In late March, when I read Rolling Stone’s interview/listening-session (here) with the Duplantier brothers about Gojira’s new album Magma, I became increasingly uneasy. Reading Kory Grow’s descriptions of some of the songs that he heard while talking with the brothers in their New York City studio made me fear that Gojira had morphed into a French variant of Mastodon, making a big sweeping turn into radio-friendly rock.
He wrote that “the band has taken a different route with the album compared to past riff-fests”, and referred to “almost-industrial rhythm[s]”, “brittle guitar line[s]”, “almost gothier riff[s]”, “Joe singing a monk-like chant”, “sorrowful, gothy vocals”, flutes and cowbells, and lots of four-minute songs because “people’s attentions are shorter now” (Joe’s words). In the final paragraph, Grow wrote, “they’re eager to show a different side of themselves on the new record and see how their fans react to it”.
Well, now we have some actual music, because within the last two hours, the band debuted a music video for the new album’s first advance track, “Stranded”.
I’m guessing maybe that Rolling Stone writer didn’t hear this song. It’s heavy and abrasive, with brute force rhythms, jolting riffs, dissonant guitar pulses, and Duplantier’s distinctive howl all in good form.
Yes, there are some clean vocals when the song takes a turn into dreamy melodic territory — but they’re good, and that passage of the song, though certainly different, doesn’t seem forced or tacked on. Also, despite my earlier fears, there’s no twerking in the video.
I’m feeling better now. Though I’m still hoping for some long songs. And of course one song does not an album make… we’ll have to wait and see whether the whole thing lives up to its name. Here’s the track list:
1. The Shooting Star
2. Silvera
3. The Cell
4. Stranded
5. Yellow Stone
6. Magma
7. Pray
8. Only Pain
9. Low Lands
10. Liberation
Magma will be released by Roadrunner Records on June 17. Pre-orders can be placed via the first link below.
http://Gojira-Music.com
https://www.facebook.com/GojiraMusic/
We’ve also learned that next Monday, May 2nd, Gojira will announce details of “a massive North American headline tour”.
14 Responses to “A NEW GOJIRA SONG: “STRANDED””
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Suffer a penance for doubting the mighty Gojira! Fanaticism aside, I suspect this will upset some people because it’s in many ways more of a metallic hardcore song than Gojira’s typical skewed death metal sound. Which I can understand, but it’s hard to complain when they already gave us five albums of that stuff and their rockier leanings are still recognizably Gojira, and recognizably Gojira still means damned good.
DON’T LOCK THE DOOR ON ME
HA! I suspect your suspicions about fan reactions will prove to be true, but I also agree that this is still recognizably Gojira, and that is indeed a good thing.
Not sure how I feel about this. Sounds like Gojira. Not bad, solid enough for the most part. I knew it was only a matter of time before they started with the clean vocals.
Solid song. I can definitely see myself listening to that a lot in the future. Not a world-beater, but definitely good.
I do think they’re going to be going that Mastodon-esque route with this album (the song is clearly less heavy than usual), but I don’t see that as a bad thing if it keeps the creative juices flowing and stops them falling into the rut that was occasionally looming on L’enfant Sauvage.
Colour me intrigued.
Different from what they have done in the past but solid, now I will wait to hear the entire album. One song is not enough to judge of course. I’m positive about the upcoming “Magma” and I like the artwork.
This song is definitely The Hunter-esque, in that it’s definitely more poppy, but still is referential to their past. Frankly, I’m loving it, though the chorus and the weird note thing in the intro took a bit of getting used to.
This song sounds like they’re dumbing down a lot the structures.
The drum only has one tom now.
The clean vocals come in.
Sounds like they’re pulling a Metallica.
I remember seeing them on tour opening for Amon Amarth in…2008? They played Heaviest Matter of the Universe and Ocean Planet, probably the tightest live band I’ve ever seen. This seems like a different band…it’s honestly a little boring imo. They’ve left me cold with this one.
Never really got into Gojira except for a few songs here and there.
Damn, this does not disappoint me in the least, totally badass 🙂
Funnily enough, this is the first song the author describes in the Rolling Stone article; the lyrics and “almost-industrial” intro line up.
As for the song itself, it got a lot better on repeat listens. I was initially a little cold. It wasn’t bad by any means, but there is a sense of weight and depth to Gojira songs that isn’t as immediately apparent. It’s still there, but it manifests more emotionally, through the lyrics and vocals, rather than through the riffs and drum tone as before. That said, even with the changes and more hooky nature of the song, I really feel that all of the elements are still Gojira — not Gojira-lite, not radio Gojira, but Gojira, in all their weirdness and wild nature.
Considering this song seemed to be the “biggest departure” written about in the article, I have faith this album will be both refreshingly new, yet still firmly rooted in Gojira’s sound.
Song has no guitar slide. This album is doomed.
So, a mid-paced, break up song, with a scraunchy riff thrown in. I’m interested in lyrics and song titles, especially as Gojira had that interesting eco-warrior approach on FMtS and The Link, but this song, and those song titles, announces an unwelcome, second-person poetry vibe to me.
Oh yeah, and where’s the drumming exercise?