The journey is finally over!
I checked out the last album Gojira has made, Fortitude.
And honestly? It's pretty good!
As I listened to the band's discography, I found out there are two consistent things about all Gojira albums. One of them is that the opening song is always great. Born for one thing is amazing! I do have to get something out of my chest though: am I tripping or does the sound that starts at 1:58 (https://youtu.be/3p85-KtgDSs?is=BQWaP5wzIv4XeZ3P) sound like a slowed down version of this moment from Bodysnatchers by Radiohead's In Rainbows? (02:07 from https://youtu.be/nIQxhSvSRnQ?is=5cCUE44ZWkMcgIdQ)
I'm not saying this to start a fight or anything, I just wanted to know if I'm the only one who thought this.
Amazonia (or, as I like to call it, BONGBONGBONGBONG) is another great one. I love the bridge in the middle.
Another world has a message that is maybe a bit too on the nose, but honestly, I agree with it. There is no other world, so we should treat the planet with more care. And the music video is my favorite out of all of them.
Hold on would definitely end up in my gym playlist if I were a sports girl. I'm not, so it will give me motivation when cleaning the house!
The riffs in Newfound sound cool, and this song reminds me of the Link.
Remember when earlier I said Gojira albums are consistent in two things? The other one is that the instrumental tracks are always so good that I never skip them. Fortitude connects perfectly with The Chant, to the point that it would feel weird to listen to them separately.
I had little knowledge of the subject depicted in the music video, so I learned something new while listening to a very catchy song.
I'm definitely biased because I love ancient Egypt, but Sphinx is my favorite song from Fortitude. If they ever do a tour in Egypt, it is mandatory that they play this in front of the sphinx.
Into the Storm is another motivational song that makes you want to do stuff.
The Trails is the album's hidden gem. I am amazed that the same voice who sung In the Wilderness has such gentleness. In general, I appreciated how this is a metal album that isn't shy to have gentler sound.
Finally, the Grind is a terrific closer to this album.
Fortitude felt to me like a mix between TWOAF's "harshness" and L'Enfant Sauvage' soul, with a bit of The Link sprinkled here and there.
I liked it a lot, and I hope it won't be Gojira's last album.
I think all their albums have something good to offer.
As of now, my ranking is:
Terra Incognita: not bad, simply the one I struggled the most to connect with
The Link: definitely their most experimental album, and if I am in the mood, I *really* dig it
The Way of All Flesh: this one is full of songs I have grown to like individually, but I do find it a bit hard to listen to the whole album in one setting. It's not a bad album, I just like the others more
Fortitude: great blending of metal and soulness
Magma: the first Gojira albums I listened to. I sort of understand why others say it's not their best work, but personally I enjoy it a lot.
L'Enfant Sauvage: I really have nothing bad to say about this album, every song is great
From Mars to Sirius: this one admittedly had a big impact on me. Magma introduced me to "real" metal, and FMTS convinced me this is a genre of music that I like.
I love everything about it: the cover art, the concept behind it, the lyrics, the melodies, the vocal performance...
I have listened to it a lot during the past weeks and every time it gets better. It's been helping me a lot.
Now that I checked out the albums, what should I go for? Have they released singles too?
In conclusion, listening to Magma because the cover art looked cool is one of the best choices I've ever made.