| Fortitude | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 30 April 2021 | |||
| Recorded | 2018–2020 | |||
| Studio | Silver Cord Studio in Queens, New York City | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 51:52 | |||
| Label | Roadrunner | |||
| Producer | Joe Duplantier | |||
| Gojira chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Fortitude | ||||
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Fortitude is the seventh studio album by French heavy metal band Gojira. The album was released on 30 April 2021 through Roadrunner Records. Recorded at the band's studio in New York City, it was produced by lead vocalist Joe Duplantier, mixed by Andy Wallace and mastered by Ted Jensen.
Gojira's ambition was to write a more cohesive and brighter album than Magma, emphasizing a progressive sound while incorporating guitar solos and classic rock elements with a positive lyrical message. The songwriting began in early 2018 but was put on hold due to the band's touring schedule. The COVID-19 pandemic interrupted the album's mixing, and its release was postponed to a later date.
Fortitude debuted at No. 12 on the Billboard 200 and sold 27,372 units in its debut week in the US, which surpassed Magma's chart performance. The album topped on both the Billboard Hard Rock Albums and Top Rock Albums charts, as well as the UK Rock & Metal Albums chart. The album ranked high on the charts in Europe and sold 9,900 units in France in its first week of release. It peaked at No. 3 on the ARIA Charts. Fortitude was the best-selling album (pure sales) in the United States in its opening week.
Fortitude was met with critical acclaim. Metal Hammer and Revolver named Fortitude the best album of 2021. The album was placed at number three on Rolling Stone's list of "The 10 Best Metal Albums of 2021". At the 64th Annual Grammy Awards, the single "Amazonia" received a nomination for Best Metal Performance. To promote the album, Gojira was scheduled to embark on their first arena-level headlining tour in 2022 in Europe and the UK, but it was postponed due to varying COVID-19 restrictions.