ALBUM REVIEW-Magma, By Gojira

 
  For those of you that don't know, a few weeks back I did a review of Gojira's record "From Mars To Sirius" and it ended up getting one of the highest ratings I've ever assigned, something that may be surprising to some of you is that that record was my introduction to the band and I've been a huge fan ever since. So when I heard they were making a new album, I was ridiculously excited (especially after hearing one of their newer singles Silvera).
To give you guys who are unfamiliar some basic info, Gojira are a French metal band who started around 1996 and are known for their environmentally charged lyrics, and their unique blend of death, groove, and progressive metal.
Their second full length record on Roadrunner records, "Magma" manages to be every bit as solid as it's predecessors. The record is unique in that it's the bands shortest record, focusing less on the over the top, proggy stylings of past releases and focusing more on being brash, visceral, and ear splittingly heavy.
Instead of starting off on a heavy note though, the band opens with "The Shooting Star", a fantastic song with an almost tantalizing quality and a rarely straightforward vocal performance (as opposed to the frantic vocal stylings of a song like stranded).
In terms of lyricism it doesn't differ much from prior releases, that said though it's full of numerous interesting lyrics focusing on subjects like change, politics, life, death, and environmentalism. Musically, it covers a wide array of metal stylings with tracks like yellow stone giving off an almost doom metal like feel. Some tracks throughout giving off an almost hazy, stoner metal like vibe (Magma almost sounding like it could be off a Kyuss album).
The vocals are as rough and brutal as ever, you can almost hear the emotion and hate in Joe Duplantier's vocals. I have very little negative to say about this record, and while yes it's shorter than previous releases and not exactly reinventing the wheel stylistically or lyrically, the band have created another solid record with heavy instrumentation and just enough differentiation to attract new fans and satisfy longtime fans.


Sidenotes: First album since relocating to New York, First album recorded in the bands personal studio.
Highlight Tracks: Silvera, Magma, Stranded
Overall Rating: 8.4/10