Gojira repped metallic admirably on the 2024 Summer Olympics, however what different majorly considered occasion wants a metallic infusion? Gojira singer-guitarist Joe Duplantier tells Full Metal Jackie that he’d like to see metallic get some love throughout the Super Bowl Halftime present, and he is acquired some concepts on who he’d wish to see in that highlight.

Before initially sharing how he’d like to see Meshuggah get that chance, Duplantier steered a metallic band with a broader business enchantment and one in every of his favourite teams – Metallica.

“I think Metallica belongs in the Halftime performance of the Super Bowl. It’s a shame that they were never invited. That would make sense. I hope we will get to see that,” says Duplantier, who envisions “Master of Puppets” and “Enter Sandman” being performed to one of many world’s largest viewing audiences.

Having loved the returns from their Olympics efficiency, Duplantier says he hopes that Super Bowl Halftime organizers have been watching. “Hopefully it’ll give ideas to the Super Bowl people,” mentioned the frontman.

Elsewhere within the chat, Duplantier displays on being within the second and shares his account of what it was like to participate in that historic efficiency on the Olympics, offers us some background on the tune that was carried out and discusses the aftermath of their look.

Plus, Duplantier shares why he is frolicked this summer season as an activist talking out in hopes of liberating jailed whale conservationist Paul Watson. And the Gojira frontman feedback on their fall tour with Korn and provides us an replace on the place issues stand for the band’s subsequent album.

Check out extra of the chat under.

It’s Full Metal Jackie and I’m so excited to welcome our personal metallic gold medaller, Joe Duplantier of Gojira. Easily the second of the summer season for metallic followers in all places with Gojira taking part in the Olympics. Congratulations. What an incredible efficiency and simply so significant. That needs to be essentially the most unreal stage manufacturing you’ve got ever had. Anything ever prime this? What was going via your head taking part in on the facet of a fort?

There was loads going via my head. That was in all probability essentially the most epic manufacturing we have ever had. Just the truth that there was lots of of individuals with us singing and taking part in classical devices and these flames. Then there’s the that means of this constructing and all this heresy put collectively by the French organizers of the occasion.

I’ve to say, we have been very, very, very fortunate to be invited. We have been fortunate that the Olympics have been organized by France throughout our lifetime in our profession at a second the place we’re energetic and nonetheless not too previous to carry out, not too younger. It was excellent.

I do not know easy methods to clarify it, the truth that we’re getting a lot credit score after this Olympics. But I’ve to say we acquired actually fortunate to be invited. I’m very, very grateful that to be placed on that stage at this second. We’re not chargeable for all of it, however for a few of it.

And we have been very free to put in writing no matter we needed for that tune and to interpret that basic of the French Revolution. So the celebrities have been aligned for a terrific day and for a terrific influence, for a terrific cherry on the cake on our total profession.

Gojira With Marina Viotti + Victor Le Manse, “Mea Culpa (Ah! Ca Ira!)” 2024 Olympic Performance

Joe, I simply need to say, watching that simply introduced tears to my eyes as a result of it simply meant a lot. Not only for Gojira, which, in fact it did, however simply metallic usually. To be on such an enormous platform like that, did you are taking within the view in any respect? Like, what do you recall from being in that second?

I fully took within the view. I used to be actually capable of admire the second. There have been a number of epic moments surrounding the Olympics. When they known as us to make this provide, it was already fairly unreal. And then it was form of a rollercoaster, a psychological rollercoaster internally once we’re speaking about this factor. “Wait a second, we’re going to play in front of 2 billion people?!”

The ceremony of the Olympic Games was essentially the most unbelievable occasion, organizing the humanity. So it appeared actually overwhelming. At the identical time, I began watching Olympic ceremonies on-line from different years – the one in China and there was one in France an extended, very long time in the past. There was one in England and so, and so forth.

Sometimes it is a little bit boring to look at. You have all these athletes strolling with flags and Nike sneakers and numbers on their again for hours. It lasts three hours, 4 hours. So then I used to be like, ‘Okay, possibly it is going to be a little bit boring to look at and we will go unnoticed a little bit bit and possibly we will seem like background musicians for like one thing greater. Maybe it is not what I believe it may very well be for a band. And it turned out being even higher than something I might hope for, as a result of, such as you mentioned, it was one thing for metallic.

The method it was translated for tv. The mixing could be very essential for that form of stuff. It might have simply been extra classical devices than metallic or something like that, however the best way it turned out actually served the aim for the entire metallic group I believe. Even although that was not the aim for the organizers, I believe they needed to problem the minds and present how France can push the boundaries and push the boundaries and be a little bit provocative.

I believe it is wholesome, particularly proper now on this planet. It’s good to indicate some bravery and  push the boundaries in a sure method. So giving us the chance to precise ourselves on that stage and with no restrictions … and by the best way,  only a few issues. Okay. It can’t be greater than three and one thing minutes and it needs to be that theme after which that tempo just about. But we actually, actually did our factor and there was no censorship. So that was freaking superior.

It was unbelievable. And let’s simply say you headlined the Olympics. That’s what I really feel like. I believe that you simply guys have been the headliners of that complete opening ceremony. So about that tune ….

“So Mea Culpa is Latin for my fault, my bad, and means it will be all right, Everything will be all right. But it’s also a way to say we’ve had enough. It depends how it’s said. And so it’s a bit of a weird title, but it means a lot to French Republic because it was something that was sang during the Revolution, the French Revolution. At least that’s how we were taught.

So this song is really, really attached to the concept of revolution and that the people can change things. The outcome was a little bloody, beheading people and stuff, but it doesn’t mean that the things cannot be resolved.

For me, that’s what I take away from that whole thing is that change is possible. So this is our version of that song and we called it “Mea Culpa.”

Joe, the Olympics is a platform unlike any other for promotion. While I know you saw an expected sales jump and streaming numbers spike, were there any unexpected impacts that came from playing the Olympics? Has it opened any surprise opportunities for you or elicited reactions from places or people you never expected?

Not really. Of course, there’s a million little stories around it. And some people discovered the band and some people that are not into metal at all, it did something for them to see that metal could be on an event like that. So somehow it sends a message to the masses. It’s okay to listen to metal.

Beyond just being presented with metal, it’s also a message to tell people, just relax. You can listen to that, and you can listen to Lady Gaga in the same hour, and it’s fine. Your head is not going to explode. You’re not going to turn into a beast. It’s good. I think that’s why it’s good for metal. And everybody understood that in the community. It could have been another band, not Gojira. It would have been almost as good. Not quite, but for the metal community. I’m just kidding. I’m bragging here. But I think any other excellent metal band would have done great too. You know what I mean? It’s just the fact that metal was presented that day.

READ MORE: Gojira’s Spotify Stats Prior + After Their 2024 Olympics Performance

I know I’m not answering your question exactly, but there’s so many little stories. The thing  for me, the best is when I go to the post office and I end up taking a selfie with a person behind the counter that just discovered the whole metal thing.

That’s great for you guys and great for metal in general.

Absolutely. For metal in general. It’s great for us. We’ve been on that path for almost 30 years, relentlessly working and steadily improving and being on our toes all the time and going on ambitious tours with ambitious songs and working our ass off to expand our music. So the Olympics is really unexpected. It’s not something you apply to participate in or anything. It’s just we were invited there and it sort of accelerated something in our movement, in our progression, and it gave us more exposure.

But it’s not a change of direction per se or a radical change like, “Oh, my God, issues are totally different now.” Things are exactly the same. It’s just that we get more credit, more exposure after that. So it’s awesome.

Joe, just one more about the Olympics here. You had a chance to carry the banner for metal at one of the most observed events in the world. So now, let’s just say you get to be the scheduler for a moment. What metal band would you want to see at a major event that would help spread metal to the masses, whether it be the Super Bowl or the Grammys or other large audience events.

I’d love to see Meshuggah at the Super Bowl.

Can you imagine?

Oh my God, if we’re going to talk about Super Bowl, they need to put Metallica on.

Agreed.

I think Metallica belongs in the Halftime performance of the Super Bowl. It’s a shame that they were never invited. That would make sense. I hope we will get to see that. Playing “Master of Puppets” and “Enter Sandman.” Imagine that! Metallica is known in the sports world. A lot of pitchers walk to the mound with “Enter Sandman” or at football games I hear a lot, their music is very present. They just deserve to do the halftime. It would be a total success.

I agree completely. We’re going to try to will it to happen by just continuing to say it out loud.

People are watching the Olympics. The organizers, they’re all dedicated people, professionals. I’m sure they keep their ear to the ground and want to make sure to not miss anything. And hopefully it’ll give ideas to the Super Bowl people.

Joe, those who have followed your socials have seen your activism on display of late, fighting for the release of whale activist Paul Watson. How did you first learn of Watson’s flight and what made you get involved? And also, what do people need to know about Paul and how they can help spread the word?

People need to know. It hurts me that people don’t know what’s going on with Paul Watson. He’s a dear friend of mine. We met more than ten years ago, for sure. 14 years ago, to be precise. I found out about Sea Shepherd Conservation society and Paul Watson specifically because he is such a charismatic activist and leader and founder of awesome movements. He was co founder of Greenpeace in the early ’70s and the founder of Sea Shepherd. He’s continuing his work to protect whales and marine life in general.

There was a show, Whale Wars, that was filmed in around 2010. It’s him basically putting himself and his crew between the boats and the whales to protect the whales, putting himself on the spot, taking risks, putting his life at risk to save whales.

The way he’s talking about it is very, very inspiring. Paul Watson inspired me personally in my activism and he’s a great example that one person can make a huge difference in the world. He personally and with his crew, I have to add saved tens of thousands of whales, especially if you count all the babies that were made by the whales that he saved. He saved generations of whales. We can thank him personally for having saved maybe two times the amount of whales that would exist on earth if he wasn’t there, maybe it would be just half of that number. His work is incredibly important.

Recently he got arrested and put in jail for something that if he was really responsible for that thing, he should have to pay a fine, a 400 dollar fine or something. But instead, he’s facing potentially 15 years in a Japanese prison. At the moment, he is imprisoned by Denmark in Greenland, because Greenland is owned by Denmark. So it’s a little complicated. But it’s in Greenland and Denmark that arrested him. And there’s a warrant by Japan that wants his extradition to Japan to put him in jail for 15 years.

Fifteen years, that’s crazy. Joe, tell us more about how people can help spread the word.

I’m trying my best to talk to people and to spread the word about this horrible thing. We cannot let this happen. The system in Japan is very, very, very tough and complicated to change. It’s almost like another dimension compared to what we know in our Western world.

In America and in Europe, public opinion can make a difference in Denmark, for example. But in Japan, it would be really, really difficult to put any kind of pressure on governments. That’s why I went to Denmark after the Olympics, I went to Denmark to try to meet the prime minister of Denmark. It was a bit ambitious, but I wrote a letter and contacted the minister of justice, and I was able to gather a few hundred people in front of the Parliament to make some noise.

We actually got a lot of press in the local news, and we were on TV and in the press. So we managed to make some noise because our only hope is to get the public opinion to make noise, to pressure Denmark to release Paul Watson. And he’s been in jail now for maybe six or seven weeks, and it’s gone way, way, way too long.

He’s already paid ten times what he supposedly owed them in terms of prison time. So, yeah, I’m trying my best to spread the word about Paul Watson. So please see what’s happening with Paul Watson and #FreePaulWatson on social media. Send a letter to the Danish embassies and to the Danish government directly to put pressure to show Denmark that the world cares about whales and about Sea Shepherd France, Paul Watson, all of that. This is very, very important for me.

Joe, while you are working on new music of late, you’re obviously taking some time to get back out on tour. You’re out there with Korn and Spiritbox. What are your thoughts on getting a chance to play out with Korn this year? And does getting these shows in help the creative process before you go back in again?

Yes, we’ve been busy since the summer between the Olympics and this trip to Denmark and this tour with Korn. We’ve been very, very happy to be on tour with Korn. We have massive respect for them. We were paying attention when they were releasing their first albums.

When we were starting being a band and everything, it was always in the back of our mind. There was always this Korn band that was doing something a bit different. And although we were playing more of a death metal type, there was always a link between two bands and massive respect, too.

We tried to organize a tour that unfortunately got canceled because of the COVID. That was in 2020. So finally it’s happening. We’re on tour with Korn. It’s great. I think the crowd that goes to see Korn, they’re ready for some darkness and some weird, emotional journeys. And they’ll find that with Gojira, too. So there’s a similarity.  And Spiritbox is also a great addition. These shows are amazing.

And we are backstage writing riffs, and we have a bunch of riffs. We have a bunch of ideas for the next Gojira, but we’re really taking our time. Our apologies if it feels too long to our fans, but we will release something when we have something that is solid and beautiful and shining like a diamond. We’re not going to release something just to put something out there. So we have some great elements, but something is still missing. This magical ingredient that I’m still looking for and we are still looking for it.

Joe, it’s no secret the band’s been working on new music. I know you’ve said you’re looking forward to push the songwriting to a new level. What’s been inspiring you of late, and how do you know what’s good enough for what you want on the next album? Is there a gut feeling for what will pass?

Yeah, it’s funny. We have a bunch of ideas and there’s a bunch of stuff going on, and it’s still very hard to give you a hand on how it’s gonna feel, how it’s gonna sound until the last moment, until we have our champion songs. And it’s a bit difficult to tell you where it’s gonna go.

There’s some old school stuff going on, and surprisingly some of the riffs we play are more old school than old Gojira if that makes sense. We have some things that are even more primal than our first albums. Also, there’s some technical things and there’s some more melodic things. Again, it’s a bit difficult to talk about it, but I’m excited for it.

With Gojira, the touring with Korn is taking up your time at present. What’s the rest of the year and beyond look like for you?

Well, it’s going to be a lot about the new album and we’re pretty equipped. We have a little studio that we drag with us from town to town so we can make demos and we can record new ideas and complete some of the songs.

So hopefully right after that, we would like to think about studio time. And then there’s going to be a few shows here and there. We’re about to announce a few things for the future. Always trying to announce us as early as possible for our next adventures. But there’s going to be some studio time for sure.

Thanks to Gojira’s Joe Duplantier for the interview. Stay up to date with the band’s touring and new album updates through their website, Facebook, X and Instagram platforms. Find out where you can hear Full Metal Jackie’s weekend radio show here.