Terra Incognita (Gojira Album)
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''Terra Incognita'' is the debut studio album by French heavy metal band
Gojira is the original Japanese name for Godzilla, a giant monster at the center of a media franchise. It may also refer to: Films *Godzilla (franchise), ''Godzilla'' franchise, known as in Japan **Godzilla (1954 film), ''Godzilla'' (1954 film), relea ...
. It was recorded and mixed by Stephan Kraemer. According to a text on the album inlay, the title (
Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
for " unknown land") refers to the area inside of each man, where, according to Hindu legend,
Brahma Brahma (, ) is a Hindu god, referred to as "the Creator" within the Trimurti, the triple deity, trinity of Para Brahman, supreme divinity that includes Vishnu and Shiva.Jan Gonda (1969)The Hindu Trinity, Anthropos, Bd 63/64, H 1/2, pp. 212– ...
hid the divinity that he had taken from humanity for the punishment of its abuse. In 2009, ''Terra Incognita'' was re-released in a limited edition digipack including three bonus tracks that were recorded live in
Antwerp Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...
, Belgium, in 2006. The 2009 issues of the album were for a limited time only and was eventually reissued once again 7 years later on 10 October 2016. Prior to these two reissues and the following years after the 2009 reissue, copies of the album were getting hard to find and were often selling at higher prices on auction sites and sought after by fans following long periods of time being out of print.


Writing and composition

''Terra Incognita'' was written at the time vocalist
Joe Duplantier Joseph Andrew Duplantier (born 19 October 1976) is a French-American musician, best-known as the vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and lyricist of Heavy metal music, heavy metal band Gojira (band), Gojira. He is also a record-producer and environmenta ...
had deliberately moved away from society to live two years in a cabin that he had built. He lived in this cabin in a forest with his girlfriend without electricity and without income. The reference of this experience is in the music video of "Love". The song "04" was made by Joe and Mario as a birthday present for their mother on her 50th birthday and was never intended to be released at all. The phone call at the beginning of the song is the brothers' uncle who left a voice-mail greeting his sister. In 2001, Joe Duplantier described that "This lbumcover sums up the whole album, that is to say a reflection, then an exploration of the soul, which remains an unknown land". The man posing on the album cover is guitarist
Christian Andreu Christian Roger Andreu (born 15 November 1976) is a French musician best known as the lead guitarist of heavy metal band Gojira, and was guitarist on a Familha Artús album. Music Christian Andreu's influences include bands such as Death, Meta ...
.


Track listing

;Hidden track The song "In the Forest" contains a hidden instrumental song called "Terra Inc." The main piece of the track ends at 5:30 and the hidden song starts at 9:00, giving the song a period of silence lasting 3:30. The song contains complex layers of ambient guitar sounds with various echo and reverb effects. This song ends promptly at 12:11 and closes the album. On the "Reissue version", the song "In the Forest" ends and starts the instrumental hidden song after only 10 seconds of silence. The band employed a similar tactic with the closing and title track of their 2008 album ''The Way of All Flesh''.


Personnel

*
Joe Duplantier Joseph Andrew Duplantier (born 19 October 1976) is a French-American musician, best-known as the vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and lyricist of Heavy metal music, heavy metal band Gojira (band), Gojira. He is also a record-producer and environmenta ...
– vocals, rhythm guitar *
Christian Andreu Christian Roger Andreu (born 15 November 1976) is a French musician best known as the lead guitarist of heavy metal band Gojira, and was guitarist on a Familha Artús album. Music Christian Andreu's influences include bands such as Death, Meta ...
– lead guitar *
Jean-Michel Labadie Jean-Michel Labadie (born 14 July 1974 in Cambo-les-Bains, Basque Country) is a French musician best known as the bassist of heavy metal band Gojira. Career Labadie grew up in the Basque Country, and played bass in regional underground bands ...
– bass *
Mario Duplantier Mario François Duplantier (born 19 June 1981) is a French-American musician and artist best known as the drummer for heavy metal band Gojira. He established himself as a powerful, technically precise drummer, using polyrhythmic patterns and d ...
– drums


References

{{Authority control 2001 debut albums Gojira (band) albums