Gojira - The Link
Listenable - - 05/2005
By Patrick Walsh
When The Link opens with some ethnic percussive sounds reminiscent of something Sepultura might have been into, before bursting into a Meshuggah-esque chugathon, Gojira waste no time in making a stamp (or should that be 'stomp'?). The Link is a reissue of the band's debut, now available outside of their native France for the first time. Gojira are a commendable attempt at being a little bit different and The Link is a solid effort, occasionally superb even, but ultimately hints at greater things in the future.
The aforementioned title track pulses along, and the vocalist isn't afraid of trying to inject some emotion into his screams. 'Death of Me's opening riff sounds a little amateurish, but the song is saved when the band up the tempo that's complimented by some superb machine-like drumming. Influence wise, it may seem initially easy to pin these guys down; there's obvious debts paid to Meshuggah throughout, as well as a mechanical feel that recalls cyber-thrashers Fear Factory at times. There's also a sense of groove that sometimes recalls Domination-era Morbid Angel, However, at the heart of The Link are some deceptively complex arrangements that appear linear at times, but ultimately serve to make this quite an enjoyable listen. The stacatto riff at the tail end of 'Rememberance', for instance, is quite a head spinner, and fades out into some more strange tribal noises.
Occasionally, however, the band sell themselves a little short in the songwriting department, and cuts like 'Indians' don't really seem to be gel together properly. Furthermore, the band aren't quite as 'out there' as they'd no doubt like to imagine themselves, and structurally some of these tracks are fairly similar. However, they get off the hook through a very pronounced talent in writing engaging riffs, 'Embrace the World' is a clear highlight, as it shoots off with a simply brilliant drill-like riff and remains pumelling throughout. Gojira could also stand to possibly up the aggressiveness levels a couple of notches too, as the guitars sound slightly thin in places. So The Link, then, is an occasionally stunning album that's let down at times by some staid and linear songwriting habits, but remains recommended nonetheless. A new offering is also in the pipeline, so it would be advisable to keep an eyelid up for Gojira in months to come.
7.5/10
Official Gojira Website
Official Listenable Records Website
Listenable - - 05/2005
By Patrick Walsh
When The Link opens with some ethnic percussive sounds reminiscent of something Sepultura might have been into, before bursting into a Meshuggah-esque chugathon, Gojira waste no time in making a stamp (or should that be 'stomp'?). The Link is a reissue of the band's debut, now available outside of their native France for the first time. Gojira are a commendable attempt at being a little bit different and The Link is a solid effort, occasionally superb even, but ultimately hints at greater things in the future.
The aforementioned title track pulses along, and the vocalist isn't afraid of trying to inject some emotion into his screams. 'Death of Me's opening riff sounds a little amateurish, but the song is saved when the band up the tempo that's complimented by some superb machine-like drumming. Influence wise, it may seem initially easy to pin these guys down; there's obvious debts paid to Meshuggah throughout, as well as a mechanical feel that recalls cyber-thrashers Fear Factory at times. There's also a sense of groove that sometimes recalls Domination-era Morbid Angel, However, at the heart of The Link are some deceptively complex arrangements that appear linear at times, but ultimately serve to make this quite an enjoyable listen. The stacatto riff at the tail end of 'Rememberance', for instance, is quite a head spinner, and fades out into some more strange tribal noises.
Occasionally, however, the band sell themselves a little short in the songwriting department, and cuts like 'Indians' don't really seem to be gel together properly. Furthermore, the band aren't quite as 'out there' as they'd no doubt like to imagine themselves, and structurally some of these tracks are fairly similar. However, they get off the hook through a very pronounced talent in writing engaging riffs, 'Embrace the World' is a clear highlight, as it shoots off with a simply brilliant drill-like riff and remains pumelling throughout. Gojira could also stand to possibly up the aggressiveness levels a couple of notches too, as the guitars sound slightly thin in places. So The Link, then, is an occasionally stunning album that's let down at times by some staid and linear songwriting habits, but remains recommended nonetheless. A new offering is also in the pipeline, so it would be advisable to keep an eyelid up for Gojira in months to come.
7.5/10
Official Gojira Website
Official Listenable Records Website
