Gojira: The Cell

A new single released by the mighty Gojira, a French act who have in recent years become one of the world's most respected metal acts.

The Cell comes from Magma, their sixth album, a release that dominated their genre last year.

Gojira were nominated for two Grammy awards, and while they may have lost out to other acts, a double nomination for a French act in two of the most high profile - and most competitive - categories is quite an achievement.

The four piece were up for Best Metal Performance for their track Silvera - which went to Megadeth's Dystopia - and best rock album, which went to Cage the Elephant.

The album reached the top 30 in the UK following its release last year and was one of 2016's most significant metal releases, getting that increasingly rare combination of artistic respect from critics as well as commercial success.

The band are set to tour the UK next month, having performed in arenas around the country in November and December last year supporting Alter Bridge.

Hellfest 2015: Live streaming

This weekend sees the international metal music scene focus its attention on France, with the Hellfest
three day event unfolding in the west of the country.

It's the tenth year of the festival, which has established itself as one of Europe's premier rock events alongside Download, Rock Am Ring and Wacken Open Air.

Some of the genre's biggest names are on the bill, with Judas Priest, Scorpions and Faith Korn headlining the main stage on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Also on that stage are ZZ Top, Slash, Alice Cooper, Motorhead and more.

But one of the main attraction of Hellfest is that there are six stages, each with their own curated line up, so that the event can cover pretty much every sub genre of metal.

So there are headline places on the main stage two for Slipkot, Marilyn Manson and Nightwish, and performances by Faith no More, Lamb of God, In Flames and Epica.

One particulaly impressive feature is that much of the festival is being streamed by broadcaster Arte, so that even if you can't be in a field in Clisson near Nantes, you can enjoy the event in the comfort of your own laptop or tablet.

Gojira at Bloodstock 2013

A major gig in the UK for French metal act Gojira at the weekend, with their set at the Bloodstock Open Air
festival.

Other bands on the bill at the weekend included Slayer, King Diamond, Anthrax  and Lamb of God.

During their set Gojira were joined by Lamb of God vocalist Randy Blythe

Gojira played at Bloodstock in 2010, but since the 2012 release of their l'enfant sauvage album the band's been picking up critical acclaim and considerable attention.

The album was the band's fifth, and they're matured into one of the most respected bands in the international metal scene.

The album reached the top ten in France.

In June Gojira were awarded the Metal Hammer Golden Gods award for the best live act of 2013.

They've been touring extensively this year, with more dates to come.

Rétro: Anthrax - Antisocial

Trust's best known song was convered by US thrash act Anthrax on their 1988 album State of Euphoria, an album that came out when the band were probably at their commercial peak.

I'm sure many of their fans were unaware of the song's French origins, originally appearing on Trust's 1980 Répression album.

I have to say that for my money the Trust version is far superior, with a poetic lyric that is spat out with suitable venom.

The Anthrax cover reminds me of an American remake of a French film, the grit and emotional punch replaced by glossier production values and bigger effects. And, despite whatever reservations I might have, a far bigger audience.

However, the song did get exposure to a whole new international audience, it was probably down to the Anthrax cover that the song appeared as a track on the Guitar Hero video game.

Anthrax continue to tour, currently featuring a line up that's closer to what was regarded as their classic line up than they've had for many years. I saw them a few years ago, and Antisocial remained the high point of their set.

Gojira UK tour dates

A full set of tour dates for the mighty Gojira, the band behind probably the finest rock albums (extreme division) of the year.

While Gojira are an uncompromising bunch, their music is far from as inhospitable as it might seem on first listen to those uninitiated in the ways of the extreme end of the rock spectrum.

L’Enfant Sauvage, the album they released on Roadrunner records earlier this year, is an intelligent and articulate work, the music displaying a sophistication that borders on progressive rock while not losing its power or impact.

They're at the top of their game at the moment and the chance to see them live is not to be passed lightly.

Support on the tour comes from fellow French rock acts Klone and Trepalium, about whom I'll no doubt have more later.

The tour dates are:

Nov 05 NORTHUMBRIA UNIVERSITY Newcastle
Nov 06 GARAGE Glasgow
Nov 07 ACADEMY 2 Manchester
Nov 08 GREAT HALL 2 Cardiff
Nov 10 RESCUE ROOMS Nottingham
Nov 11 KOKO London
Nov 12 SLADE ROOMS Wolverhampton
Nov 14 LEMON GROVE Exeter
Nov 15 MO CLUB Southampton
Nov 16 ACADEMY Oxford

The UK dates are followed by shows in France, and a December gig at the Indian Metal Festival in Bangalore, India