Gojira + Mastodon @ 713 Music Hall – Houston, Tx

Friday night, the exquisite 713 Music Hall hosted another sold out event including three top notch metal bands; Gojira, Mastodon, and Lorna Shore. Knowing all three bands having their own deep fan base, I knew this show was going to be an intense one. As soon as I arrived I was already faced with the reality of how insanely packed this venue was going to be for the several hours to come. There were metal heads everywhere. Everywhere you turned there was someone representing some sort of metal merch. Everyone was stoked and ready to rock out. 

Straight outta New Jersey, Lorna Shore opened up the night blasting our eardrums with a six  song setlist starting with “Sun//Eater”, “Cursed To Die”, and “Into The Earth”. Three wisely chosen songs to start off the night with, I must add. Fans were already headbanging and moshing alongside one another and it was obvious things were going to get even more insane. With relatively new vocalist Will Ramos, I was curious to see how he sounded live, since this was a first time for me… and holy shizz… This dude’s vocal chords are absurd. When it comes to deathcore vocalists, it’s usually a hit or miss when it comes to hearing tracks through your ear holes or hearing them right there in person, some bands can nail it live, and there’s some that simply cannot and end up sounding like… you know, a dying cat. This wasn’t the case with Will Ramos, he truly smashed each growl and each scream. The crowd was wild throughout the whole set, and you can tell Lorna Shore was absolutely loving it. It was almost like they were feeding off each other, and it was truly a blast to witness. Lorna Shore is rising to the top, and I recommend catching them live if they come through your city. 

Next up we had the true metal OG’s and one of most favorite performers EVER, Mastodon. I can’t even go into explaining how absolutely badass these guys are, with all original founding members, each time i see them they are just as in sync and tight as they were the time before. With eight studio albums, I was curious of the variety they were going to be playing that night since I personally love at least a handful of songs from each album… and to my surprise they played a fantastic mix of jams from their vast catalog. Opening with “The Wolf Is Loose”, “Crystal Skull”, and “Megalodon” , we fans were in for an epic night with the excitement for what was to come in that next hour. I already knew what to expect since I’ve seen them before and have watched endless live performance clips on YouTube, but I was still absolutely blown away. The psychedelic visuals, the lasers, the fire, the energy, all of it almost knocked me off my ass. These guys are just masterminds. Like I already mentioned, I can’t even put into detail what a wickedly talented group Mastodon is as a whole. Ending the set with “Circle Of Cysquatch” and almost everyone’s favorite “Blood And Thunder” I was almost depressed it was all over. You ever just sit there and wonder why your favorite bands can’t just continue playing for hours and hours? That’s the type of set Mastodon will give you, Every single moment of their hour sets are savored by their fans it almost leaves you emotional for more.

But have no tears, because France based metal gurus, Gojira, was here and things were really about to hit a new level of madness. Where do I even begin with Gojira? One of the most (in my opinion) underrated bands ever. These guys should be right up there next to Metallica by now. With two mastermind brothers, Joe and Mario Duplantier along with brilliant guitarists, Christian Andreu and Jean-Michel Labadie, the four of them make a whole lot of noise and are always prepared to make sure you’re on your feet by the time they start their first song. Opening with “Born For One Thing” and my favorite “Backbone” it was already a blast. With little cannons shooting out smoke and those crunchy deep guitar riffs, I myself couldn’t even control my own head bangs. Gojira is known for that, jumping on stage, swallowing you up with their intense grooves, and then spitting you right back out. First it’s Mario’s drums erupting, then honestly, it’s everything erupting. These guys are here to rip your face off. It’s what they are best at. 

I almost had to remind myself I had to stay cool since I’m lugging around all of my camera equipment. It’s not the best idea to mosh around with all this baggage. So that was a task I was greeted with right off the bat. Mixing in songs, “The Cell”, “The Art Of Dying” following up with that mind boggling drum solo by the incredible Mario, who, have i mentioned is my all time favorite drummer? Like my number one most admired drummer ever. No lie. The guy is phenomenal! I’ve studied drummers my whole life growing up with a family full of them, including my father. (Sorry dad, if you’re reading this) but Mario is the GOAT. Throughout the set there was not one human standing still in that venue, and as i mentioned before, there were a lot of humans in that place. Bringing in more fire, more smoke, more echoing riffs, more mosh pits and even more crowd surfers, Gojira was absolutely crushing it. Later, finishing off with “The Chant” and “The Gift Of Guilt” attendees were then submerged with streamers and the fact that this was the best show they have seen in a long time. I’m sure Gojira gained even more of a fan base after that set. This tour is definitely one of the best ones this year, so I strongly advise you to jump in on it. You absolutely won’t regret it. Just be prepared to get your face ripped off. 

GOJIRA

MASTODON

LORNA SHORE

Photos + Review by Krystie Archer | Exclusively for Music, Why Not!