Jussi: Heard somewhere that the band is treated like shit since being an opening act? Do you find this to be true or does it depend where the band is playing or who they are playing with?
Joseph: Yes, um I wouldn’t say we were treated like shit really. When you’re an opener you are treated like shit. I mean it’s, you know... normal. (laughs) But in France we have to prove you know, what we had, the guts in beginning. And it’s been a long, long way. We never really been treated like shit, because the audience was very respectful, there is always respect but sometimes it happens. Especially when you go outside of France, for the first time, so yeh it happens but I wouldn’t say that very often. And especially on this tour we’re treated like kings. Yeh, there is a very good atmosphere between the different bands.

Jussi: So basically it depends on who the band is playing with or does it vary?
Joseph: It depends on all kinds of things you know. The band you are on tour with, headliners. And for example Lamb of God, they are so nice to us. They come every night and ask "Everything's ok for you guys"? So, now we are not treated like shit with Lamb of God.

Jussi: So their hospitality is good?
Joseph: Very, very good, more than good. Surprising!

Jussi: Band seems to generate a lot of good press with their latest release; do you find this to be a ground breaking promotion for the band on a larger scale instead of Europe?
Joseph: Yeh, definitely.

Jussi: It seems that interviewers ask the same question to the band about the current release being nature oriented friendly and touches on ecological issues, do you find this boring?
Joseph: Umm, no. I wouldn’t say it's boring. People like to put bands in cases you know, you try to understand what's going on with this band, what they are talking about. So they need to have some kind of cliché, for things to put on a band. But, I wouldn’t say it’s boring to be considered as dream warriors. No, it’s not boring.

Jussi: How would you describe GOJIRA? A band with a killer monster sound?
Joseph: I would say its kind of organic metal. Something at the same time very old and very new.

Jussi: With the video for To Sirius was directed by Alian Duplantier, any relation to the GOJIRA brothers?
Joseph: He's not our brother, but a cousin. Cousin of our father. So grand cousin.

Jussi: Do you find this current band release to be something of a serious musical nature than most releases today? If so why?
Joseph: No, just maybe a bit different you know the message is deeply different because we're definitely hopeful about the future. And we're not pessimists, so that makes a difference. But I wouldn’t say that its more serious or whatever because it's just our way. It's our music we try to build our world, our own world, but it's not more or less serious.

Jussi: What do you think sets GOJIRA apart from other bands out their today?
Joseph: Maybe through the issues you know we're talking about and the message we try to be honest. And as honest as possible. We try not to fake anything or make people think we are bad boys or whatever. We try to be honest and if you read the lyrics, it's certainly very different... different levels.

Jussi: Is this the currently within the works for another video? If so what is the song and the concept?
Joseph: Not at the moment.

Jussi: Ok.
Joseph: People ask us a lot about that, so we might think of it. I don’t know yet, we really have to work it out.

Jussi: What do you think is the current albums most intense song? And why?
Joseph: I would have to say Backbone actually because it is about being straight, upright and stand proudly you know. Facing the wind, not be scared of fear itself and madness that is in this world all the time everywhere. So Backbone to me is a very powerful song. It's pretty simple with blast beats and breakdowns. This song especially for the moment is one of my favorites.

Jussi: What do you think the hardest part of touring so far? Well mostly in the states?
Joseph: Leaving home, well when you have a girlfriend or a family it's hard to be away from home. And after that, you cannot take a shit on the bus, so that's hard to… (extreme laughing takes into affect on us both)

Jussi: Gojira was featured on the front cover of Terrorizer Magazine back in Dec. 2006, was that something shocking that surprised the group?
Joseph: You mean on the English cover?

Jussi: Ja.
Joseph: It's been a great thing we we're surprised because things are going so fast since two years, it's incredible. It's amazing, so yes each time we have something like that, even the last issue of Revolver, being apart of the The Download Festival with Metallica, Tool so many things happened this year. And Terrorizer was one of those big steps that we took this year.

Jussi: Since you played the Download Fest, what was this like sharing the stage with big named acts?
Joseph: It was huge, really huge. It was a big changing for us because we had to face 20 some thousand odd people, ocean of people, it was very every exciting. Challenging.

Jussi: What was it like sharing the bill with Children Of Bodom, Amon Amarth and Sancity… those gents can be somewhat brutal when it comes down to letting loose?
Joseph: It's been an experience our first tour in the states for some of us it was the first time ever in the states. I've been to the states before three times but except Mario my brother it was his first time ever. So it...

Jussi: A big culture shock.
Joseph: Yeh, it was discovering a new world. You know that we know so well through TV's, cinema you know the movies. And we learned a lot from also from Children Of Bodom.

Jussi: Positive or negative reactions from GOJIRA?
Joseph: Yeh, these guys Children Of Bodom, Amon Amarth, Sanctity they all drink pretty much. But we don't drink on this bus, most of the time we are considered party poopers. (laughs) Which is true in my opinion because we're here for music and not to party really. We have a message to spread, music to play, that's the point that's the most important. So we don’t care about getting drunk but we don't care you know... people they get drunk... their nice, no problem.

Jussi: What is your favorite food while being on tour? Is it eating what is available?
Joseph: Food! Most of the time we have to deal with junk food, because on the road. We like breakfast especially pancakes. We like for example in the fridge we have a lot of vegetables, we buy vegetable platters and we try to be healthy as much as possible.

Jussi: Do you think the current metal music scene is receiving additional support than years ago?
Joseph: I don't know because we're evolving at the same time as a band. We are not sure that we are able to have a judgment about 10 years. For example on the French scene, there were pretty famous bands and then I started to play in band and getting famous. So, I don't know, the difference is to big between the position of audience from rockstar. I couldn't tell really.

Jussi: At least you are not on American Idol. (both laughed wildly)
Joseph: We're actors on the new scene, so we're so concentrated on our band and work as a band. So it's quite different.

Jussi: Where do you see GOJIRA in the next two years?
Joseph: (sighs) Ozz Fest, MTV... *lol* just kidding... I don’t know. Would like to get big, we definitely would like to be able to make it really in the states.

Jussi: Which countries do the band like touring? Or does it really matter as long as the people are enjoying the group?
Joseph: It doesn't matter but we really enjoy being in the states but for my part. People are very spontaneous with heavy metal but there are many audiences for example northern Europe people are very concentrated and very cold but they understand so much of what you’re doing. And they know more black metal, death metal so it's different, so we even had a gig in Iceland.

Jussi: Holy smacks!
Joseph: Which is a small island in the middle of the sea and very close to the north of the planet, so it's been an amazing experience for the moment. We enjoy really discovering new countries, we are gonna play Morocco in a few weeks!

Jussi: What does the band do in their spare time?
Joseph: I miss free time for the moment. When I have free time I like to just go in the forest and feel nature, you see we are big fans of nature. It speaks to me.

Jussi: Do you think that GOJIRA is reflective on nature and spirituality?
Joseph: Yes. Yes, for me everything is about spirituality. We are all connected together to the planet to the stars I mean everything is spiritual. When you meet someone like now or when I have a meal, when I eat, when I go to the toilet (jokingly laughs). Everything is spiritual.

Jussi: Typical day for the band while being on tour?
Joseph: Being on tour is all about saving energy, because you have to give everything on stage. As I told you we don't party a lot we are very involved with our music, we consider as a serious matter. It's almost a mission we go on tour far from our girlfriends, home. But we know what we are doing, we are working very hard to make it happen and now it's happening so it's 99% joy, it's really. We're very, very happy...excited.

Jussi: If you had the power to be at any place right now, where would that be and who would it be with?
Joseph: Here with you.
Jussi: Uh-oh..no comment! Nocturnal Hall would like to thank Joseph Duplantier & the rest of GOJIRA and Prosethic Records for allowing this interview to happen.