Gojira 's seventh album , Fortitude , is a watershed moment for the band and for metal in 2021. One of the most impressive things about the album, besides the music, is its enigmatic artwork, created by vocalist Joe Duplantier .
In an interview with Metal Hammer , Joe and his brother, Mario Duplantier (the band's drummer), explain the meaning of the art and the inspiration behind it.
“We had the title, we knew we wanted to call the album Fortitude,” said Joe. “People will understand why it’s called Fortitude when they read the lyrics. [For the cover], I wanted to represent an Indigenous person, because a lot of the album is a tribute to Indigenous communities. I wanted to represent that aspect.”
To find inspiration, Mario showed his brother several paintings and works of art. Among them was Pallas Athena , an 1898 painting by the Austrian artist Gustav Klimt .
“It’s a beautiful painting,” the singer stated. “He showed me some more examples of warriors and knights, and the artwork ended up being the Knights of the Round Table mixed with indigenous culture.”
“It represents the spirit of the album,” Mario added. Furthermore, he also paints and says that his brother asked if he wanted to do the cover art, but he declined, believing it was Joe's role to decide on the best visual element to fit with the lyrics.
According to the drummer, there's a visual connection between many of Gojira's album covers. “I like the fact that there's a line between The Link, From Mars To Sirius, The Way Of All Flesh, L'Enfant Sauvage and this one. And there's a spirit behind the drawing technique as well. It's like a mask for people who like music. It's very comforting,” he added.
