Gojira’s L’Enfant sauvage is a heavy record that refuses to be loud for its own sake. The French metal band built this album around restraint, and it shows. Thirteen tracks, sixty minutes, and a score of 86 out of 100 on Metacritic.
The record explores themes of wildness, isolation, and reclaiming humanity. It is not a straightforward thrash album. It is a careful one.
Opening With Explosia
The album starts with “Explosia,” a track that sets the tone immediately. It is patient, building tension through repetition rather than velocity. The song earns its six and a half minute runtime by refusing to rush.
“L’Enfant sauvage” follows, and it is the thesis statement. The title track is shorter and sharper, a direct address of the record’s central idea: a wild child, untamed and unbroken by society. It is one of the strongest pieces here.
The Middle Stretch
“The Axe” is where the album starts to stretch. It is a heavier, more aggressive cut, and it works as a palate cleanser after the opener. “Liquid Fire” continues that momentum, a track that burns rather than smolders.
“The Wild Healer” is the shortest moment on the record at 1:48, and it functions as a breather. It is brief, quiet, and effective. It does not overstay its welcome.
“Planned Obsolescence” picks the pace back up, a track that criticizes consumer culture with a sharp edge. “Mouth of Kala” follows, a darker, more atmospheric piece that leans into the record’s exploration of nature and decay.
The Back Half
“The Gift of Guilt” is one of the album’s high points. It is a slow-burning track that builds toward a cathartic release. “Pain Is a Master” keeps the intensity, a track that wrestles with suffering and control.
“Born in Winter” is a change of pace, shorter and more direct. It is a solid, if not essential, middle track. “The Fall” returns to the album’s central theme, a track about loss and resilience.
“This Emptiness” is a standout. It is one of the most emotionally direct songs on the record, a moment of genuine vulnerability. “My Last Creation” closes the album, a fitting end that ties the record’s themes together.
“There’s just life and questions.”
What Holds It Together
The record’s strength is its consistency. Few tracks feel like filler, and the pacing never flags. The production favors clarity over chaos, which makes the quieter moments land harder.
The band’s restraint is the point. Gojira are not interested in sheer volume. They are interested in weight.
| Track | Length |
|---|---|
| 1. Explosia | 6:39 |
| 2. L’Enfant sauvage | 4:18 |
| 3. The Axe | 4:34 |
| 4. Liquid Fire | 4:18 |
| 5. The Wild Healer | 1:48 |
| 6. Planned Obsolescence | 4:39 |
| 7. Mouth of Kala | 5:51 |
| 8. The Gift of Guilt | 5:57 |
| 9. Pain Is a Master | 5:08 |
| 10. Born in Winter | 3:51 |
| 11. The Fall | 5:27 |
| 12. This Emptiness | 3:59 |
| 13. My Last Creation | 4:09 |
The Verdict
L’Enfant sauvage is a cohesive, mature statement from a band that knows exactly what it wants to say. It is not perfect, but it is consistent. The weaker tracks exist to support the strong ones, not to drag the record down.
This is a record that rewards patience. It is not a headphone record in the traditional sense, but it demands attention. The themes are universal, and the music is precise.
8.6 out of 10.
- Explosia6:39
- L’Enfant sauvage4:18
- The Axe4:34
- Liquid Fire4:18
- The Wild Healer1:48
- Planned Obsolescence4:39
- Mouth of Kala5:51
- The Gift of Guilt5:57
- Pain Is a Master5:08
- Born in Winter3:51
- The Fall5:27
- This Emptiness3:59
- My Last Creation4:09
