Category:
Metal

Try if you like:
16, Blackfire Revelation, Mastodon, Meshuggah

• All The Tears

Who would have pegged France as the home of this blisteringly heavy metal band? Gojira is starting to create a name for themselves with their extreme metal style. The Way of All Flesh is their fourth full-length and it is a logical progression from the critically acclaimed From Mars To Sirius. It just seems heavy, more intelligent, sludgier... basically more metaler. After a few listens of Flesh you start to wonder if they could possibly push it any further without destroying all listenability. That's the charm with Gojira is the music is uber-mighty but still maintains some approachability. 

Start your journey into Gojira territory cautiously. Begin at the beginning. There is a logic to Gojira's progression on their albums. "Oroborus" is the opening song and it is the perfect indication of where this album is headed. "Toxic Garbage Island" teases a little with what seems like a church organ just before the boys get all crazy and chaotic. The same happens with "A Sight To Behold". It begins with with a synth-type  intro and some funky drumming but strangely enough Joe Duplantier, the owner of the awesome voice, doesn't stray too far from this with a robotic effect on his vocals. Back to the sludge with "Yama's Messengers". The band takes some pity on the listener and provides a 2.5 minute reprieve on the instrumental "The Silver Chord". Doesn't take long to get back down to business on "All The Tears". "The Art Of Dying" numbs the brain with almost 10 minutes of epicness. Somehow the band manages to keep it up without boring the listener.

I'll say it again, 2008 is going down as a metal year for me. There have been so many great heavy releases this year that my year end list is going to be riddled with them. Gojira just might make it too.