Full Review by The Riff Report Blog β July 5, 2025
Stage: Back To The Beginning Main Stage
Band: GOJIRA (FRANCE)
Time: Somewhere between tectonic shift and alien abduction ππ½
π¦ βWE ARE GOJIRA, AND WE ARE HERE TO BREAK THE PLANET!β β METALβS ENVIRONMENTAL TITANS UNLEASH HELL IN BRUM πͺοΈ
We thought Villa Park had seen it all by the time Anthrax, Halestorm and Lamb of God had torn through the groundsβ¦ but then Gojira hit the stage, and everything changed. You donβt just watch a Gojira show β you experience a spiritual awakening while getting your bones shattered by eco-friendly death metal. πΏβ οΈ
π₯ THE SETLIST β A VOLCANIC ERUPTION OF RIFFAGE
- Born for One Thing
- Flying Whales π (yes, the pit went full Free Willy meets Godzilla)
- Stranded
- Backbone
- The Cell
- Silvera
- The Chant (arena-wide singalong that echoed into orbit)
- Lβenfant Sauvage
- Another World
- Toxic Garbage Island β»οΈ
- Grind
- Amazonia (tribal drumming, throat-singing, total spiritual lift-off)
- The Gift of Guilt (closer = tears, fists, transcendence)
This set wasnβt just songs. It was a ceremonial riff purge. You left cleaner, lighter, and covered in dust. π¨
π€ JOE DUPLANTIER: METAL’S EARTH-SAVING SHAMAN ππ₯
Joe doesnβt scream β he summons. Every roar came from a place between rage and love for this messed-up world.
He stomped across the stage like an ancient warrior preaching climate apocalypse through a distortion pedal, yelling:
βARE YOU WITH US, BIRMINGHAM?! FOR THE PLANET? FOR THE MUSIC?! FOR THE WHALES?!β
The crowd? Fully feral. Fists, flares, and eco-conscious headbanging.
π₯ MARIO DUPLANTIER = NOT HUMAN. JUST SAYING.
Letβs be clear: Mario Duplantier is not a drummer. Heβs a time wizard. A rhythmic chaos mage. A thunderous octopus in human form. πβ‘
His drumming during βBackboneβ caused spontaneous outbursts of βWHAT IS HAPPENING?!β from half the crowd.
He even stopped mid-song, stood up on the kit, and air drummed while the crowd did the rest. Madness. Genius. Tidy.
πΈ THE RIFFS = DINOSAUR-SIZED π¦π£
Christian Andreu and Jean-Michel Labadie delivered riffs that could split tectonic plates. βSilveraβ hit like being crushed under a sentient glacier. βAmazoniaβ sounded like an ancient forest rising up to punch you in the face with mossy fists.
The breakdowns? Not drops. Sinkholes. Whole new pits formed in the crowd. One guy went in and hasnβt been seen since. If you’re reading this from a parallel dimension, diolch for your service. π
π CROWD VIBE: MYSTICAL METAL HEADBANG THERAPY
This wasnβt chaos for chaosβ sake. Gojira fans are a different breed β spiritual, sweaty, and slightly terrifying. You had yoga poses in the pit, someone burning sage near the barrier, and a guy next to us trying to conduct the riffs with glowsticks. Respect.
During βThe Chant,β the entire crowd hummed along like we were preparing for battle on Mars. It was otherworldly. πΈ
π―οΈ MOST POWERFUL MOMENT β βTHE GIFT OF GUILTβ
The closing track. The harmonic build. The slow climb into devastation. The tears.
You could see the emotional exorcism happening around the stadium. Arms in the air. Eyes closed. People screaming into the void. One bloke yelled, βIβM RECONSIDERING EVERYTHING, MUN!β
π PIT STYLE REPORT: CARGO SHORTS, VEGAN PATCHES & RIFF TATTOOS
Gojiraβs crowd brought their best gear β faded band tees from 2009, eco warrior slogans scrawled on denim jackets, and homemade signs that said things like βMosh Responsiblyβ and βRiffs Not Rubbish.β
Sustainable destruction. Thatβs the vibe. β»οΈπ
π― FINAL VERDICT: GOJIRA = THE SOUND OF THE EARTH SCREAMING β AND WEβRE HERE FOR IT ππ
This wasnβt just the loudest set of the festival. It was the most important. Gojira bring meaning to the madness, soul to the sludge, and purpose to every pummelling breakdown.
Score: 11/10 Tectonic Grooves π
Mood: Crushed. Cleansed. Reborn in whale song and double-kicks.
Only Gojira can make you mosh for Mother Earth. Proper job, lads. Diolch.
Michael is the founder, editor, and chief riff wrangler behind The Riff Report, an independent Welsh rock and metal publication built by fans, for fans. With a lifelong passion for loud guitars, unforgettable live shows, and the incredible community that surrounds rock and metal, he created The Riff Report to celebrate everything that makes the scene specialβfrom legendary headline acts and grassroots venues to rising bands that deserve to be heard.
A familiar face at festivals across the UK, Michael spends much of the year covering events including Download Festival, Bloodstock Open Air, Steelhouse Festival, Firevolt, Plumpton Revival, and many more. Whether heβs battling the Welsh weather on a mountainside, surviving a weekend in a muddy campsite, or squeezed against the front barrier with thousands of fellow fans, heβs always searching for the next great story to share.
As editor of The Riff Report, Michael writes festival guides, breaking news, album reviews, gig reviews, interviews, opinion pieces, nostalgia features, and behind-the-scenes stories from across the rock and metal world. His writing combines honest opinions, humour, and a genuine love for live music, bringing readers closer to the bands, festivals, venues, and people that keep the scene alive.
Michael is particularly passionate about supporting independent artists, local venues, charities, and the wider UK rock and metal community. He believes every band deserves a chance to be discovered and every festival has a story worth telling. Through The Riff Report, he aims to shine a spotlight on both the biggest names in rock and the future stars waiting to break through.
When heβs not writing or interviewing artists, youβll probably find him exploring festival campsites, photographing live shows, chatting with fellow fans over a pint, or planning the next road trip in search of more riffs, bigger crowds, and unforgettable moments.
Above all, Michael believes rock and metal are about more than musicβtheyβre about community, friendship, and creating memories that last a lifetime. Thatβs exactly what The Riff Report exists to celebrate.
Proudly Welsh. Proudly Loud. Always chasing the next great riff. π€
Comments