Gojira Deliver Again in Zagreb!

Location: Zagreb / Dom Sportova / Croatia

Date: Saturday, 30 July 2022

“Finally!” — that’s what plenty of people thought when the French sensation Gojira finally came within striking distance of Slovenia. The band still hasn’t managed to stop in Slovenia itself, but Zagreb is close enough that a whole lot of fans made it worth their while. Expectations were already sky-high, made even higher by the fact that the show had been pushed back due to COVID restrictions. Thousands of attendees gathered outside Dom Sportova, a good number of them coming from Slovenia. After all, Gojira had been the most-requested band at Metaldays year after year, and that wish had never been granted. This was actually the French heavyweights’ second visit to the Croatian capital — but their first as the headliner.

Gojira were joined on the tour by New Zealand’s Alien Weaponry and England’s Employed to Serve — two young, promising bands, though Alien Weaponry hardly needs an introduction around these parts, having already played Slovenia and drawn a massive following at Metaldays 2019.

Doors opened at seven, the beer was flowing freely, and the early arrivals staked out their spots at the front, giving Employed to Serve the stage they deserved. The English quintet have a few albums and plenty of road miles behind them. The set came across as pretty chaotic, largely down to the shrieking female vocals. Musically they covered a lot of ground — it felt like a mix of chaotic hardcore, groove/thrash metal, and death metal. Employed to Serve had some genuinely hard-hitting moments where they sounded convincing and in command, but other times things got muddled, as if the band hadn’t quite decided what they actually wanted to be — which left a somewhat mixed impression in the end. The sound wasn’t great either, to be fair.

Since their last European run, Alien Weaponry have gained even more traction. In the meantime they recorded their second album Tangaroa, from which they played a handful of tracks. A new bassist also got his introduction to the crowd. Alien Weaponry are best known for weaving Māori lyrics and chants into their music — as for the music itself, they’re not exactly reinventing the wheel. The band sticks to a thrash/metalcore framework with the occasional breakdown, which isn’t going to win any originality awards. That said, you have to give them credit for being seriously energetic on stage. You can clearly tell this band is having a blast, and if they keep at it, they’ll keep climbing the ladder. The crowd had no trouble getting into it either — there was already plenty of jumping, and a few mosh pits broke out along the way. As warm-ups go, it was pretty intense.

Before the French heavyweights took the stage, a curtain dropped bearing projections of symbols from last year’s album Fortitude (review HERE). After roughly three minutes of countdown on the projection screen, the curtain fell and Gojira launched into the explosive Born for One Thing from the current album — a perfect opener for a show that was always going to be an intense one, purely on the strength of its crushing power. Within minutes Gojira had made it crystal clear why they’re one of the hottest acts in metal right now. Backbone from From Mars To Sirius sent the whole arena into a frenzy, with inflatable whales/dolphins — the kind you’d take to the beach — flying through the air.  

With each successive track, Gojira kept proving why the reputation follows them around. The band is tight, rhythmically precise, and their songs — heavy and technical as they are — have choruses strong enough that the crowd was singing along. The more recent albums lean commercial, and the songs reflect that with a somewhat more straightforward approach. Older material wasn’t absent, but there was noticeably less of it than at previous shows. Still, credit where it’s due: they kept Love in the set, complete with the Remembrance breakdown. Flying Whales from The Mars to Sirius also made the cut, while The Way of All Flesh was largely left on the shelf — only Toxic Garbage Island survived. Naturally, the focus was on promoting Fortitude. This was essentially Gojira’s first proper chance to really push that record live, and you have to say it landed well. Hold On, Grind, and Another World all went down a storm. The crowd was going wild throughout. Down on the floor it was so packed that plenty of people retreated to the stands just to breathe. Dom Sportova wasn’t really the ideal venue here — the floor was too small, and as any sports arena will tell you, acoustics aren’t exactly a strong point. The strobes, though, were outstanding — varied and inventive, genuinely adding a lot to the show and lifting the songs to another level.

Gojira’s tightness as a unit deserves real praise — drummer Mario Duplantier was the standout, at one point communicating with the crowd via signs reading “Jebeno vas ne čujem” and “Savršeno.” Gojira aren’t the most talkative band out there, though. Joe Duplantier, vocalist and guitarist, exchanged a few words with the crowd but there were no lengthy speeches. He is a good entertainer, though — during The Chant the audience sang along like they were at a football match. By the time the confetti started falling, it didn’t really feel like you were watching representatives of extreme metal so much as an MTV rock sensation playing to the masses. Tastes differ, of course — for plenty of people, The Chant was the highlight of the night. The main set closed on a more characteristically Gojira note with The Gift of Guilt from L’Enfant Sauvage, blending melancholy and technical precision with plenty of guitar tapping. A more than solid way to end things.

For the encore Gojira returned with newer material — which, for longtime fans, left a slightly bitter aftertaste. New Found and Amazonia were played well enough, but it wasn’t quite the cherry on top you’d hope for from a band with such a rich back catalogue. No getting around it: Gojira seem to be settling into a comfort zone, much like their latest album suggests.

Gojira lived up to their reputation in Zagreb with an energetic, punishing, and grandiose show. The band is still at the top of their game, and on this showing, you’d welcome them back as soon as possible — ideally with a few extra treats thrown into the set.

Photos: Nina Grad