French progressive metallers GOJIRA have dropped the official music video for "The Chant", the latest single from the band's new album, "Fortitude", which is being released today (Friday, April 30) via Roadrunner Records.
The centerpiece of an album-long call to action, "The Chant" is a slow-burning track featuring some of GOJIRA's most melodic material to date. Where past anthems were driven by nuanced dynamics and technical guitar arrangements, "The Chant" is what the GOJIRA members describe as a "healing ritual" emanating primordial warmth, culminating in a harmony-stacked chorus that bridges the gap between ancient hymnals and contemporary rock.
Vocalist / guitarist Joseph Duplantier elaborated on "The Chant" stating: "Let this chant ring in your bones and lift you up."
"The Chant" follows early album singles "Another World", "Born For One Thing", "Into The Storm" and "Amazonia", the latter of which was launched alongside a fundraising initiative to benefit the indigenous owned NGO The Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB) who advocate for environmental and cultural rights of indigenous tribes in the Amazon.
Working with the social good-focused digital platform Propeller, GOJIRA is curating a charitable campaign featuring an auction of one-of-a-kind items from the band and their friends, as well as a raffle were fans can donate to be entered for a chance to win a hand customized signature Joseph Duplantier guitar and a hand painted drum head by GOJIRA's Mario Duplantier. Having already raised over $250,000 to date for APIB, new auction listings include a Slash autographed top hat and "Appetite" signature Les Paul guitar, a signed Fender Precision bass from GOJIRA's Jean-Michel Labadie used to record the band's seminal album "From Mars To Sirius", and more, with bidding on the final round of auction items ending April 29 at 3 p.m. PST (11 p.m. GMT). To see the current auction listings, visit propeller.la/gojira. Furthermore, GOJIRA have also launched a limited-edition art print to benefit the APIB, which is available at gojira.lnk.to/poster.
Recorded and produced by Joseph Duplantier at Silver Cord Studio ā GOJIRA's Ridgewood, Queens, headquarters ā and mixed by Andy Wallace (NIRVANA, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE), "Fortitude" is a collection of songs urging humanity to imagine a new world ā and then make it happen. The band initially laid the foundation for "Fortitude" last year with the surprise release of the 2020 single "Another World". NPR hailed the track as "an apocalyptic banger," and Stereogum declared, "GOJIRA are one of this century's most important underground metal institutions," while "Fortitude" was voted by fans as the #1 release on Revolver's "Most Anticipated Albums of 2021."
GOJIRA's widely anticipated tour dates supporting DEFTONES have been rescheduled for 2021.
Photo credit: Gabrielle Duplantier
