It was very clear from the off that this evening was going to be good, crowds queuing around the venue at opening time is always a good sign that there is going to be a decent band on. And Gojira were deemed to be that band.

To start the evening Pilgrimz treat the audience to their brand of metal, a concoction blending hardcore in with elements of rock and roll. Due to Gojira’s popularity Pilgrimz get to play to an almost full house and go down pretty well, a decent standard for an opening act. Second on were The Eyes of a Traitor, who did not go down so well. I find it saddening that before they started playing I knew exactly what they were going to sound like, just by looking at them. Not saying that I thought they were going to be bad I just assumed to here some form of metal/deathcore and my expectations were met. Teoat were one of the most technically able young bands I have seen recently and I was very impressed with the guitar work, especially, reminiscent in places of Between the Buried and Me. But overall they didn’t please the crowd and the vocalist kept telling the crowd that he didn’t care if they didn’t like his band. Not really a wise move by him, which created a bad vibe in the room.

It’s now 9.30 and Gojira hit the stage with a colossal bang. By this time the venue is absolutely heaving, so much so that if the guy five people in front had a curry the last night you would know about it. It’s abundantly clear why the place is sold out and baffling why this gig wasn’t upgraded to a larger venue. Not only are Gojira tighter than very tight thing, they have been around for years, released some stonking albums and toured with the who’s who of the metal scene, giving them some very shiny credentials, indeed!

Gojira didn’t fail in pleasing every member of the crowd by playing songs from all facets of their repertoire, which amassed to a hefty hour and a holf long set, a feat not normally seen at a metal night at the underworld. Lead singer Joe Duplantier’s voice is outstanding, perfectly mirroring the quality of Gojira’s albums. One of the reasons why Gojira are so in synch is that they still have their original line up from 1996.

Gojira have a very unique sound, fusing tremolo picking, gallops, harmonics and Joe’s voice in to a quite pure metal format. They really have created something very special within a very saturated area of music. Gojira show that they are masters of the dynamic, building up tracks and knowing exactly when to let the hammer drop. The new album Vacuity is brilliant, the last album Mars to Sirius was brilliant and I can guarantee that their next release will be up to their high standards. Do not miss a chance to see Gojira. They are sure to never disappoint!