Tag: meshuggah

This is the rhythmic machine that is Meshuggah’s 9th studio album, and it is as unrelenting as all of its predecessors. Their ability to use all instruments as percussion to create rhythmic  patterns and grooves (that other bands can only dream about) is breathtaking at times. The whole djent movement stole from Meshuggah (unashamedly) to pay homage to their heroes, while creating a whole new sub genre.

I defy any of you to try and count along to keep time, it’s just impossible as you can have four different time signatures in four bars that follow each other. Drummer, Tomas Haake, is just incredible as he holds all this together with the most physically demanding drum patterns you will hear. Guitarist, Fredrick Thordendal, returned for this album but he just plays leads, so Martin Hagstrom is alone in supplying the relentless chugga D-tuned riffs.

My favourite track is Light The Shortening Fuse, which highlights the rhythmic elements of this band to the max. My favourite album of Meshuggah is Obzen which is just brutal – this doesn’t quite reach the heights of that, but its still jaw dropping at times. I urge every metal fan to own at least one Meshuggah album as their technically and ability is off the charts – it sets them apart from other bands.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

This album is heavy, intense, and beyond epic. When the term djent was just a twinkle in the loins of Periphery’s Misha Mansoor, these guys were ploughing a loan furrow of technical experimentation, taking metal to a whole new universe. The unreal rhythms created by drummer Tomas Haake are insane. Ably abetted by Frederick Thordendal on guitar, Marten Hagstrom on guitar, and Dick Lovgren on bass. You can throw traditional rhythmic counting out of the window, as these guys are on a different planet. Math metal was invented for these guys.

Combustion is an immense chunk of heaviness and groove to warp your brain around. Just when you have managed that, Electric Red changes it completely as the grooves are insane, heavy, and in a superb odd time. Bleed starts with a mental staccato guitar burst – the only way I could do that would be with a stick or something. There seems to be three grooves going at the same time. Killer stuff! How Jens Kidman keeps the intensity going with the vocal is beyond me, and Live he is super intimidating – a huge presence on stage.

Lethargica opens Side 2 with an insane up down riff in superb d-tuned insanity. Obzen, the title track, follows and has to be the lowest sounding riff I have ever heard. The guitar strings must be as loose as wool! This Spiteful Snake is quite a simple riff when you break it down, but what surrounds it gets heavier and more complex as the song evolves. I love this tune. Pineal Gland Optics is nuts!!! You have to hear this rhythm and groove to believe it – it’s as though the drums are the lead instrument.

We flip over to Side 4 and start with the penultimate track, Pravus. It’s as heavy as hell, and the grooves and rhythms are even more crazy than before. Dancers To A Discordant System is the last track, and if possible, is even more brutally heavy and twisted. There are no other bands like Meshuggah, they are a one off. If you are remotely interested in this type of heaviness, then this is a good place to start.

9/10 from The Grooveman.