There are some bands that you never really hear anyone talk badly about and those that do are usually met with “what do you mean you don’t like (insert band name).” Gojira is definitely one of those bands and of course they’d find their way on my top 100. For Song Pick Of The Week, I’ve chosen “Flying Whales” let’s take a look….
What I love about Gojira is that not only are they heavy and brutal but they just have a way about making it sort of dreamy. The intro to “Flying Whales” is a perfect example of such. The first 2:30 of this song just take you on this sort of trance/dream like journey then it just pummels you. Now the album from Sirius To Mars is a concept album about the resurrection of a dying, ecologically devastated Earth through an interplanetary journey. In symbolic terms, Mars represents war and ego, while Sirius represents peace and spiritual evolution. But specifically “Flying Whales.” Whales that fly?? What does that exactly mean?? Well the song itself is a metaphorical journey of spiritual awakening, environmental healing, and finding hope amid chaos. For this particular song, the narrator travels underwater across a flooded, sinking Earth. Looking up, they see the planet as a sinking ship of human destruction. Beyond the stars and emerging from the dark, the narrator discovers a pod of giant whales. The mightiest whale approaches and teaches the narrator how to fly/transcend Frontman Joe Duplantier was inspired by the sheer intelligence of whales, their complex brains, and their graceful, bird-like movement through the water hence the flying part. This is the song that got met hooked on Gojira and seeing this live is really quite the experience. Everything about this song is a recipe for perfection. You have the really dream like instrumental opening followed by that badass guitar riff before just going right into it. If you want a great song to introduce yourself to Gojira, definitely give “Flying Whales” a listen.
Song Stats:
Number Ov Plays (so far): 922
Premiered: September 30, 2005 at La Rockothèque, L’Hôpital, France
Last Played: September 20, 2026 at Louder than Life 2026
