With a sound as monstrous as that which French outfit Gojira possess, it's a wonder that it took this long for their impact to be properly felt here at home. What isn't surprising though is the aptly chosen moniker they took for themselves following the legal issues that emerged with their original choice, Godzilla. I mean really, when the shoe fits so well, why would they not take the original Japanese incarnation of the name?

An utterly brutal pummel sets in from the moment play is hit, all while the band unfurl their rage with a colossal sound and an expansive vision. Tempo is key to their plight and generally, a slow lumbering pace is set upon with minimalistic jaunts into speedier death and thrash styled territory left to sprout outward like wretched limbs. Gruff vocals are sung in English, in case you were curious, and the rhythm section plays the part of the bulldozer and the steamroller, laying down the battered foundation for the rest of the group. Sure, a few sharp weapons are also used, but in most cases the band prefer blunt weaponry to keep up their consistently unruly level of heaviness.

Able to strap on the progressive reigns and take the listener along with them on a trip through instruMETAL introspection just as easy as they can sound like Mastodon being stepped on by a brontosaurus; there's a diversity in terms of musicianship here that rarely fails to impress. In fact, it could even be argued that if you gave bands like Between The Buried And Me and The Acacia Strain elephant tranquilizers, Gojira might be what poured out of their instruments.

But for all the bands obtuse thunderous aggression there is a lack of surprise found in their songwriting that plays against them the most. It's fantastic that they don't adopt the cliche melting pot schizophrenia approach. But sometimes it can all sound a bit too turgid and it'd be far more cathartic for them to cut loose and veer off from the path. That said, "From Mars To Sirius" remains an album well worth the time of just about any metal head with a penchant for elephantine-like pugnacity and unflinching hostility. Gojira may not be the king of all monsters yet, but with albums as solid as this, their strengths will surely continue to grow.