Bayonne, FR · progressive metal

Gojira

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France's environmental-metal titans — from the Olympics opening ceremony to the pit, whale-song riffs and precision heaviness with an actual conscience.

Joe Duplantier formed his first band, Eclipse, as a teenager, while his younger brother Mario was already drumming in his own project; the two spent years jamming together after school in the family garage in Ondres, near Bayonne, before starting the group that became Gojira with guitarist Christian Andreu.

The band's early albums, Terra Incognita and The Link, along with an intense live reputation, established Gojira within French metal before From Mars to Sirius in 2005 drew attention from the British metal press with tracks like "Flying Whales." Signing with Prosthetic Records opened up North America, and The Way of All Flesh charted on the Billboard 200.

After joining Roadrunner Records, Gojira released L'Enfant Sauvage and Magma, the latter easing off pure death metal for a more direct sound and becoming the band's commercial breakthrough. Fortitude, released in 2021, topped US first-week sales, and the band has since picked up Grammy nominations, including Best Rock Album and Best Metal Performance.

Gojira records at its own studios in France and New York, a deliberately self-run setup. In 2024 the band became the first heavy metal act to perform at an Olympics opening ceremony, part of a run that has also seen it reach arena-headliner status across Europe, the UK and South America.

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progressive metal