Friday, August 20, 2010

Artist 27: Gojira

Techincally this is a group of people, and not of the visual arts field, but they're very visual to me.

Gojira formed in 1996 in Bayonne, France. I know, France is not where you'd expect one of the heaviest hitting progressive death metal bands in recent history to emerge from. Their lyrical content often environmental concern as a main theme (songs such as "Toxic Garbage Island", "Global Warming", "Into The Wilderness", and "Wolf Down the Earth"). Part of my senior thesis is relating to this theme as well.

Gojira Pictures, Images and Photos

*I plan on stuffing the 6 foot long sturgeon with plastic I find laying on the side of the road to create its digestive system. This is kind of a 6' long middle finger to dam builders, who have nearly wiped out the pallid sturgeon.

Gojira's albums often have an underlying theme of the process of dying, and death in general. This really resonates with me since I have lost entirely too many friends to car accidents, illness, and murder. Their sound is often described as massive, thick, and unrelenting. This wall of sound and complex harmonies generate some really interesting images in my head, as evident by the 4 pieces I have done while listening to their material. These images are dark, menacing, and hostile, yet have a serene, harmonious feel to them.

I think the song "Vacuity" best demonstrates just how much mass their writing style has. Plus, the video is a beautifully gruesome piece of art.

No comments:

Post a Comment