Gojira

Gojira.

For reals, how did I not know of these guys before this year?

I don't even like "screamo" music, and to be honest, I'd argue hard against their "Progressive Death Metal" label, but these guys are just brilliant. "Death Metal" evokes long-haired, bearded Scandinavian gentlemen growling unintelligibles while burning down churches and murdering bandmates. Gojira are as beyond that as Mahler is beyond cavemen banging on hollow tree trunks.

All of the melody. All of the technicality. All of the amazing. It's all there.

Gojira are just "Progressive Metal". Yes, they growl and scream, but there's a true melody to it. There's a meaning to their lyrics beyond demanding the blood of your firstborn son.

Take for example, my current favourite of their songs, "The Gift of Guilt" - I'm going to reformat the lines slightly here to show what I think is going on.

We leave the shores to see the mountains rising; a distant impression growing.
This judgement creates the pain in we hold, destructive intentions that serve no purpose but the end of us all. 

These vultures from the past, coming. In all the hells and worlds, the time has come.
Delivered from their eyes; embrace, suffer, destroy the gift of guilt

The shame and sorrow; self-condemnation fill all the gaps and the spaces, unyielding.
Bestowed upon us, devastating power; we're building connective tissue to a maze of lies

We're left as starving orphans; the vital core is gone.
Our sins are all over and over again we swallow.
We're sick and tired when this wind blows, the reflex is insane.
We must forgive and stop blaming ourselves for this love.

These vultures from the past, coming. In all the hells and worlds, the time has come.
Delivered from their eyes, I'm leaving this behind: the gift of guilt.

My take on all this is that this is an anthem to the human condition. We regret things we do, and we regret those things which we do not. We allow this to eat away at us, and we feel guilty toward ourselves for our own action or inaction, when in reality we should not.

This is more than just death metal. These guys are true observers of their world. Joe Duplantier is a master lyricist.