Initially billed as GODZILLA, the Bayonne based band released the 1996 'Victim' demo and second promotional session 'Possessed' during 1997. Under the revised GOJIRA title, actually the original Japanese Toho Studios title for Godzilla, the 'Saturate' demo session arrived in 1999, with 'Wisdom Comes' following in 2000. The group retired to a Belgian recording studio to cut their debut full-length album, the fully self-financed 'Terra Incognita'. Another solo enterprise, the EP 'Maciste All Inferno', arrived in 2003 whilst Boycott Records issued the single 'Indians' and album 'The Link'. A follow up DVD and album, ‘The Link Alive’, followed in April 2004.

GOJIRA featured the track 'Remembrance' on the 2005 Listenable Records French Metal compilation 'Revolution Calling'. The album 'From 'Mars To Sirius' debuted on the French national charts at number 44.

The band's appearance at the Gelsenkirchen 'Rock Hard' festival in Germany during June 2006 was taped and subsequently the track 'Clone' was included on the 'Rock Hard' magazine compilation album 'Rock Hard: Das Festival 2006'.

The band hooked up with OBITUARY and GOREROTTED for a run of UK dates in August 2006. The band united with Denmark's HATESPHERE for further UK October dates. GOJIRA teamed up with AMON AMARTH, SANCTITY and headliners CHILDREN OF BODOM for a North American tour in December. The band packaged up with LAMB OF GOD, TRIVIUM and MACHINE HEAD for a lengthy run of North American dates commencing on February 16th 2007 at the Palladium Ballroom in Dallas, Texas.

In July 2007 it was revealed that Joseph Duplantier was forming up a side project band with the high profile SEPULTURA siblings Igor and Max Cavalera plus SOULFLY's Mark Rizzo entitled CAVALERA CONSPIRACY. Duplantier guested on Finnish cello band APOCALYPTICA's 'Worlds Collide' album.

JOB FOR A COWBOY, BEHEMOTH, GOJIRA and BENEATH THE MASSACRE lined up an extensive round of US concerts commencing on October 18th at the Ram's Head Live in Baltimore, Maryland. GOJIRA sold around 4,200 copies of the album, 'The Way of All Flesh', in the United States in its first week of release to debut at no. 138 on The Billboard 200 chart.

GOJIRA embarked on a North American headlining tour in May 2009 with support on the trek coming from THE CHARIOT and CAR BOMB. In September the band scored the highly valuable support slot to METALLICA's US tour.