Gojira's Charity Auction Has Quadrupled Its Fundraising Goal

Today (April 30) marks the long-awaited release of Gojira’s seventh studio album, Fortitude. To celebrate the inspiration Gojira found within indigenous culture, the band launched the highly successful ‘Amazonia’ auction, which quadrupled its initial fundraising goal $75,000.

Having partnered with Propeller to launch their charity auction for The Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil, Gojira offered a Joe Duplantier signature guitar, a hand engraved bass from Metallica’s Robert Trujillo and wife Chloe Trujillo, items from Tool, Slash, Slayer, Lamb of God and more. In total, Gojira raised over $300,000, which will be put toward aiding the indigenous tribes of the Amazon who have suffered from deforestation, land loss, forced labor, violence and harassment.

“Despite the fact that I think humans are pretty fucked up and a part of me wishes that humans disappear from this planet to leave these poor animals alone, I believe in the potential of us human beings,” Joe Duplantier recently told Full Metal Jackie. “I think we have beautiful things to offer, and I still wished to see that best that we have inside of us come out and that's what I'm trying to do on an artistic level and the human level in my everyday life.”

With the release of Fortitude, Gojira dropped a new music video for “The Chant,” which is inspired by the poetry of Tenzin Tsundue. “A righteous Tibetan activist, that describes the cultural genocide perpetrated on its people,” Duplantier explains. “We’ve always been sensitive to the Tibetan struggle. One of the wisest and most compassionate traditions, victim of the worst human rights violations imaginable since its invasion in 1949. Tibetan culture inspired many of our lyrics and had a deep impact on our approach of philosophy and art in general. Our thoughts go out to all Tibetans. We’re hoping that we’ll see their land free from oppression in our lifetime.”