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Fortitude is Gojira at their finest, enough said. Chances are, if you came across this website because of your preference for any sort of heavy music, you not only know who Gojira are, but also love their music, and have read everything there is about them. In the unlikely event that you have somehow missed one of the biggest names in a decade, or forgot about one of the events of the year, then skim through this article and go rectify that mistake asap.
Gojira are one of those rare "once in a generation" band that define the way music is written, performed and experienced, and leave their name in standalone sections in history books. Capturing the zeitgeist of their time with mercyless ferocity, Gojira have somehow single-handedly unified the entire metal community under their titanic sound and conscious message. This in itself is an impossible feat, considering the division and elitism of the scene.
Across the endless array of established and emerging bands, each branching in their own self-righteous direction, a group of ordinary French guys have been consistently producing music that somehow appeals to everybody. People gather under their banner because of their overall sound, conceptual albums, innovative approach, fresh heaviness, instrumental mastery or simply for their lyrical content, but either way, they follow them zealously in silent admiration. This is precisely the essence of Fortitude - unity, mastery, engagement, innovation, delivered in a trademark Gojira fashion.
Amongst the many that have spoken against human ignorance, increasing pollution, and environmental destruction, especially in recent years, few have done it so consistently and passionately than Gojira. Since their early days, the band has been an inspired ambassador of natural preservation, climate action, and animal protection, and Fortitude once again captures their iconic drive in spectacular fashion. Someone somewhere labeled them "environmetal" and I absolutely love that, and can hardly find a better term to describe them.
From singing about building a rocket to flee the planet and reverse history to peaceful times before humanity had exhausted Earth's natural resources, to raising awareness to the oppressed communities in Tibet, Gojira are a true force (and protectors) of nature. Add their widespread approval and hugely influential position, and you get a band that sets the example of what and how to use your otherwise limited time and power on this planet.
In Fortitude, Gojira took an extra step, setting up the 'Operation Amazonia' project and enlisting the likes of Metallica, Slipknot, Mastodon, Detones, to name a few, with donations and auctions, in the fight to preserve the indigenous communities in the Amazon, and by doing so also protecting "the lungs of the planet" that are being annihilated every second. Read more about it and how to join, and all of their upcoming initiatives here.
For years, I have been at a loss of words at the unexplainable amount of talent concentrated in just one band, that hasn't changed its line-up since their thunderous debut Terra Incognita from 2001. Gojira have overdone themselves time and time again to the point of me feeling stupid describing how good this album is, how brutally precise their performance is, and how ingenious their compositions are.
In these lines, Fortitude is nothing unheard of, provided you are familiar with Gojira and have been spinning their previous records all those years. Yet, somehow it sounds better and grander. After all, Gojira are named after Godzilla and I can hardly imagine a more suitable spiritual representation - born in the radioactive wastes poured into our dying seas, a prehistoric monster with unimaginable power, ultimately fighting for Earth's survival. Archaic, monumental, solemn.
The Duplantier brothers once again produce some of the absolute finest pieces of contemporary metal, aided by the ridiculously good and sometimes overlooked Christian Andreu and Jean-Michel Labadie. And yet, despite their well-deserved accolades, audience adoration, gatekeepers' approval, and industry backing, Gojira remains just as humble and down to Earth (literally and metaphorically) as in their early days of touring small venues across the French countryside.
In the grand order of events, I discovered Gojira with the help of my closest friend who convinced me that 'Oroborous' is the best track I had heard all year, must have been 2008. Gojira are not an easy band to listen to, and even though I don't spend all my time listening to them, it is probably the one I come back to the most. There are those times that just need a little bit of Gojira flavor, whether it is the invigorating energy of The Way Of All Flesh, the fury of L'Enfant Savauge, the majestic cleansing of Magma, or just the primal force of From Mars To Sirius.
Everything Gojira have ever produced is a classic and one to be listened to repeatedly without any distractions, so in 2021 it is hard to be surprised or stunned by their work. All that remains is the inner peace that their new record is just as good as imagined, and the ever-present excitement it holds even after the 100th replay. The music world is yours Gojira, shape it the way you seem fit, and thank you for bringing us along the ride. If you have somehow survived my sickening praise and devotion, then you probably agree with everything I say and feel part of the same boundless universe that opens in your mind when you play Gojira. Just listen to Fortitude, and everything else these humble Frenchmen do.
Gojira - Fortitude
Country: France
Released: 30 April 2021
Label: Roadrunner Records
Tracklisting:
1. "Born for One Thing"
2. "Amazonia"
3. "Another World"
4. "Hold On"
5. "New Found"
6. "Fortitude"
7. "The Chant"
8. "Sphinx"
9. "Into the Storm"
10. "The Trails"
11. "Grind"
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