GOJIRA – From Mars To Sirius
Rhythm is incredibly important in any form of music, it is the foundation of a solid band. It’s the backbone of the sound itself, it’s what makes you tap your feet, it’s your guide to the song without it you’re lost. Sure you can add all the seasonings of leads into the mix but what it all come down to is rhythm. There is one such band that is absolute definition of rhythm, hailing from Bayonne there is only one Gojira.
Having carved a unique niche for their sound using the rhythmic battering ram of their riffs contrasted with the almost new age repetitive licks forming a sense of higher being. Essentially the musical answer to meditation. Being able to craft such simple riffs when stripped down, but added in with Mario Duplantier’s thunderous drums against the wail of brother and frontman Joe Duplantier becomes something truly transcendent.
Almost in its tenth year since its inception From Mars To Sirius still stands as one of the most intriguing releases in modern metal, mixing sheer brutality of the relentless often tremolo picked riffs with the beauty of clean sections. Gojira are masters of the build up, slowly creating a tension until the final climactic riff. Often where previous subtle licks will converge to become a sheer unstoppable force. The albums third track “From The Sky” is a fantastic example, which is then preceeded by a small instrumental, the calm AFTER the storm if you will.
Not to mention it also has some of their heaviest songs excuse the pun but “The Heaviest Matter Of The Universe ” is still one of the best songs I’ve heard from the beginning where Duplantiers scream shakes the foundations of your very being, to the now anthemic seven minute wonder that is “Flying Whales“. Where we as the listener gradually move throughout Gojira’s soundscapes in the beautiful lead section that makes up two and a half minutes of the song to then build on THAT riff slowly throughout the song exacting more and more tenstion until to that all important crescendo.
Most of their songs, as I mentioned earlier rely on a very simple song structure with similar riffs played throughout with subtle changes that accent a particular change, although they have released both The Way Of All Flesh as well as the brilliant L’Enfant Sauvage I have chosen From Mars To Sirius as I feel it epitomizes Gojira.
From their music, their lyrical message which often reflects the damage us humans are doing to the planet but most importantly from them as a band. For a band that relies so much on structure FMTS is their true foundations, where they experimented on The Link and Terra Incognita before them, they truly birthed their inimitable sound. A paragon of metal.
