What Makes Gojira HEAVY?!
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Published 2024-08-02
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What makes Gojira HEAVY?!?! Your good buddy Uncle Ben is about to tell ya all about it!
Since their Olympic opening ceremony performance in their native France, Gojira has gotten a TON of new listeners, and I know they're all wondering the same thing: what is it about this band that makes them SO awesome, heavy, groovy, and memorable?! If you ask me, I'd say it comes down to the powerful simplicity of their riffs, and that's what we are talking about today!! I'll use riffs from their best songs to demonstrate all the things that make them GREAT, and you'll leave with some ideas of how to create your own killer Godzilla-sized riffs.
Gear:
USA Dunable Cyclops
Bareknuckle Riff Raff pickups
Synergy Peavey 6505 and DRECT modules
UA OX
Superior Drummer 3
#gojira @gojira #olympics2024 #olympics
All Comments (21)
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Thanks for learning What Makes Gojira HEAVY!!!! Those French Bois sure know how to make NOIZ!!! My Patreon supporters are enjoying TABs for all these riffs and an extended AD-FREE cut of the video right here right now: www.patreon.com/posts/extended-and-ad-109300694?ut…
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Stuff Gojina does always gives me a giggle.
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"What makes Gojira heavy?" They're fuckin Gojira, that's what makes em heavy
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"Infant Sausage" had me going for a while. I needed that.
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I think a lot has to do with Mario’s drumming acting almost like its own riff itself.
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I saw Gojira open for Opeth. They were so punishing, yet the music was accessible, and the guys were engaging and receptive. I've loved them ever since.
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The thing I love so much about Gojira is how unconventionally they use their instruments. A lot of songs on the link and the song Toxic Garbage island come to mind, with weird palm slides, harmonic choices and pinches that set them apart from everyone else in my mind
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I want to add 2 ideas here: 1.) The drums add complexity to these simple riffs that make them sound super heavy, and at times complex. Mario Duplantier gets all the credit he deserves when mentioning best drummers for metal these days. 2.) Lyrics from Gojira have a similar amount of despair and thought that other metal bands have, but in a way that isn't campy or cheesy. The perspective is empathetic and makes you think. Just my thoughts on the matter!
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My favourite Gojira riff has to be the bridge riff from L'Enfant Sauvage! Heavier than the entire comment sections moms combined 🤘🏻
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Some of my favorite bits of gojira is how they use simple riff formulas but they do it in such a unique way it still feels fresh, favorite band I’ve ever seen live
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I can't really say enough about how much I love Gojira. Learning their songs has really transformed my rhythm ability as a guitarist. Used to be all about the shreddy stuff but they really opened my eyes to the importance of groove and simple = more better.
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those inverted powerchords are a staple of the doom metal masters too
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They understand the Sabbath vibe without being too Sabbathy....
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Gojira always brings it when it comes to killer riffs, also I love that Jackson Pollock analogy; “You could’ve done that exact same thing, but you didn’t” and I’m now going to use it myself, great vid as always Ben, stay awesome and much love from Canada \m/
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This video is as cool as Gojira is. The most important lesson from both is to focus more on the rythm. If you are listening to a music with smart scales but flat rythm, you will forget it in a minute or so. If you listen to a chunky riff using 2 notes but a characteristic rythm, it will pop up in your ears even tomorrow. I love how tight they play, and how ruthless they are when it's time to get rid of waste notes. Only the neccesarry notes are played, nothing else. That must be a true Gojiraism.
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Recently I’ve found myself listening to a low of Gojira and this video answered EVRY question I had about what made me love Gojira. It was like you took this indescribable feeling I had towards our favorite French boys and put it into words. I know I’ve got a lot of practicing to go do now, thank you Uncle Ben!
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Elephant Sausage is one of my fave Gojira songs ever
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There’s alchemy between brothers. The Duplantiers, the Abbotts, the Van Halens.
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Fortitude is my favorite album, mainly because every song feels so emotinal. Ah ca ira is just another example of how Gojira makes listeners experience emotion, rather than just listen to a song.
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"Slayer did that back in 1962" 🤣 Jokes aside, simplicity is the key here when comes to riffs, but I think the secret sauce is "evil" mad Mario kicking it into overdrive.
