The masters of metal with a message, Gojira, urge for the conservation of our planet and our humanity in their powerful 2021 release, Fortitude. This album will easily be among the top metal albums of the year and it may just create the change the band seeks for the world.
Every song hits hard as if preparing us to go into battle for the ultimate good of the planet and its people. There’s no doubt about the influence of indigenous culture surrounding the sound and message behind Fortitude. A prime example of this is in the single “Amazonia,” which is about deforestation and the destruction of the Amazon. Gojira went so far as to raise money for the indigenous people of the Amazon upon releasing the single.
They don’t just talk about it, they are about it. And this kind of attitude, along with the sheer musical and lyrical genius, is what makes Gojira one of the best and most influential metal bands in music today.
Many of the songs on the album seem to have some remnants of tribal sound and influence, including “The Chant,” the previously mentioned “Amazonia,” and the title track “Fortitude.” Several tracks include what sounds like tribal instrumentation, as well as chanting that permeates throughout.
While discussing anything political like climate change or societal collapse can seem like all doom and gloom, the band manages to provide messages of hope along with their sense of urgency that something must be done. “Hold on” begs us to do exactly that, to fight. The song begins almost like a march into a battle that must be won. The single “Into the Storm” is another song that begs for a fight with “Put your fists in the air.”
“New Found,” a standout on the album, is another song that promotes hope within all of the destruction. “A vision through the reeds, a reason to go on” vocalist and guitarist Joe Duplantier laments. But they won’t let us forget that there is work to be done. The dichotomy between hope and destruction is apparent in “Another World” where Duplantier sings “Hope for the world but prepare for the worst.”
“The Trail” gives us the lyrics “How can we be so blind? Our light is torn. How can we be so lame? No truth being told.” Duplantier asks us to look inward. “Sphinx” also presents the idea that we’ve gone blind to the destruction we’re causing ourselves with “Rid the world of its blindfold, make us real again.”
In the single “Born for One Thing,” Duplantier puts it clearly: “No one united when we’re gone.” The destruction of our planet and our humanity means the destruction of us all.
Aside from the clear environmental message Gorjia sends, they also question society as a whole. Are we bowing down to unnecessary, unjust laws and lawmakers? “Grind” expresses this sentiment with “Embrace the laws that make you cringe.” “The Chant” does the same with “You were told to swallow, crawl, and hide/Victims of fear and deception.”
Each song transitions into the next perfectly and all of the songs tie together; none of it feels like just filler or a waste of space. Just like the overall theme of the album, everything is important. It’s definitely an album that doesn’t have a bad song. From the chanting, to the indigenous influence, to the repeating, heavy riffs, and the overall sense of urgency, there’s no doubt what Gojira wants their listeners to reflect on here.
With this album, Gojira finds a way to combine a catchy sound with their signature heaviness. It won’t be a surprise to see the band gain new fans with Fortitude.
**Originally submitted for Metal Temple magazine**
