Gojira From Mars to Sirius

Personnel: Joe Duplantier (vocals, guitar); Christian Andreu (guitar); Mario Duplantier (drums).

Audio Mixers: Joe Duplantier; Jean-Michel Labadie; Laurent Etchemendy.

Recording information: Le Florida, France; Studio Des Milans, France.

French death metal outfit Gojira put a bit of a twist on the traditions of the genre. Extended song lengths give the musicians time to stretch out, and the band plays with complex rhythms, juxtapositions of loud and soft sections, and other hallmarks of progressive metal. None of this is to say FROM MARS TO SIRIUS isn't heavy, however, as the rhythm section crushes with the weight of an anvil and the riffs slice with a razory brutality. Rather than filling up space with hackneyed virtuoso shredding (the album has a conspicuous dearth of solos), Gojira funnel their expertise into intricate song structures and immediately affecting atmospheres.

• Genre: Rock
• Released: 2014-05-27
• Format: CD