According to a report from Metal Injection, in a new interview with Gojira drummer Mario Duplantier at this year’s Bloodstock Open Air festival, he confirmed the band’s follow-up to 2021’s Fortitude (Roadrunner Records) will be released in 2026. Fortitude earned critical and fan acclaim, was the Ghost Cult Album of the Year for 2021, became the first metal act to perform at the Olympic opening ceremony, won a Grammy, and also performed at the Back To The Beginning farewell concert for Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath. The writing and recording of their new album has already been in the making for some years, and has continued recently, according to Mario.
“We already did record some drums and guitars and basses,” Duplantier told Bloodstock TV’s Oran O’Beirne. “It took us a long time. We needed that time, I think, just to make sure we are all on the same page, make sure what Gojira is bringing next is strong enough.
“Also, we don’t have that much pressure. We are not a young band anymore… We’ve been a band for 30 years, so Gojira is already an established band. It doesn’t mean that we can be lazy — it doesn’t mean that — but it’s very crucial to take the time to bring something fresh and new and powerful.”
He added: “For the new songs, we took so much time just to make sure everything is fine and powerful enough and — I don’t know — smart enough as well. But it’s on the way, it’s on the way. 2026, for sure.”
In a separate interview with Le Parisien, Duplantier teased what fans can expect from the as-yet-untitled album. “It’s almost finished. We’re going back to big guitar riffs and a more metal, but more modern, sound,” he said. “There are two more songs to refine. We wanted to move quickly, but we didn’t succeed. We thought about it so much that we almost got lost. It’s harder to match our tastes than when we were 20, and that’s normal.”