What is Gojira? Everything to know about French metal band that performed at Olympics opening ceremony

David Suggs

•
What is Gojira? Everything to know about French metal band that performed at Olympics opening ceremony image

The Olympics offer a platform for unsung heroes to make their mark on the world's biggest stage. That phenomenon isn't just limited to athletes, either.

French metal band Gojira put on a performance for the ages during Friday's opening ceremony. It was a special display for the Francophone musicians, whose blend of hoarse vocals, venomous riffs and portentous percussion had onlookers searching for a Bastille to storm.

Spearheaded by brothers Joe and Mario Duplantier, Gojira — formerly known as Godzilla — fired off a series of menacing tunes, all designed to have onlookers near and far invoking their inner Maximilien Robespierre. If you thought the Tennis Court affair was hectic, just wait until you get a glimpse of the Duplantier brothers playing their respective instruments, the guitar and drums. Even Marie Antoinette would want a slice.

Just who is Gojira? And how exactly did the band turn the cobbled streets of Paris into its personal playground? The Sporting News gives you the skinny on one of France's grandest musical groups.

Gojira opening ceremony video

We're going to let the music — and all the theatrics surrounding it — do the talking. Check out Gojira's epic performance here:

What is Gojira?

Countless artists past and present have made their mark across France, including Serge Gainsbourg, Edith Piaf, Claude Nougaro and Cortex. Much like its predecessors, Gojira attempts to captivate their listeners' soul. Based on the reactions to their performances, Gojira's efforts are doing just that.

The brainchild of Joe and Mario Duplantier, Gojira emerged from humble beginnings in Ondres, France, a sleepy neighborhood in the southwestern corridor of France. The band got its start in the early 1990s, with the Duplantiers hoping to make heavy metal that revolved around melodies rather than blaring noise.

After five years of going as Godzilla — a period marked also by an ever-churning carousel on bandmates — Gojira was born, owing its name to  legal disputes. Not to worry, though; they wouldn't stray too far from their original moniker.

The band has released seven full-length albums across more than two decades of existence, including critically-acclaimed tapes L'Enfant Sauvage (2013), Magma (2017) and Fortitude (2022). It's widely considered one of the most impactful metal bands of its generation, claiming both French and non-French acts as influences, from The Contortionist to Thy Art Is Murder.

Despite its fame, Gojira hasn't lost track of its roots, with the Duplantiers offering their support for a number of social and environmental causes, too. Not too shabby for one of the biggest acts in all of France.

Gojira pronunciation

Gojira — which means Godzilla in romaji, the romanization of Japanese — is pronounced as such:

Gow-JEE-ruh

Accentuate that pronunciation with all the grunts and fist pumps your heart can muster and you'll be feeling like those who witnessed Gojira's greatness at this year's opening ceremonies.

Where is Gojira from?

Gojira claims Ondres, France as its hometown, the same township that produced the Duplantier brothers' father, Dominique, a famed painter known for conjuring up landscapes with a brush in hand.

Most popular Gojira songs

  • Stranded
  • Flying Whales
  • Silvera
  • L'enfant Sauvage
  • Born in Winter
  • The art of dying
  • Toxic garbage island
  • Another World
  • The Heaviest Matter of the Universe

David Suggs

David Suggs Photo

David Suggs is a content producer at The Sporting News. A long-suffering Everton, Wizards and Commanders fan, he has learned to get used to losing over the years. In his free time, he enjoys skateboarding (poorly), listening to the likes of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and D’Angelo, and penning short journal entries.