Known throughout the world since the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games, the heavy metal group Gojira, originally from Landes and the Basque Country, has been one of the flagship French artists internationally for around ten years.
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Gojira, the metal phenomenon, which has gained international recognition by playing at the world’s biggest festivals and stages, is returning to France for a 13-date tour entitled Gojira France 2025, with tickets going on sale on September 27. The programme includes Carcassonne, Reims, Lille and Paris on November 30.
After their memorable and internationally acclaimed performance at the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the Landes group established its reputation as the leader of French metal by achieving its first No. 1 in the United States with Mea Culpa (Ah! It will be fine!).
It was in the back of a garage in the Bayonne region that Gojira was formed in 1996 with the Duplantier brothers – Joe and Mario – on guitar/vocals and drums, as well as bassist Alex Cornillon and Christian Andreu. After several demos Victim (1996), Possessed (1997), Saturate (1999) and Wisdom Comes (2000), they gave concerts in local festivals. In 1998, Jean-Michel Labadie replaced Alex Cornillon as the band’s bassist. At the end of 2014, they completed the construction of their own studio in New York (Silver Cord Studio) in Queens, where they moved. They began working on a new album in 2015 but were at the same time confronted with the death of their mother who would inspire the album. Magmapublished in 2016.
Since their exposure on the international scene with their albums Fortitude or Magma, Gojira pushes the boundaries of metal. Their powerful riffs, mixed with complex rhythms and deeply committed lyrics on the environment and humanity, captivate a growing community of fans.
The sequence went viral on social media: Gojira, a French quartet with an international aura, appeared on the balconies of the Conciergerie, one of the most beautiful monuments in Paris, and sang their piece in a burst of sound alongside several Marie-Antoinettes holding their bloody heads.
With this piece he had ignited the opening ceremony Olympic Games, July 26, in Paris. Mea Culpa (Ah! It will be fine) !)performed by the french metal band featuring opera singer Marina Viotti, is now available for streaming on Spotify, Deezer and Apple Music. Arranged by musician and producer Victor Le Masne, the title pays tribute to the French revolutionary song Ah! It will be finewhile Marina Viotti reinterprets it in her own way Love is a rebellious birdsong from the opera Carmen by Georges Bizet.