To throw more fuel on the Gojira fire, so to speak (have fun with that one, kidd :P ), I really like Flying Whales, and it was fucking amazing live - I just wish they had played the intro. :( Not enough time though, as they opened. I am definitely not ignoring the band, I mean I haven't even seen Hypocrisy live yet. I just think Hypocrisy has been consistently good for a much longer time, and that, for now, their body of work is more preferable to Gojira's, as Gojira's older stuff still slays, just not as hard, IMO.
As far as Gojira transforming metal (my words, not yours, just so there isn't a semantical issue :P ), I think that they may pioneer a new niche genre or open some eyes, but I hardly think they'll ever either break into the mainstream or create the metal version of "Sgt. Pepper's". That's not to say they aren't an excellent band with a promising career ahead of them (they are, and I can't wait for more new stuff from them), but I don't have hopes for any particular metal band in that sense. I enjoy being part of a somewhat subversive culture. It will occasionally mean you, I, most people in the metal community that live in a more intolerant atmosphere, will be ostracized. It also means you always have a place to go. I just like to look at it that way.
tl;dr: Metal is home. Hypocrisy has been better, longer IMO. Gojira is great, but probably won't revolutionize anything more than a sub-genre. IMO. Thanks for reading.