Magma

Magma hardly represents the epitome of the avant-garde in today’s metal scene, but in offering a concise anthology of accessible, immediately engaging songs that nonetheless manage to redefine the edge of the commercial envelope, Gojira set the bar for what arena metal could be five years from now, ten years from now... whenever the more casual heavy metal demographic finally catches up.

Magma might not be the album fans were expecting, but it’s really not about them. The Duplantiers had to make this album for themselves. We are the fortunate witnesses.

Gojira have turned their grief into triumph. It will ensure they don’t remain on the fringes of metal’s elite for much longer.

This album is not going to give Gojira any big pop radio hits, but it will certainly broaden their appeal outside of the death metal ghetto to more general fans of metal and hard rock.

[A] brilliant album. [18 Jun 2016, p.51]

On the leaner, extraordinarily concise Magma, you hear Gojira becoming even more fully realized.

Magma’s not nearly as esoteric as the albums that preceded it--and considering how Gojira’s progressive tendencies have distinguished them from the get-go, the catchiest tracks on the record arguably take the biggest risks.

The change in musical course--and the fact that Joe is singing more and screaming less these days--will probably disappoint (or even anger) a certain percentage of the band's devoted fans. But for those who can appreciate a tightly focused hard rock album infused with emotions that are often just as heavy as its riffs, Magma offers a listening experience that is as rewarding as it is therapeutic.

Magma demonstrates a healthy admission and channelling of Gojira's explosive tendencies into a record that is truly an intriguing change of pace when considering the band's more eruptive past efforts.

It’s not all essential--Yellow Stone is a bit of instrumental filler, and you’ve heard everyday metal like Silvera far too many times already--but the high points are satisfyingly high.