The Link

The Link is Gojira's second album, on which they built their own sense of tension with low-end riffs and repeating rhythms. From the death metal flavor of the debut, they stepped toward a more repetitive, groove-focused style. Wrapped in a distinctive, unpredictable atmosphere, it is a record reflecting their transitional period. Tribal percussion rhythms and structures often called mathematical create their own sense of tension. It was initially released on the tiny Boycott Records and later reissued by Listenable. Around this time they also released a film-music-styled EP. Varied songs like "Remembrance," "The Link" and "Indians" line up. Hard, thick riffs and precise double-bass drumming produce an overwhelming heft. They had not yet reached a wide audience, but a solid foundation was being laid toward the later breakthrough From Mars to Sirius. An important work carving the process of the band digging deeper into their own identity. Modest overall, in later years it has drawn no small number of voices reappraising it as one of their most underrated records. It is a record showing the arc of their evolution, bridging the debut and the next album.