Gojira - L'Enfant Sauvage
Rating
RIYL
MeshuggahLamb of God
Textures
Strapping Young Lad
Release Date
06/26/2012
Label
Roadrunner RecordsTracklist
1. Explosia2. L'Enfant Sauvage
3. The Axe
4. Liquid Fire
5. The Wild Healer
6. Planned Obsolescence
7. Mouth Of Kala
8. The Gift Of Guilt
9. Pain Is A Master
10. Born In Winter
11. The Fall
Users Rating |
Your RatingCreate an account or log in to rate this album |
Recent Ratings |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I am going to make a bold statement here: Gojira are the next big movement in metal. Garnering attention from the likes of prog-mastermind Devin Townsend to groove-metal gods Lamb of God, it is clear that Gojira has made a lasting impact on the vast empire of metal and they aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. In fact, ever since the Bayonne, France quartet’s widely renowned magnum opus From Mars To Sirius was unleashed to the world in 2005, they have been triggering tsunamis within the metal world and leaving no survivors in their wake. Ironic, considering the guys in Gojira are all self-professed environmental activists and advocates of the power of mother nature, a characteristic which is evident not only in their lyrical themes but also in their music itself. This fact stands even truer with the release of their latest masterpiece, L’Enfant Sauvage, which also happens to be their debut album for the legendary major-league metal label Roadrunner Records. Just like with the entirety of Gojira’s past catalogue, the songs contained within L’Enfant Sauvage are a testament to the savage and untamable natural processes which occur on Earth’s surface, as well as the sonic equivalent of a 10.5 earthquake.
L’Enfant Sauvage opens with the colossal “Explosia,” which sets the stage nicely for what’s to come throughout the album: crushing riffs, head-bobbing grooves, and tastefully creative passages only Gojira could pull off. Take, for instance, the latter half of “Explosia;" a seemingly stereotypical Gojira onslaught becomes even more exciting when Joe Duplantier changes the mood of the song entirely by introducing a guitar lead which sounds like the theme to a spaghetti-western. The title track displays a similar sense of creativity evident in Mario Duplantier’s ghosting drum groove, which carries each verse ever-so-gracefully into the chaotic chorus. In keeping with Gojira tradition, “The Wild Healer” is an instrumental interlude which serves as an atmospheric breath of fresh air, featuring some graceful guitar-tapping which sounds surprisingly very reminiscent of something Muse would write. The pacing of “Mouth of Kala” calls to mind “Toxic Garbage Island” from The Way of All Flesh, but the groovy, droning core riff of the song puts it among the best Gojira have ever written. “Gift of Guilt” belongs in this same category as well; the melodic passages contrasted with the brutal riffing make it one of the strongest songs on the album. While these are some of the highlights of L’Enfant Sauvage, each song on the album is strong in its own right, and there is not a dull moment to be found.
For all of us non-French speaking folk, L’Enfant Sauvage translates to “The Wild Child,” which is a fitting title for an album such as this. Much like Meshuggah, Gojira has a very signature sound which can only be traced back to them, and it’s no different this time around. However, they have also never written the same album twice, and this trend continues with L’Enfant Sauvage. The songwriting is stronger and more effective than ever before, and the brothers Duplantier continue to display the mastery of their instruments in spades. Gojira in no way attempted to overhaul their signature sound with L’Enfant Sauvage, but their maturity in songwriting and the subtle musical touches they have injected into their signature style make this their strongest album to date. They took the best parts of From Mars to Sirius and The Way of All Flesh and combined them to create an experience that is Gojira in their purest form. Similar to the djent movement pioneered by Meshuggah, clones of Gojira have begun to peek their heads out in the current metal scene, and with time I am sure the future generation will forget who it was that sparked this musical movement Gojira is currently spearheading. These people will more than likely be extremely ignorant, just as they were with the djent movement, but nonetheless, my advice to them will always remain this: never forget who the masters are.
--Aaron Lambert
Comments
Fishers, Indiana
I will never not read this as L'Enfant Sausage.
Top Albums: 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 || Tumblr | Twitter
Minnesota
I'm glad I'm not the only one.
Find me EVERYWHERE:
Fishers, Indiana
And ever since that one time Aaron misspelled Make Do and Mend, I can only ever call them Make Do and Menu.
I have band name and album name problems.
Top Albums: 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 || Tumblr | Twitter
Baton Rouge
This is pretty good, I guess. As far as French metal goes, I really liked Uneven Structure's album from last year a lot more.
And I ate (creole style) white beans and (cajun) sausage for lunch today, so L'Enfant Sausage is really messing with my brain right now.
Boobs
http://thenicsperiment.blogspot.com/
Minnesota
It's weird. I really didn't like From Mars to Sirius at all. But I did like The Way of All Flesh.
This one... I definitely like, but it's only 4-ish material, not quite in the 4.5 range.
Find me EVERYWHERE:
Reno, NV
I really enjoyed this album, actually more than their previous ones. However, it falls at a 4.0 for me as well. Instead of growing with each listen it is shrinking with each listen for me. Very good, nonetheless.
Top Weekly Artists Last.fm
"Wolf Down the Earth" will always hold a special place in my heart, but as it stands, "Mouth of Kala" is probably my favorite song Gojira have ever written. Some of the songs on L'Enfant Sauvage may not be as strong as those found on their last two albums, but as a whole, I definitely think they released an album that captures their essence perfectly.
Salt Lake City, UT
Same.
http://www.sonnambulanaut.com/
^ Blogthing.
Salt Lake City, UT
Also, metal album of the motherfuckin' year.
http://www.sonnambulanaut.com/
^ Blogthing.