Fresh off their much-talked about appearance at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, Louder Than Life marked Gojira’s exclusive U.S. festival appearance for 2024.
The French heavy metal quartet performed on the Main Stage in Louisville, Kentucky on Sunday, September 29, 2024.
“What a blast at (Louder Than Life) today!” the band shared on social media.
“Thank you all for making it so special!”
Photographer Alex Ochoa captured these images from their performance:
Photographer Steve Thrasher captured these images from their performance:
Gojira tends to operate in polar extremes. “I can’t help but see humanity as a parasite,” Gojira’s co-founding guitarist and principal songwriter Joe Duplantier explains, “and yet the most beautiful things come out of humans.” To that end, the French quartet—Duplantier and his brother Mario (drums), Christian Andreu (guitar), and Jean-Michel Labadie (bass)—have spent the past 15 years translating this duality into a distinctive sound: dark, crushing metal brightened by triumphant arena-rock melodies, contrast-heavy and emotionally charged.
Enter 2016’s Magma, where Gojira found strength—and crossover success—through a singular commitment to self-reflection. The intensely personal record, penned in memory of the Duplantier brothers’ late mother, was a painful but significant turning point for the group. It debuted at No. 24 on the Billboard 200 chart, topped the Billboard Hard Rock Albums chart (a first for a French band), and netted nominations for Best Rock Album and Best Metal Performance (for “Silvera”) at the 59th annual Grammy Awards. Numerous global headlining tours, including a stint with Metallica, followed. Coming out of Magma, Gojira weren’t just one of the biggest metal bands—they were one of the biggest rock bands in the world.
Humbled and honored by Magma’s success, Duplantier felt exhausted and eager to move on. “Magma marked a sad moment in our lives,” Joe says. “We were expressing grief, so it was a bit heavy: not only the process of making that album, but also talking about it and playing the songs.” For their next album, Fortitude, Gojira decided to focus on joy and strength. In late 2019, the Duplantier brothers returned to Silver Cord Studio in Queens to work on new material. “With this album, we wanted to come back with more joy, more power, and more positivity,” Joe explains. “We felt like it was time for something else—something that is all about strength.”
“The writing process was very thrilling and exciting,” Mario adds. “We really dug deep into every song, paying particular attention to the structures and arrangements.”
However, just as Fortitude was nearing completion, COVID-19 hit, bringing everything to a halt. While waiting out the lockdown in France, Joe re-examined the songs. “In a way, I saw these songs being born again with new meaning,” he says. “It’s almost like we felt like this was going to happen.”
Fortitude isn’t intended as a musical escape from global misery but as a motivational force urging humanity to take action. “Come on! Get back on your feet! Go for it!” Joe says of the album’s themes. First single “Born For One Thing” kicks off the album with its anti-consumerist message, inspired by Tibetan and Thai philosophy. On “Amazonia,” Gojira addresses the destruction of the Amazon rainforest, with proceeds from the song benefiting indigenous tribes. The album culminates with “The Chant,” described by Mario as Gojira’s most melodic material to date, offering a message of healing and strength.
Gojira struggled, persevered, and rose. Now, it’s our turn.
Follow the band at https://www.gojira-music.com/.