Happy Face), and even symphonic power metal (Fairyland). But in the last decade, progressive death metallers Gojira have really made an impact on the entire genre, bringing the French metal scene to the forefront of our minds once more. The phrase 'progressive death metal' brings to mind big names like Cynic, Opeth, or even "Symbolic"-era Death. But you should really dispel all pretentions when picking up an album by this Bayonne quartet. Their brand of prog/death is certainly unique. Despite being incredibly atmospheric and technically admirable, they're also crushingly heavy. This is Gojira, and they have come to pummel you.

Gojira's uniqueness derives not from individual stand-out performances, but from an overall sound which is simultaneously brutal and ambient. On "The Link", their second full-length release, atmosphere is certainly the key. The music successfully conjures up images of humid jungles and ancient tribal rituals through their de-tuned primal rhythms ("Indians") and occasional use of ethnic percussion ("Connected"). It's a strangely immersive sound which will instantly grasp you, right from the rhythmic bone-tapping of the opening title-track, all the way to the fading forest ambience of 8-minute instrumental "Dawn".

Overall mood notwithstanding, the performances from the individual band-members are phenomenal - and they are clearly masters in their respective fields. Vocalist/guitarist Joe Duplantier's voice has an interesting characteristic which is rare in death metal; his growls are not just guttural and primeval, they are almost tuned, allowing for a wider range of timbres for this band to experiment with. His quasi-melodic grunts also add to the general humidity of the atmosphere. The twin guitar attack of Joe and right-hand-man Christian Andreu is a combination of detuned aggressive chugs, and sharp, dissonant accents, contributing a portion of the 'evilness' that is expected of death metal. Jean-Michel Labadie's bass rumbles wonderfully underneath the chaos, and Mario Duplantier's (Joe's younger brother) drumming has since become iconic among fans. So there's no doubt that we're dealing with a quartet of expertly-skilled musicians and composers.

"The Link" certainly stands out in Gojira's praiseworthy discography, for having such an odd production quality. The following albums employ a very modern-sounding, yet edgy production which emphasizes the guitar-tone to beyond brutal. But "The Link" almost sounds as if all 11 tracks were recorded in the middle of the Amazon rainforest. The guitars and bass are crisp with plenty of weight behind them, whilst the drums pierce through with an almost metallic quality. Swirling airily around this musical maelstrom, is Joe Duplantiers semi-growled, slightly distant vocals - emanating an aura of eerie mysticism.

The songs themselves utilize irregular time-signatures mixed with savage rhythms - all surrounded by a framework of unconventional structures. There's never a boring moment if you're looking for musical substance - as this band's technical prowess will make even the most die-hard muso shrink in ego. Just take a listen to the outro to "Remembrance", and try memorizing that rhythm! That's the kind of virtuosity Gojira are capable of, and cleverly insert into their compositions to throw-off but greatly entertain the listener.

Highlights include the bone-shattering heaviness of 2nd track "Death of Me", the beautiful ambience of closing instrumental "Dawn", the classic death metal sound of "Wisdom Comes", (complete with some fantastic blast-beats from Mario) and the sonorous chanting of "Embrace The World". However, this album's piéce de resistance (yeah, I had to put a bit of French in here somewhere) is the stop/start exoticism of "Inward Movement". Starting off as a swelling doom/death track, it quickly morphs into a real headbanging groove-machine, before completely letting loose with a torrent of vicious dissonance and barbaric blast-beats (I'm not kidding, listen to the section at 2:51 and tell me that's not musical ecstasy!).

I have seen far too much hatred aimed at Gojira. Hatred which, I'm sure, has come from those who have simply dismissed them as 'mallcore' without even hearing a single ferocious note from this French quartet. Well, shut your fucking mouths, pick up a copy of "The Link" and let the feral turbulence of Gojira dig its knuckles into your face, leaving nothing but a satisfied, skeletal grin. Larry out.

Highlights - "Death of Me", "Remembrance", "Inward Movement", "Wisdom Comes"

For fans of - Hacride, Death, Opeth