Source: Graham Berry
If you know one thing about French progressive metal titans Gojira, it’s probably their reputation for being absolutely ferocious live. Such a reputation alone would explain why they’ve managed to sell out the O2 Kentish Town Forum on an otherwise unremarkable Sunday night. But with a back catalogue of consistently engaging and challenging music, including their latest and most diverse release Magma, to back up their live chops, that Sunday night is about to become much more remarkable.
Pittsburgh’s Code Orange know a thing or two about diverse releases. Their last album, Forever, saw them slip the surly trappings of metallic hardcore and embrace elements from dark electro, shoegaze, alt rock and more. When they take to the stage under murderous crimson lights and tear into ‘Forever’ itself, it’s clear they’ve not lost any of their furious edge. They gallop through snaking grooves and stabbing atonality, their three-way vocal assault running the gammut from filthy and guttural to caustic, ragged shouts. Things fray a little at times, sloppy and aimless noisescape transitions and missed queues rankle, but fail to dampen the spirits of the seething crowd. Fresh cuts like ‘Bleeding In the Blur’ and ‘Ugly’ show a band flexing their experimental songwriting muscles, and could well see them shoot up festival bills and tour slots with their ever more accessible yet enduringly powerful approach.
Source: Graham Berry
The shouts of ‘Go-ji-ra, Go-ji-ra’ reach a crescendo before the foursome take to the stage. Mario Duplantier appears first, hammering out the intro of ‘Only Pain’ like a metronome before the rest of the band cascade in. While it would be understandable for them to lean too heavily on their newer material, Gojira clearly know what their audience wants, as the set flits between more recent offerings and old standards. ‘Heaviest Matter Of The Universe’ is spine-wrecking, remorselessly crushing, possessed of a breathtaking density. The one-two of ‘Stranded’ and ‘Silvera’ has the crowd singing along during the soaring choruses, before taking things back even further in their history with snatches of ‘Remembrance’.
Source: Graham Berry
The first gentle notes of ‘Flying Whales’ get the same enraptured reception you’d expect from Metallica kicking off ‘Enter Sandman’, and the drop crashes over the fans like a wave of ecstasy. Joe Duplantier is humble and thankful throughout, the band seemingly in awe of the reflection of what they’ve achieved, never once seeming disingenuous or forced. He commands the crowd easily, exalting them to ever higher levels of excitement, always quick to ask of their readiness. They close the show with the blisteringly fast, rampant ‘Esoteric Surgery’ and the predatory stalk of ‘Vacuity’, proving that they can be relentlessly heavy at any speed.
What is most striking about a night like tonight is just how positive the vibes are. Without being a goofy party band, while still being remorselessly heavy, Gojira are able to uplift and awe, and remain humble and grounded with it. That’s a rare skill, and one that will ensure they will continue to be at the top of the metal pack for a long time to come.
