Gojira is one of my favorite heavy bands in the world. They are fantastic. I was thinking the other day it would be awesome to see them tour the states with a band like Metallica. They already did in Europe. Anyways, I found this cover Gojira did of Metallica’s “Escape.” I always thought this song was underrated and deserved more attention. Enjoy!
Gojira- Escape:
Metallica- Escape:
There truly is something beautiful about heavy music in a live setting. The excitement, chaos, and dedication really comes through in a way that I don’t think any other genre of music can compare to. Last night at the Wiltern, Gojira decimated the audience with a set of forceful magnitude that left me in total awe and sore as all hell from headbanging and moshing.
The opener for the evening was Tesseract. This 5 piece U.K. based band, wasn’t really what I had in mind for the warm up band. Their set was pretty drab and boring. As musicians these guys can play with the best of them, but after a while it all just started to sound the same. At one point I looked over to my friend and he was saying that parts of their songs, especially the vocals, sounded a bit like Incubus. And naturally the more I thought about it, the songs did have that vibe. I don’t remember the song but, if you were to sing the Incubus song “Pardon Me,” over the music, it fit perfectly. Needless to say, this just wasn’t my cup of tea.
Before Gojira even took the stage, the loud chants of their name permeated through the venue, and when they appeared the roar of the crowd was near deafening. Their new album Magma is a tremendous piece of music and the songs live were like a volcano exploding. Their set consisted of songs from all their albums, with a focus on playing songs off Magma. Singer/guitarist Joe Duplantier, his brother drummer Mario Duplantier, guitarist Christian Andreu, and bassist Jean-Michael Labadie, play with so much fury. The lyrics of Joe Duplantier are heavy and poetic. Throughout the night I kept thinking the set list was great. Songs like “Stranded,” “Silvera,” “The Cell,” “Only Pain,” “Flying Whales,” “Explosia,” “Oroborus,” “Vacuity,” sounded amazing. Mario Duplatier’s drum solo was something spectacular and intense. By the end of their set, it was very clear that Gojira are a force to be reckoned with and not just in the heavy music circles.
What a great night. I don’t even mind the horrible neck pain I have. When a show like this is that good, it’s all worth every ounce of pain. This was my third time seeing Gojira and each time they keep bringing it more and more. If you haven’t seen them or heard them, I strongly recommend you do!
Review and Photo By: Brian Lacy
We continue the alphabet with the letter G. Again these are in no particular order. And I’m always looking to add to the list so feel free to leave suggestions!
1) Guns N Roses
2) Germs
3) Gojira
4) Green Day
5) Peter Gabriel
6) Genesis
7) Garbage
8) Godflesh
9) Marvin Gaye
10) David Gilmour
I remember when I first heard Gojira. I thought this is great and I need to see this band. Sadly I missed them the first couple times they came through Los Angeles. Then a couple years ago I finally caught them with Mastodon, and they were everything I wanted them to be. From that point I’ve been craving a new Gojira album. The last album L’ Enfant Sauvage is one hell of an album. With the release of their new song “Stranded” from their upcoming album MAGMA, Gojira are well on their way to being one of the best metal bands in the world.
Gojira- Stranded:
After the year we just had in 2015 with new music releases, 2016 is shaping up to be one hell of a year for new music. Here are the bands with the most anticipated albums coming out in 2016.
Deftones
Tool
Metallica
Radiohead
Alice In Chains
Karnivool
With Our Arms To The Sun
Thrice
Brand New
Night Verses
Letlive
Norma Jean
The Black Queen
Superjoint
Killswitch Engage
The Last Internationale
The Cult
Corrosion Of Conformity
Ignite
Royal Blood
Gojira
Black Map
Amen
Korn
Stone Sour
The Cure
Moving Structures
Here Lies The Hero
Vagus Nerve
Hundred Suns
Ancillary Theorem
Ghost Idols
Aeges
Filter
There are certain bands that are a must see live. The albums they create have the ability to transcend reality and their live shows take that reality even further. Mastodon have been doing just that for me since I saw them back when their album Remission was released. Every album they upped their game and pushed the limits of what they can do in the studio and in a live setting. May 2nd was no different. Mastodon wasted no time during their 90 minute set to deliver one of the strongest live shows they’ve done since Crack The Skye was released. Their 17 song set was highlighted by the inclusion of songs such as opening with “Hearts Alive,” “Crusher Destroyer,” “Naked Burn,” “Aqua Dementia,” and “Oblivion.” The two new songs they played “Chimes At Midnight” and “High Road” sounded great, especially “High Road.” Instead of banter between songs, they let the music do the talking. The light show they has while they played had a bit of a psychedelic vibe to it and it matched perfectly with their set. Vocally, their past shows have been underwhelming, but it seems that with the proper vocal training, they have managed to pull off these songs in a much better light.
Also playing this fine evening was Gojira. Their loud bombastic assault has been talked about for years. As a live band they have the ability to steal the show away from the headliner (recently on their tour with Slayer, they did just that). Gojira’s set went by fast but was a great and fulfilled all that the mid opener slot is meant to be. Certain tracks played like “The Heaviest Matter Of The Universe,” “Oroborus,” and “Vacuity” got the crowd banging their heads. Their sound from album to live sounds identical, and all in a good way. Opening the entire show was Kvelertak. They are the perfect opening energy type band. Armed with three guitars and vocals only sung in their native Norwegian language, it’s hard not to be captivated by them.
Mastodon truly owned the night. The diverse set list that was played really balanced out a great evening. Their new album Once More Round The Sun comes out in June. Club Nokia on the other hand isn’t the greatest place to see a show. The layout and design puts a bit of a hinderance on viewing and listening. But I refused to let that get in the way of enjoying the show.
Mastodon Set List:
By: Brian Lacy
AUDIOECLECTICA 