Fortitude - Gojira

“...although they’ve softened up on their guitar tones and vocal timbres in recent years, the atmospheric beauty of Fortitude makes it yet another jewel in the French quartet’s crown.”

From “Best of May 2021”

Gojira has always stood out among the cohort of modern progressive death metal bands – for their creative riffs and unique musical aesthetics, yes, but also for their distinctive temperament. They’ve always maintained a mindfulness that other prog metal bands lose sight of amidst their peacock-like displays of guitar prowess. Reverential rather than angry, Gojira’s music points to subject matter bigger than themselves, most notably themes of environmental collapse and respect for nature. As they enter their third decade of activity, they have quite an impressive discography – From Mars to Sirius (2005) is in the top ten best metal records of all time, if you ask me. And although they’ve softened up on their guitar tones and vocal timbres in recent years, the atmospheric beauty of Fortitude makes it yet another jewel in the French quartet’s crown.

This is the first album the band has released since their polarizing 2016 LP Magma. Personally, I loved that album for its thoughtfulness and emphasis on atmosphere rather than sheer brutality. However, its strengths gave way to its shortcomings, as the band’s extended exercises in ethereality continuously bordered on directionless. The good news is, Fortitude offers a similarly ethereal atmosphere, but in a way that feels trimmed down, more compact, more deliberate than its predecessor. The opening track, the bombastic “Born for One Thing” establishes a vast, arid ambiance that remains consistent across the album, balancing out the guitarists’ sludgy, chugging riffs. The second track, “Amazonia” is one of the most conceptually outstanding songs on the record. Following long-standing environmentalist themes in Gojira’s music, the release of this song as a single was accompanied by a band-sponsored fundraiser for the Indigenous-owned NGO Articulation of the Indigenous Peoples of Brazil, which advocates for environmental and cultural rights of Indigenous Brazilians as well as the preservation of the Amazon rainforest. The song itself features a fairly radio-friendly, mid-tempo groove accompanied by jaw harps, pan flutes, background chants, and throat singing. It’s a toe-tapper, to be sure, but Gojira uses these auxiliary instruments to create an earthy, organic atmosphere. But the real value of the song is that it makes the important connection between sustainable living/conservation efforts and Indigenous cultures via the song’s instrumentation. This connection is cemented in later songs like the forlorn “Hold On,” the meditative title track, and the humid heavyweight “The Chant.” In between the crushing riffs of these tracks, vocalist Joe DuPlantier is a tortured prophet, alternating between ominous laments for the state of the planet and rallying cries for environmental justice.

“...vocalist Joe DuPlantier is a tortured prophet, alternating between ominous laments for the state of the planet and rallying cries for environmental justice.”

For those of you who weren’t huge fans of Magma, I have good news for you too – this album is laden with the stomping groove that fans of older Gojira will be delighted to bang their heads to. One of the best aspects of this album is its ability to balance viscerally physical rhythms with expansive atmospheres on each and every song. Granted, this song form does feel a little formulaic by the end of the album, but it makes for some absolutely kickass single tracks. “New Found” is a personal favorite – this track contrasts a pummeling funk-metal riff with a melodic, triumphant chorus. Listening to this song, you can easily get immersed in the feeling of making the life-changing discovery detailed in the lyrics:

“New Found splendor in the sky

New Found land across the sea” 

Further standout riffs can be found on the torrential anthem “Into the Storm,” a rallying cry for rebellion, and the ferocious closing track “Grind.” Gojira’s songwriting skills have always been in their own league, and this album demonstrates them well. The band has a knack for writing melodies that sound centuries old while maintaining their raw aesthetic, conveying a pummeling urgency that cannot be denied. 

“The band has a knack for writing melodies that sound centuries old while maintaining their raw aesthetic, conveying a pummeling urgency that cannot be denied.”

 This overarching theme of anxiety, particularly about climate change and “grind culture” (as expressed in several songs’ lyrics), is expertly painted by standout band member Mario DuPlantier’s frenetic drum patterns. The status of instrumental virtuosity is attained when the player’s talent is used to augment the piece as a whole, not just to solo over the rest of the band, and DuPlantier’s deceptively complex drumming does just that. His precise, technical fills add layers of nuance to the best moments on this album (“New Found,” “Grind”) and red-hot energy to tracks that would otherwise be fairly one-dimensional (“Born for One Thing,” “Sphinx”). DuPlantier injects a controlled chaos, a disciplined instability, into this album, creating an exciting counterbalance to the generally rigid guitar lines. TL;DR: this man has mastered the art of the ghost note.

DuPlantier’s drumwork goes a long way, but it can’t save the album from its pitfalls. Upon a full listen, it seems like Gojira took the criticisms of Magma to heart and incorporated them into their writing process, attempting to ride the line between atmosphere and intensity. In the process, they failed to accomplish either to their full potential. The ambiance of the album starts off fantastic, but doesn’t change much as the record progresses. Particularly in the second leg of the album, the band rests on “tribal” instrumentation and gang vocals to create atmosphere, to the point that the intended message of these compositional decisions is partially obscured by a sense of contrivance. This momentary flatness is almost saved by the refinement of the final leg, but it definitely makes for a dip in the middle of the project.

“DuPlantier injects a controlled chaos, a disciplined instability, into this album, creating an exciting counterbalance to the generally rigid guitar lines.”

Although this isn’t the perfect Gojira album, there’s definitely something for everyone here. I think of this album as a perfect Gojira sampling platter, something to start with if you’re new to the band and looking to get invested. If you’re drawn to the mellower, more contemplative tracks like “The Chant” and “The Trails,” you’d probably be a huge fan of Magma. If you’re more inclined towards the syncapated ragers like “Sphinx” or “Grind,” allow me to humbly introduce you to your new favorite album, From Mars to Sirius. 

“Time and time again, the band poignantly encapsulates the cacophony of the natural world, the crying out of the animals, plants, and landscapes, and artfully condenses it into a riff-laden and attention-grabbing metal album.”

Despite its shortcomings, Fortitude has earned its spot as one of the most highly anticipated metal records of 2021, and Gojira righteously remains in their place as one of the most important acts in modern progressive metal. Time and time again, the band poignantly encapsulates the cacophony of the natural world, the crying out of the animals, plants, and landscapes, and artfully condenses it into a riff-laden and attention-grabbing metal album. Not too many modern acts have the bandwidth to be this committed to a single cause while also maintaining a sui generis niche within the metal paradigm. Gojira makes it look easy. 

Also, one last thing: fucking recycle, you animals.

For Fans Of: Mastodon, Cult of Luna, TOOL, Opeth,

Listen to: “Amazonia,” “New Found,” “Into the Storm,” and “Grind”