The Bottom Line
The French band Gojira blends extreme and technical metal with progressive and groovy parts, making for a diverse and compelling listening experience.
* Creative guitar work.
* Rock solid vocals.
Cons
* CD could have been a little shorter.
Description
* Released October 14, 2008 on Prosthetic Records.
* Produced by vocalist/guitarist Joe Duplantier, mixed by Logan Mader (Cavalera Conspiracy, Five Finger Death Punch).
* This is Gojira's fourth CD.
* The song "Adoration For None" features a guest appearance from Lamb Of God vocalist Randy Blythe.
Guide Review - Gojira - 'The Way Of All Flesh'
Gojira's last CD, From Mars To Sirius, was the one that elevated them from a relatively unknown band to one that now garners critical acclaim and high profile tours. After flying under the radar, expectations are now elevated as Gojira releases their fourth CD. Did they fold under the pressure or continue their ascension?
The Way Of All Flesh is a complex effort that takes a few listens to fully unravel and appreciate. Gojira's sound blends death, progressive and thrash metal, and they add a few industrial parts on this CD as well. Some tracks are dense and technical, with waves of riffs and pummeling blast beats that are brutal and intense.
Other songs leave a little more room to breathe, with mellower progressive sections and groovier riffs. The Way Of All Flesh has a lot of diversity in tempos, textures, intensities and song lengths that help keep the listener fully engaged at all times.
There are shorter, focused songs in the 3 to 4 minute range, and more epic and complex tracks like "The Art Of Dying," which clocks in at nearly 10 minutes. The closing title track is a whopping 17 minutes long, but the last 10 minutes or so is just atmosphere.
Vocalist Joe Duplantier has a distinctive sound, and his death metal vocals are both intense and understandable. He's brutal, but also uses excellent technique that makes it a bit more accessible. The lyrical concept of the album is death and mortality. Lamb Of God's Randy Blythe also makes a guest vocal appearance on one of the songs.
With The Way Of All Flesh Gojira cements their place as one of the elite bands in extreme metal. And to answer my earlier question, they definitely did not fold under the pressure and delivered an outstanding CD.
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