Christian Roger Andreu (born November 15, 1976) is a French musician best known as the lead guitarist of

metal A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typicall ...

band Gojira, and was guitarist on a Familha Artús album.

Music

Christian Andreu's influences include bands such as

Death Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...

Metallica Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...

Morbid Angel Morbid Angel is an American death metal Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep growling ...

Tool A tool is an object that can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment or help them accomplish a particular task. Although many animals use simple tools, only human beings, whose use of stone tools dates ba ...

Slayer Slayer was an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California. The band was formed in 1981 by guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman, drummer Dave Lombardo and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya. Slayer's fast and aggressive musical style ...

, and

classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" also ...

. His favorite non-metal musicians are

Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his ra ...

, La Tordue,

Têtes Raides Têtes Raides is a French folk rock group. Group history The group was founded in Paris during the 1980s. Originally, they played music heavily influenced by the punk movement and depended on electric instruments. Their third album featured An ...

, and

Björk Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct three-octave vocal range and eccentric persona, she has de ...

, as well as

Bulgarian music The music of Bulgaria refers to all forms of music associated with the country of Bulgaria, including classical, folk, popular music, and other forms. Classical music, opera, and ballet are represented by composers Emanuil Manolov, Pancho Vladig ...

and

Indian music Owing to India's vastness and diversity, Indian music encompasses numerous genres in multiple varieties and forms which include classical music, folk (Bollywood), rock, and pop. It has a history spanning several millennia and developed ove ...

. He cites French singers such as

Alain Bashung Alain Bashung (, born Alain Claude Baschung; 1 December 1947 – 14 March 2009) was a French singer, songwriter and actor. Credited with reviving the French chanson in "a time of French musical turmoil", he is often regarded in his home country a ...

, Barbara,

Jacques Brel Jacques Romain Georges Brel (, ; 8 April 1929 – 9 October 1978) was a Belgian singer and actor who composed and performed literate, thoughtful, and theatrical songs that generated a large, devoted following—initially in Belgium and France, l ...

, and

Georges Brassens Georges Charles Brassens (; 22 October 1921 – 29 October 1981) was a French singer-songwriter and poet. As an iconic figure in France, he achieved fame through his elegant songs with their harmonically complex music for voice and guitar and a ...

. In an interview for

Lyon Lyon,, ; Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the third-largest city and second-largest metropolitan area of France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of t ...

's ''ZYVA Magazine'', Andreu explained that he does not listen to much metal music apart from Gojira, stating that he primarily listens to classical music. Andreu credited " Symbolic" from the band

as the song that portrays him. In 2007, he was also a guitarist in an experimental ethno-tribal progressive rock band playing in a traditional style called Familha Artús. On May, 2019 towards the end of the song "Stranded" at

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

's Sonic Temple Festival, the pyrotechnic effects of the show have projected flames in his face under the effect of the wind. Burned superficially, Andreu had to leave his comrades but returned on stage to complete the concert, while taking breaks between songs to throw water on his face. He recovered quickly.

Personal life

Christian Andreu resides close to nature on the south west coast of

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, near

San Sebastián San Sebastian, officially known as Donostia–San Sebastián (names in both local languages: ''Donostia'' () and ''San Sebastián'' ()) is a city and Municipalities of Spain, municipality located in the Basque Country (autonomous community), B ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. He maintains his organic garden when he is not on tour, and practices fishing.

Equipment

;Guitars *Jackson RR1t *Jackson RR Custom (with "G" inlay on 12th fret) *Jackson RR5 *Gibson Explorer (on The Link Alive) ;Amplifiers and Cabinets *EVH 5150 III 100 watt HEAD (L'Enfant Sauvage – present) *EVH 5150 III 4×12 Cab (Christian started using EVH in 2009 on Gojira's first headlining tour in US) *Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier (Terra Incognita – The Link) *Peavey 6505+, 6505, 5150, 5150 II (From Mars to Sirius – The Way of All flesh) ;Pedals *Boss TU-2 Chromatic Tuner *MXR Smart-Gate *MXR Carbon Copy Delay Note: Before the deal with Dunlop, he was using Boss NS-2

Discography

Gojira

;Demos * ''Victim'' (as Godzilla) (1996) * ''Possessed'' (as Godzilla) (1997) * ''Saturate'' (as Godzilla) (1999) * ''Wisdom Comes'' (as Godzilla) (2000) ;EPs * '' Maciste All'Inferno'' (Gojira) (2003) * ''End of Time'' (Gojira) (2012) ;Studio albums *''

Terra Incognita ''Terra incognita'' or ''terra ignota'' (Latin "unknown land"; ''incognita'' is stressed on its second syllable in Latin, but with variation in pronunciation in English) is a term used in cartography for regions that have not been mapped or do ...

'' (2001) *'' The Link'' (2003) *''

From Mars to Sirius ''From Mars to Sirius'' is the third studio album by the French progressive metal/technical death metal band Gojira. It is a concept album addressing environmental issues and the rebirth of a dead planet through a space travel storyline, with t ...

'' (2005) *''

The Way of All Flesh ''The Way of All Flesh'' (sometimes called ''Ernest Pontifex, or the Way of All Flesh'') is a semi-autobiographical novel by Samuel Butler that attacks Victorian-era hypocrisy. Written between 1873 and 1884, it traces four generations of the ...

'' (2008) *''

L'Enfant Sauvage ''The Wild Child'' (french: L'Enfant sauvage, released in the United Kingdom as ''The Wild Boy'') is a 1970 French film by director François Truffaut. Featuring Jean-Pierre Cargol, François Truffaut, Françoise Seigner and Jean Dasté, it te ...

'' (2012) *''

Magma Magma () is the molten or semi-molten natural material from which all igneous rocks are formed. Magma is found beneath the surface of the Earth, and evidence of magmatism has also been discovered on other terrestrial planets and some natural sa ...

'' (2016) *'' Fortitude'' (2021) ;With Familha Artús *Òrb (2007)

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Andreu, Christian Death metal musicians French bass guitarists French heavy metal guitarists French male guitarists Living people People from Bayonne Progressive metal guitarists 1976 births Male bass guitarists 21st-century bass guitarists 21st-century French male musicians Gojira (band) members