Gojira frontman and guitarist Joe Duplantier has been talking to MusicRadar about his approach to guitar playing, as part of the site's Virtual Guitar Show – and he's given some insights in to how the French metal giants are changing in sound.
In an intimate half-hour video interview, Duplantier talks through his latest Charvel signature model guitar and how his approach to playing has changed over the years.
“I’m becoming more rock in my approach to guitar," says Joe. "In my early 30s, I liked my sound to be like it's from another planet: Super-distorted, crushing, scary. I liked my sounds scary. And now I embrace my weaknesses - cos I cannot hide them any more. So I like the guitar to be fragile a little bit…
“That's what rock does, what some of the greatest guitarists in the world did, like Jimi Hendrix – it was full of life. So I’m adding a bit of honesty and realness."
And he gives an insight into where the band's head is at.
“There are no rules," he says, and references some unlikely influences: "If you listen to one of those great bands like Portishead or Radiohead, they use sounds – no matter what it is - if it goes together. In that sense, there’s no rules."
Last month, Gojira revealed a new track, Another World, with a suitably apocalyptic video. The band's last album Magma, came out in 2016, and the much anticipated follow-up is rumoured to be here soon.
Joe Duplantier was interviewed for the Virtual Guitar Show. With real events cancelled, this year's Guitar Show is virtual, and the team have caught up with some of the world's most interesting players at home in lockdown, including former GN'R guitarist Bumblefoot, current GN'R guitarist Richard Fortus, Firewind's Gus G, former Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley, Joe Satriani and many more.
