GOJIRA – “Fortitude” Album Review

SUMMARY

Lineup: 

Joe Duplantier – Vocals, Rhythm Guitar; Christian Andreu – Lead Guitar; Jean-Michel Labadie – Bass; Mario Duplantier – Drums

IN SHORT

The seventh album from French powerhouse, GOJIRA, is filled with raw power and a more proggy attitude than previous outings from the band. You can also find a lot more melody here. GOJIRA is no longer a death metal band and that evolution has never been more apparent than on Fortitude. The album is certainly their most mainstream album, yet it still feels like GOJIRA – the fact they were able to get this balance right is impressive in and of itself. Listening to the album, I never got a sense that the band was betraying their sound, it simply feels like the next step in the band’s maturity.

This album isn’t just about the music though. The lyrics are often impactful and touch on subjects frequently ignored in the metal genre (i.e. mental health). The common lyrical theme throughout Fortitude is “taking action”. Much of the album acts as a call to arms. For example, “Born For One Thing” asks the listener to reflect on what they consume themselves with in the modern world. “Amazonia” is all about taking action to save the rain-forest. This isn’t just lip-service either. The track was released as part of a month-long fundraiser for a Brazilian indigenous rights charity curated by GOJIRA. The track “Hold On” is all about holding on and fighting for all of us struggling with mental health issues. It really is an uplifting and positivity-driven album, even if it doesn’t seem that way on the surface.

The album is by no means perfect. Some of the tracks drag on too long with extended outro sequences and an argument could be made that a lot of the songs follow a similar, basic song structure. That said, the album is a hit-machine, the performances are incredible, and the themes and overall sound are refreshing. Fortitude has been described as a combination of progressive metal, tech-death, stoner rock, groove metal, post-metal, alt metal, and Americana. In other words, the album proves GOJIRA is not defined by a single genre and is not interested in being boxed into a particular sound. Other metal bands should take note.

IN DEPTH

Fortitude opens with “Born For One Thing. The track fades in slowly, giving the listener a moment to settle in – I appreciate this idea. As the track hits it’s stride, Joe’s unique vocals stand-out immediately. In my opinion, he is reaching his peak as a vocalist on this album. The verse plays with an interesting dynamic of brutally heavy riffs with low distortion, and the chorus is very catchy. The track seemingly glides from section to section and, while the track is super heavy, is able to eliminate any rough edges. This track is going to become a live staple and is the perfect clash of GOJIRA sound with mainstream appeal.

“Amazonia” is led by Mario Duplantier’s drum performance. The track starts with a very groovy drum line filled with tribal elements. It has an Americana feel and successfully portrays the band’s goal of getting indigenous elements across. The verse is brutal and classic GORJIRA, the chorus has some amazing, and catchy, riffing. This is a major highlight for me. The vocals continue to be on fire here and perfectly balance grit and melody.

“Another World” was the first album single, way back in August. The track is an example of “metal music that isn’t heavy but still manages to be heavy”. The riffs are hypnotic and the tone captures the emotion of the song’s themes. “Another World” is one of many examples on Fortitude that is tough to lump into a single genre, as it contains elements from many types of music. Because of this, the track may take some time to appreciate, but “Another World” is truly a work of art in the metal world.

“Hold On” does not sound like anything you’d expect from GOJIRA. The opening is highlighted by acapella vocalizations and soft guitars. But at the 1:41 mark, the track takes a turn as the guitars swell into a crushing, driving metal riff. The track is very uplifting without sacrificing energy or losing the GOJIRA sound. It becomes an anthem of sorts, telling the listener they have to hold on and fight; not just for yourself but for everyone struggling with their mental health. Like many tracks on Fortitude, I believe most listeners will be able to appreciate the artistry.

“New Found” is a bookend to “Hold On”. This track is instantly recognizable as a GOJIRA track. The guitars play around with several effects including bends, slides, and so on. “New Found” is the heaviest track on the album but continues the balancing act of being catchy and melodic. The chorus here is also very uplifting and the interplay between the guitars is superb. The track blends complementary guitar riffs over one another, providing added depth and substance to the track. The bridge towards the end of the song gets a chef’s kiss from me. It is a little bit of everything: heavy, brutal, melodic, and full of positive energy. Take a listen to the track for yourself!

The album’s title track, “Fortitude”, acts as an interlude leading into the next track. It is a slow, acoustic, and mostly instrumental piece – accompanied by some wordless vocals. The instruments of choice here seem to be a ralled chain, and djembe drums (a type of African drum). It serves as a lead-in for “The Chant” which is easily the most melodic and largely clean sung song of the bands career.

“The Chant” opens with chanting, appropriately enough, and stylistically differs from anything else the band has done. The track is light-hearted, filled with clean vocals, and melodies that will definitely get stuck in your head. “The Chant” is probably my second least-favorite track on Fortitude but is an interesting showcase of the band recognizing the own unique sound. They are then able to take the sound in a direction that varies from their ‘norm’.

“Sphinx” is an easy track to review. It has the coolest riff on the entire album and is easy to listen to. It is filled with intense vocals and riffs that feel effortless – no rough edges here. The end.

The fourth single from Fortitude “Into the Storm” is my number one song choice. Let’s start with the drums. Mario Duplantier’s performance on this track should be illegal. There is a lot to experience by focusing on the drums but the best example I can give is the seamless transitions from polyrhythmic drumming into the anthemic sections. Speaking of the anthemic sections (aka chorus), the words and the sounds are powerful but uplifting. This is another track that focuses on the theme of mental health, so I have a particular connection to the lyrics. The vocal harmonization’s are great as well, and “Into the Storm” should be the set closer on their upcoming tour dates.

“The Trails” is another bookend song. Where “Into the Storm” is my favorite track, “The Trails” is my least favorite. It is a slow track with soft, clean, and often whispered vocals. That is not my issue though. The track lacks any interesting or dynamic elements. It is a standard track that comes off as bland and repetitive. The song seems to be a bit of an experiment for GOJIRA that just doesn’t work as well as the rest of the album. I would be surprised if this is every played live.

“The Trails” is another bookend song. Where “Into the Storm” is my favorite track, “The Trails” is my least favorite. It is a slow track with soft, clean, and often whispered vocals. That is not my issue though. The track lacks any interesting or dynamic elements. It is a standard track that comes off as bland and repetitive. The song seems to be a bit of an experiment for GOJIRA that just doesn’t work as well as the rest of the album. I would be surprised if this is every played live.

CONCLUSION

Fortitude is an album of immense power, intelligence, and feeling. It is an album of its time, and a needed one at that. It shines a defiant light into the darkness, it uplifts without ignoring the struggles, and ultimately is an album that many in the world very much need to hear, and in a way that only GOJIRA can deliver. While not perfect, it is a showcase of heaviness and dedication to the craft, teasing out tones, passages, and emotional resonance. The score of 9.0 out of 10 isn’t just a score for GOJIRA fans, this is a score for the masses.

HIGHLIGHTS:

“Amazonia”, “Hold On”, “New Found”, “Into the Storm”