“I thought of the whole metal community at that moment.”

Joe Duplantier joined Loudwire Nights on Friday (Aug. 30) to replicate on Gojira’s efficiency on the opening ceremonies of this 12 months’s Summer Olympics.

“That was a pretty mystical moment, before it kicked in,” Duplantier stated about what he was feeling proper earlier than Gojira tore into “Mea Culpa (Ah! Ça Ira!)” with composer Victor le Masne and opera singer Marina Viotti.

“I thought to myself, ‘What the heck am I doing here? What is going on? Are we about to play metal on television worldwide? This is insane.’”

When host Chuck Armstrong requested Duplantier what track he would have gone with for the ceremonies if Gojira acquired to decide on, the frontman was grateful he did not have that duty.

“I would be torn,” Duplantier admitted. “What should we play? One song? Are you kidding? First, for sure, we would have gone with something that has a meaning for the situation on the planet right now. We always want to be relevant and we always want to empower people. We always want to communicate with people through our music and our art.”

Fortunately, Duplantier was capable of finding important that means in “Ah! Ça Ira!.”

“It’s about the revolution,” he defined. “The original song is very, very bloody. The lyrics are really, really gory — we’re going to go to the rich and hang them.”

He stated he managed to search out a couple of sentences within the track that, whereas heavy and darkish, additionally carried a little bit of hope. He additionally wished to verify to sing in French, Latin and English in order that the track would have a global attraction.

“It turns out we had some wiggle room to do our thing.”

Are Gojira Working on New Music?

With contemporary vitality coming off of their efficiency on a worldwide stage — and as they gear up for a large tour supporting Korn — Duplantier did say that Gojira are working on what is going to doubtless be the follow-up to 2021’s Fortitude.

“We’re resting for a bit and writing some music,” he shared. “This is a great opportunity to shake off the rust and get back in action.”

READ MORE: What Gojira’s Olympics Performance Means For Metal’s Future

When Chuck requested extra about new music, Duplantier was understandably hesitant to reveal an excessive amount of.

“It’s not a secret, but…we’re in the middle of it,” he stated.

“It’s hard to tell people what it’s going to be, you know, and I also don’t want people to be surprised. But we’re working, we’re working, we’re trying to deliver something that is meaningful and impactful. We’re very ambitious in terms of writing songs. We want to take a clear step forward and upward with this album, so we’re putting all our love and energy on it.”

What Else Did Gojira’s Joe Duplantier Discuss on Loudwire Nights?

• Why he and the band have thrown their help behind Captain Paul Watson: “I’m absolutely in shock and outraged and I would really like to send a strong message to anybody who’s going to read this or listen to this…it’s a symbol of something that’s happening on earth where somebody who’s trying to do the right thing and is doing the right thing — he saved tens of thousands of whales — is being put to jail when the countries that are doing criminal activities and illegal whaling are still roaming free and killing whales.”
• Why he is okay opening for Korn, though Gojira are getting extra used to headlining and co-headlining excursions: “We love to go on tour with our friends, the bands that inspired us in the first place. I mean, we come from death metal, don’t get me wrong, but Korn was something in the picture at some point. We were listening closely to what they were doing, being very inventive and original.”
• Why he is extra involved about being dad and focusing on the fundamentals with Gojira than the rest: “I have my kids, my wife, I’m trying to be a dad and try not to suck at it … Of course, I’ve dedicated almost 30 years at this point to this band, this is my life to play in Gojira and write songs and deliver messages.”

Listen to the Full Interview within the Podcast Player Below

Joe Duplantier joined Loudwire Nights on Friday, Aug. 30; the present replays on-line right here, and you’ll tune in reside each weeknight at 7PM ET or on the Loudwire app; you may also see if the present is obtainable on your native radio station and take heed to interviews on-demand.