Gojira are one of the premier metal acts of the 21st century, as the French band has delivered a run of acclaimed albums over the past 20-plus years. Recently, Gojira captured the whole world’s attention with an electrifying performance at the Olympics opening ceremony in Paris.
Coming off the Olympics high, Gojira are embarking on a North American tour supporting nu-metal pioneers Korn. The outing runs from a September 12th show in Tampa, Florida, though an October 27th show in St. Paul, Minnesota, with tickets available here.
Formed by brothers Joe Duplantier (vocals, guitar) and Mario Duplantier (drums), along with guitarist Christian Andreu, as teenagers back in 1996, and featuring longtime bassist Jean-Michel Labadie (who joined in 1998), Gojira have released seven albums during the course of their career.
Their first two albums, 2001’s Terra Incognita and 2003’s The Link, earned them some buzz within the metal community, but things really started to take off with 2005’s From Mars to Sirius. That disc garnered wide praise from critics and fans, and Gojira have kept the momentum going with The Way of All Flesh (2008), L’Enfant Sauvage (2012), Magma (2016), and their most recent full-length, Fortitude (2021).
Gojira’s songs are not only extremely heavy musically, but also carry a big weight lyrically, often centering on environmental issues, as well as spiritual and philosophical themes.
Tasked with being the first ever metal band to perform at an Olympics opening ceremony, Gojira lived up to their monstrous moniker (which is the original Japanese name for Godzilla). The Duplantier brothers and company delivered a mesmerizing performance of the French Revolution-era song “Ah, Ça Ira!” as the band members stood outside the windows of the Conciergerie building that sits along the River Seine.
With the spotlight shining brightly on Gojira these days, what better time to look back at their greatest tunes. Below we offer our picks for Gojira’s 10 Best Songs.
–Spencer Kaufman
Managing Editor, Heavy Consequence