French metal pioneers Gojira transformed personal tragedy into artistic triumph with Magma, their sixth studio album that marks both a stylistic evolution and an emotional reckoning. Brothers Joe and Mario Duplantier built Silver Cord Studios in Queens, New York specifically for this project, but recording was halted when their mother Patricia fell ill and passed away in 2015. The album became a tribute to her memory, channeling grief, spirituality, and transformation into 10 tracks that trade the band's technical death metal roots for more accessible atmospheric textures, prominent clean vocals, and emotional immediacy. The gamble paid off commercially and critically, as Magma debuted at number 24 on the Billboard 200 and topped the Hard Rock Albums chart, making Gojira the first French band to achieve that distinction. The album earned two Grammy nominations at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards for Best Rock Album and Best Metal Performance for "Silvera," won the Metal Hammer Golden Gods Award for Best Album, and sold 400,000 copies worldwide within its first eight months.
"The Shooting Star" opens the album with atmospheric build and crushing heaviness before "Silvera" delivers one of the band's most immediate tracks, balancing aggression with melodic hooks that earned Grammy recognition. "The Cell" showcases syncopated drumming and brutal precision, while "Stranded" incorporates sludge metal elements that became the band's most-streamed song. The instrumental "Yellow Stone" channels Black Sabbath's influence, and the title track "Magma" serves as the album's spiritual core. "Pray" and "Only Pain" maintain intensity while incorporating more prominent clean vocals than previous Gojira releases. "Low Lands" ventures into math-rock territory with Floydian ambiance, and the acoustic instrumental "Liberation" closes the album with contemplative beauty, offering resolution after the emotional journey. Throughout, Joe Duplantier's production captures both organic heaviness and synthetic textures, creating what Kirk Hammett of Metallica called "an incredible piece of art" and "the best album he had listened to in a long time."
Pressed on black vinyl, this edition captures the album's wide dynamic range and rich sound textures across two sides, from whisper-quiet atmospheric passages to devastating crescendos. The vinyl format enhances the contrast between the album's experimental metal foundations and its more straightforward, emotionally direct approach. Joe Duplantier's self-production, Johann Meyer's mixing, and Ted Jensen's mastering combine to deliver clarity that reveals every intricate detail of an album that redefined Gojira's sound while maintaining the intensity that made them one of metal's most compelling acts.
- Format: Black Vinyl LP
- Standout tracks: "Silvera," "Stranded," "The Cell"
- Pressing details: Self-produced by Joe Duplantier at Silver Cord Studios, mixed by Johann Meyer, mastered by Ted Jensen
- Genre/style: Progressive Metal, Groove Metal, Post-Metal, Experimental Metal
- UPC: 016861747916
This vinyl pressing preserves Gojira's most emotionally powerful work, an album born from loss that became their commercial breakthrough and earned the first Grammy nominations in the band's history.
* The Spotify track list may not exactly represent the tracks and audio of this LP edition.
Track List:
Side A:
- The Shooting Star
- Silvera
- The Cell
- Stranded
- Yellow Stone
Side B:
- Magma
- Pray
- Only Pain
- Low Lands
-
Liberation