### Gojira: The way of all flesh

#### 17/10/08 || Euthanatos

First I heard of Gojira was when they released “From Mars to Sirius”. I don’t know what attracted me, if it was the rave reviews, or the very peculiar cover. What matters is, it took me a while to get into them, and I still think I don’t nearly listen enough to that album, as it is very good. Maybe because it takes a certain mindset to delve into that atmosphere.

“The Way Of All Flesh” is the long-awaited new effort, three years after the acclaimed previous record and also after Joe Duplantier’s Cavalera Conspiracy run. And, truly, this guy is Gojira. His vocals are so multidimensional and characteristic, and the guitar work is so eerie, it’s difficult to imagine someone who makes a mark so strongly in the band’s sound. The album picks up where “From Mars to Sirius” left off, and while a bit more direct and less ethereal, “The Way of All Flesh” shows a clear evolution, and to be completely honest, it’s an ever better album. “Oroborus”, for instance, has so many layers and passages, yet never sounding forced, you can’t help but feel a tingling in your stomach, the blood rush to the veins in your penis. “Toxic Garbage Island”, the next track, radically changes the pace, beginning brutally, with Meshuggah breakdowns and aggressive spurts. “A Sight to Behold” begins with an electronic beat and vocals full of synth, showing how deep and multi-layered Gojira’s sound is. This only gives way to “Yama’s Messengers”, a grinding to the pulp thrasher of souls.

As a special bonus, Lamb of God’s Randy Blythe screams his balls off in “Adoration for None”, an intrinsic and devastating death metal piece.

I think you get my point. This album is incredibly diverse and entertaining, something that you can keep coming back to and discovering new elements every time around. The mixture of death metal, progressive elements and haunting electronic moods lead up to pretty much a perfect sound.

Who knew France could give us such delight?

The cover: Now I really like this. A skeleton much in the mold of Mexico’s Day of the Dead tradition.

9 frogs in your wine out of 10.

- Information
- Released: 2008
- Label: Listenable
- Website: www.gojira-music.com
- Band
- Joe Duplantier: vocals, guitar
- Mario Duplantier: drums
- Christian Andreu: guitar
- Jean-Michel Labadie: bass

- Tracklist
- 01. Oroborus
- 02. Toxic Garbage Island
- 03. A Sight to Behold
- 04. Yama’s Messengers
- 05. The Silver Cord
- 06. Adoration for None
- 07. All the Tears
- 08. The Art of Dying
- 09. Esoteric Surgery
- 10. Vacuity
- 11. Wolf Down the Earth
- 12. The Way of All Flesh