Gojira
The Way Of All Flesh

THE REVIEW

Many music critics have identified "The Way Of All Flesh" by the French Gojira as the breakthrough metal album of 2008. Well, that statement seems a bit exaggerated to me, especially because, to be honest, they have been boosted by considerable media hype, which raised huge expectations even before the album's release. However, the album in question deserves tons of praise and general acclaim; it may not be the sensational revelation of the year, but it comes pretty close.

With a lot of experience behind them, they released this work hoping to finally make a "big hit" in the mainstream market, and they succeeded brilliantly. Their work skillfully blends very technical death metal well-associated with frequent thrash outbursts and massive (I would say "godzilla-esque") sludge/doom slowdowns. Twelve tracks in total, not all worthy of a gold medal but still high-quality and praiseworthy, which at first seem light to listen to, but over time reveal underlying layers and initially hidden details that keep the listener's attention for a long time, giving the album duration and a certain underlying complexity.

The tracks that alone are worth the price of the CD? The opening "Oroborous" without a doubt, a hypnotic and intense blow to the teeth, a majestic piece built on an enveloping riff and a voice that lies between a growl and an effected scream. The track maintains a constant drive throughout its duration, alternating slower moments with more furious and angry ones, thus constituting a perfect example of the fusion of genres achieved by the group.

In the following "Toxic Garbage Island", even the most inspired Meshuggah are brought into play, spreading an aura of desperate rituality and drama: this trait will remain almost constant throughout the album. Once re-emerged from the mire and magma that envelop us in the slow and sulfurous "Yama's Messengers", comes a series of tracks that, I am convinced, will remain in the hearts of the album's admirers as the diamond tip of this work.

"Adoration For None", interpreted by the singer of Lamb Of God, is an angry, violent, and crawling sound attack, a hammering, spiral, and relentless piece like an endless siege. Truly incredible is the chaos created in this piece, as incredible is the emotional power elevated at certain moments of the piece.

"The Art Of Dying" is in my view the most significant track of the entire album. Almost ten monumental minutes, the perfect synthesis of Gojira's thought: tribal, nerve-wracking, killing in riffing, obsessive in drumming, distressing, and touching in vocals. A true gem, which shines with its light in every second, every note, every change of tempo, every transition from melodic to fierce. After this track, everything else seems almost downhill, but the class does not run out. "Esoteric Surgery" captivates with its perfectly catchy anger, while the title track is tasked with closing the record in a more than dignified manner.

"The Way Of All Flesh" has a characteristic that belongs only to masterpieces: it knows how to conquer more with each listen, revealing itself in a different and mutable way according to the states of mind with which it is listened to. Great credit must be given to these French guys, capable of synthesizing many influences to conceive a product that may not be innovative, may not change the history of music, but will certainly enchant you as few metal albums have managed to do. Rightly so, it is named as one of the best works of metal branded 2008.