As an eco-conscious band, French progressive metal outfit Gojira have often lent their star power to environmentally-minded causes. Their current album “Fortitude” saw the proceeds generated from the track “Amazonia” go towards The Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil. The group also staged an auction to raise funds for that organization.
It’s been a long-running motivation for the band to try to better the earth and stand up for nature. To that end, back in 2010 the group revealed they were putting together a benefit EP for the non-profit marine conservationist activist group Sea Shepherd.
Several high-profile guest appearances were recruited for that effort, including Soulfly, etc. frontman/guitarist Max Cavalera, Canadian prog metaller Devin Townsend and Meshuggah guitarist/vocalist Fredrik Thordendal. The latter two guested on the lone track to emerge from the release, “Of Blood And Salt“, which you can find below.
In 2017, drummer Mario Duplantier mentioned that despite the initial progress on the effort falling victim to a failed hard drive, they still had plans to forge ahead with the release. In a fan Q&A with the group’s vocalist/guitarist Joe Duplantier newly published by Kerrang!, he was asked about the current status of that outing. Here’s his responde:
“The one track that we did bring out, ‘Of Blood And Salt‘ featuring Devin Townsend and Fredrik Thordendal of Meshuggah, was great, but then it got buried – at first under technical issues, then under all of the other things we have going on. Some of it got lost; some of it needs rebuilding.
Before we brought out ‘Magma‘, we had a meeting and decided that it was something we wanted to release before the album, but the record label wanted us to release after so that it didn’t interfere with all of the expectation that was building. After the album came out, it turned out that we were so busy that we barely had time to catch up with life.
You have to rehearse, you have to be ready for tour, you have so many interviews and obligations. Then the same thing happened during ‘Fortitude‘. There are three more songs somewhere on a hard drive still to come out some day. I will release them before I die!”
In the same Q&A, Duplantier was asked ‘How are you able to preach environmentalism and then jet off on world tours?” Duplantier replied:
“That is a fair question, and it’s something that’s extremely challenging. Knowing what the right thing is to do in life can be very challenging a lot of the time: trying not to leave too much of a large carbon footprint. Ultimately, we were faced with the choice of stopping touring – effectively quitting – because this industry is polluting, or keeping going because our message might be able to do some good.
We’re not saying that we’re out there saving the world, or that our message is so incredible that it’s going to change people’s lives, but we do have an influence on our listeners. Our message is to be yourself, to do what you’re supposed to in the world, and then we should have a better world. If every single person does what they’re supposed to do in their heart – what they’re good at, what makes them happy – then it’ll be a better, cleaner, more sustainable world.”
Later in the chat, Duplantier was asked when fans can expect a follow-up to the band’s seventh studio album, 2021’s “Fortitude“. Here’s what he had to say about that:
“We’re really at that time when there’s nothing to say. Of course we’re talking about it, and Mario [Duplantier] is really on fire recording a lot of drums, but, in terms of songwriting, I have a lot of catching up to do. I guess I’m still digesting what we did with ‘Fortitude‘ before I properly move into the writing phase. It’s killing me that we’ve still not properly toured that album in Europe. It’s hurting our souls, but finally it’s happening!”
Looking at their touring schedule for the year below, there certainly doesn’t appear to be much of a window yet to fit in a new album:
With Employed To Serve & Alien Weaponry:
02/14 Newcastle, UK – City Hall
02/15 Glasgow, UK – O2 Academy
02/17 Cardiff, UK – Motorpoint Arena
02/19 Manchester, UK – O2 Victoria Warehouse
02/21 Nottingham, UK – Motorpoint Arena
02/22 London, UK – Alexandra Palace
02/24 Bordeaux, FRA – Arkea Arena
02/25 Paris, FRA – Accor Arena
02/26 Luxembourg, LUX – Rockhal
02/28 Lyon, FRA – Halle Tony Garnier
With Mastodon & Lorna Shore:
04/18 Portland, OR – Veterans Memorial Coliseum
04/20 Concord, CA – Concord Pavilion
04/21 Los Angeles, CA – The Forum
04/22 Phoenix, AZ – AZ Federal Theatre
04/23 Las Vegas, NV – Virgin
04/26 Dallas, TX – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
04/28 Houston, TX – 713 Music Hall
04/29 Austin, TX – Moody Center
04/30 Oklahoma City, OK – Zoo Amphitheatre
05/02 Nashville, TN – Municipal Auditorium
05/04 Boca Raton, FL – Sunset Cove Amphitheater
05/05 St. Augustine, FL – St. Augustine Amphitheatre
05/06 Atlanta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
05/07 Asheville, NC – Harrah’s Cherokee Center
05/09 Richmond, VA – Virginia Credit Union Live
05/10 Baltimore, MD – Pier Six Pavilion
05/11 Reading, PA – Santander Arena
Gojira:
06/02 Nurnberg, GER – Rock im Park
06/03 Nurburg, GER – Rock am Ring
06/06 Amsterdam, NET – AFAS Arena
06/07-10 Gdansk, POL – Mystic Festival
06/08 Stockholm, SWE – Sweden Rock Festival
06/12 Budapest, HUN – Barba Negra
06/13 Prague, CZE – Mala Sportovni Hala
06/14-17 Copenhagen, DEN – Copenhell
06/16 Dessel, BEL – Graspop Metal Meeting
06/18 Vienna, AUT – Arena Wien
06/19 Milan, ITA – Alcatraz
06/20 Geneva, SWI – Arena de Geneve
06/22-24 Oslo, NOR – Tons Of Rock
06/23-25 Gräfenhainichen, GER – Full Force
06/27 Tallinn, EST – Noblessner Foundry
06/29-07-01 Seinajoki, FIN – Provinssi Festival
06/30-07/02 Helsinki, FIN – Tuska Festival
07/01 Belfort, FRA – Eurockeennes de Belfort
07/02 Nimes, FRA – Arenes de Nimes
With Mastodon & Lorna Shore:
08/09 Cincinnati, OH – MegaCorp Pavilion
08/10 Cleveland, OH – Jacob’s Pavilion
08/11 Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE Outdoors
08/12 New York, NY – Coney Island Amphitheater
08/13 Syracuse, NY – OneCenter
08/15 Detroit, MI – Masonic Temple
08/17 Toronto, ON – RBC Echo Beach
08/18 Laval, QC – Place Bell
08/19 Portland, ME – Cross Insurance Arena
08/20 Boston, MA – MGM Music Hall
08/23 Milwaukee, WI – BMO Pavilion
08/25 Hammond, IN – Horseshoe
08/26 Omaha, NE – Westfair Amphitheater
08/27 Minneapolis, MN – Waite Park Amphitheater
08/29 St. Louis, MO – The Factory
08/30 Kansas City, MO – Azura Amphitheater
09/01 Salt Lake City, UT – USANA Amphitheater
09/02 Denver, CO – Fiddler’s Green Amphitheater
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