When we polled Revolver fans in January to find out what album you guys are most eagerly awaiting this year, the tog dog was clear: Gojira's follow-up to 2016's Magma. In February, the French progressive metal titans finally announced the LP, titled Fortitude, and unleashed a pummeling lead single, "Born for One Thing." Today (March 25th), they followed it up with "Amazonia," a tribal groove-monster that evokes Roots-era Sepultura while still remaining distinctively Gojira. The song arrived along with a stunning music video, directed by Charles De Meyer, that intercuts visceral live footage with images from the embattled Amazon rain forest. Watch and listen above.
Thematically, "Amazonia" continues Gojira's longstanding efforts to raise awareness and support for environmental causes, zeroing in on the crisis impacting the Amazon and its indigenous communities. "The greatest miracle/Is burning to the ground," vocalist-guitarist Joe Duplantier sings of the rain forest. Proceeds from the single will benefit The Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB) who advocate for environmental and cultural rights of indigenous tribes in the Amazon who have suffered immensely — victims of deforestation, land loss, forced labor, violence and harassment.
In addition, Gojira have launched two fundraising initiatives to help raise money for the indigenous-owned NGO APIB. Working with the social good-focused digital platform Propeller, Gojira are curating a month-long charitable campaign featuring an auction of one-of-a-kind items from the band and their friends. The auction launched today with a Joe Duplantier signature guitar hand-engraved by Duplantier with artwork celebrating Amazonian wildlife, as well as a hand-engraved Nash Guitars bass from Metallica's bassist Robert Trujillo and his artist wife Chloe, a signed exclusive photo print from Lamb of God's Randy Blythe, a limited-edition Rockhard Slayer motorcycle helmet, and more. Each week new items will be added to the auction — check out the current auction listings at propeller.la/gojira. Furthermore, Gojira have also launched a limited-edition art print to benefit the APIB, where the first 500 fans who purchase the print will have their names added to the final design. The limited-edition prints are available today at gojira.lnk.to/poster.
"This is a call for Unity" Duplantier commented. "The music community can be powerful when united towards something meaningful like this! So many friends, great artists, bands have joined the movement without hesitation by donating instruments. This is a collective effort from so many people around us!"
