French progressive metallers GOJIRA have announced their eagerly awaited return to Europe with an extensive tour in early 2022. The new dates, which will be split into two legs, feature special guests ALIEN WEAPONRY and EMPLOYED TO SERVE. The first leg kicks off January 17 in Finland and closes in France on February 9, with the second leg picking up in The Netherlands on February 20 and wrapping in the U.K. on March 14.
Tickets for the European run go on general sale at 10 a.m. BST (11 a.m. CET) on Monday, July 5. Look out for earlier pre-sales from Friday. In the U.K., the O2 pre-sale starts 10 a.m. BST on Saturday and the Live Nation pre-sale launches 10 a.m. BST Sunday.
GOJIRA recently concluded a month long fundraising initiative in support of the indigenous owned NGO The Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB) who advocate for environmental and cultural rights of indigenous tribes in the Amazon. Working with the social good-focused digital platform Propeller, the month long charitable campaign raised over 300K through an auction and raffle of one-of-a-kind items from the band and their friends in Metallica, Tool, Slipknot, Slayer, Slash and more. All proceeds will be donated to APIB to support their work aiding the indigenous tribes of the Amazon who have suffered immensely – victims of deforestation, land loss, forced labor, violence, and harassment.
GOJIRA tour dates with EMPLOYED TO SERVE and ALIEN WEAPONRY:
Jan. 17 – Helsinki, Finland – House Of Culture
Jan. 19 – Oslo, Norway – Sentrum Scene
Jan. 20 – Stockholm, Sweden – The Annex
Jan. 22 – Copenhagen, Denmark – The Grey Hall
Jan. 24 – Berlin, Germany – Huxleys
Jan. 25 – Prague, Czech Republic – Forum Karlin
Jan. 27 – Wroclaw, Poland – A2
Jan. 28 – Krakow, Poland – Tauron Arena
Jan. 29 – Budapest, Hungary – Barba Negra Music Club
Jan. 31 – Zagreb, Croatia – Culture Factory
Feb. 02 – Vienna, Austria – Arena
Feb. 04 – Munich, Germany – Neue Theaterfabrik
Feb. 05 – Zurich, Switzerland – Komplex
Feb. 06 – Milan, Italy – Alcatraz
Feb. 08 – Lyon, France – Halle Tony Garnier
Feb. 09 – Bordeaux, France – Arkea Arena
Feb. 20 – Tilburg, Netherlands – 013
Feb. 22 – Wiesbaden, Germany – Schlachthof
Feb. 24 – Oberhausen, Germany – Turbinhalle 2
Feb. 26 – Paris, France – Accor Arena
Feb. 28 – Brussels, Belgium – Forest National
Mar. 01 – Luxembourg, Luxembourg – Rockhal
Mar. 04 – London, UK – Alexandra Palace
Mar. 05 – Nottingham, UK – Motorpoint Arena
Mar. 06 – Newcastle, UK – City Hall
Mar. 08 – Glasgow, UK – O2 Academy
Mar. 10 – Belfast, UK – Ulster Hall
Mar. 11 – Dublin, Ireland – National Stadium
Mar. 13 – Manchester, UK – O2 Victoria Warehouse
Mar. 14 – Cardiff, UK – Motorpoint Arena
GOJIRA‘s new album, “Fortitude”, was released on April 30 via Roadrunner Records. You can read our own review of the album here.
“Fortitude”, entered Billboard‘s Top Albums chart at No. 1, while also claiming the No. 1 spot on Billboard‘s Top Current Albums, Current Rock Albums and Current Hard Music Albums tallies. The release also marked a career high debut on the Billboard 200 for GOJIRA, arriving at No. 12, with several career-high chart positions and Top 10 debuts in countries around the globe including: France (No. 2), United Kingdom (No. 6), Australia (No. 3), Germany (No. 8), Belgium (No. 2), Netherlands (No. 4), Denmark (No. 3), Portugal (No. 4), Finland (No. 2) and Norway (No. 10).
This fall, GOJIRA will set out on U.S. headline tour in support of “Fortitude” which will feature special guests KNOCKED LOOSE and ALIEN WEAPONRY. The recently announced dates are set to kick of October 11 in Salt Lake City, Utah at The Union and continue through a performance at Cleveland, Ohio’s The Agora on October 29. The new headline dates will follow GOJIRA‘s summer run supporting DEFTONES which gets underway August 12 at The Armory in Minneapolis, Minnesota and includes two GOJIRA only headline dates on September 3 in Chattanooga, Tennessee and September 20 in Boise, Idaho.
“Fortitude” is highlighted by the singles “Another World”, “Born For One Thing”, “Into The Storm”, “Amazonia” and, most recently, “The Chant”, a slow-burning track featuring some of GOJIRA‘s most melodic material to date. Just last week the band shared an official music video for “The Chant”, which was written/conceived by the band’s own Joseph Duplantier and directed by Russell Brownley. Filmed on location in India’s West Bengal region in December of 2019, the cinematic video examines the plight of refugee children from Tibet who fled their homeland in an attempt to preserve their culture following China’s invasion of the country in 1949.
