Meshuggah

[NotePad]

So what genre is Meshuggah considered by most people? My first thought is usually Death Metal because of the growling vocals and overall heaviness. But clearly there is something different then them. I'v heard them described as Math Metal, but I'm not really sure what that means.

Other then listening to 'I' once or twice years ago, then only Meshuggah I'v heard is 'Catch-33", the whole album. It's some of the most amazing music I'v ever heard. I'm not a fan of the growling vocal style so common in death/doom/black metal. Of course, Meshuggah has that style of vocals, but it doesn't really bother me because it suits them quite well. Although i did wish the lyrics could actually be understood because the lyrics for Catch-33 are really really interesting and awesome!

Catch-33 isn't actually considered a full-length studio album by the band, right? It's one big concept. I love it. The music is so dark, like the darkest metal I'v ever heard. The guitars, bass, everything! There's patterns that feel textured, and goes through repetitions that make it sound hypnotic. The repetitions and patterns are done in a similar way to what Tool does, just taken to a whole new level. Tool and Meshuggah are similar in that way; at times, they create haunting and hypnotic music through the use of repeated patterns. I remember hearing that Adam Jones was a fan and parts of 10 000 Days were influenced by them. But I think they may have been influenced by Tool also.

I don't know what other Meshuggah i should listen to. I buy CDs (apparently thats going out of style??), and I'm thinking of looking for more Meshuggah. I don't know if they can top Catch-33. Have they? Given my taste, what would you recommend i buy next?

[Dark Castle]

I consider them to be simply groove/technical metal, or just metal, because it gets old having to come up with more and more subcategories.

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

I know for a fact they hate labeling their own music. I would simply call them a metal band.

I don't know what other Meshuggah i should listen to. I buy CDs (apparently thats going out of style??), and I'm thinking of looking for more Meshuggah. I don't know if they can top Catch-33. Have they? Given my taste, what would you recommend i buy next?

You have to check out the rest of their disco because if you ask me Catch-33 is one of their weaker albums and also for the fact that their using programmed drums.

Destroy Erase Improve
Chaosphere
Nothing
Koloss

These are essential albums if you ask me.

[Buddyhunter1]

obZen is the best by far. It's interesting that you started with I and Catch 33, as they're easily the most experimental releases from the band.

I'd agree with shack-a-lack that Catch 33 is one of their weaker albums. It's an interesting experiment, but it doesn't really get good until the second half and aside from the calm sections that drag out for a bit too long it's very same-y sounding. (Hell, the whole album is a single tempo)

[NotePad]

Surprised to hear opinions that Catch 33 is one of their weaker works. For me i love expirimental metal like that. I like the whole vibe of it, whether or not it actually is a single tempo throughout.  It's just a fuckin great, hypnotic, almost psychedelic experience. So they used programmed drums on it? Well cool i like how it sounds, thats part of the sound that i like so much about it.

I haVE odd tastes in music. Maybe i wont like much else by them, because i fucking love Catch 33. I'd say it's one of the best musical experiences i'v had, up there with Listening to Tool high (in particular, Lateralus. 10k Days works too). Never listened to Catch 33 high tho.

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

Yea but if you really like Catch-33 that much you should give their other albums a chance, they deserve it! 

[BlackInk]

I call Meshuggah a djent band, or the djent band. I am one of those people who has just fully accepted "djent" as a genre, and Meshuggah is just spot on djent.

As a single song, Catch 33 is my favorite Meshuggah song, but it's not as good as ObZen and Nothing as an album. And I don't think you should listen to Destroy Erase Improve or Chaosphere or Contradictions Collapse (at least first) if you love the style of Catch 33, then I'd start with ObZen and Nothing, which has the same vibe.

[NotePad]

I heard a few songs off the 2 albums you said, the ones i probably shouldn't check out. They were more, you know....song-like. They were like 5, 6 minutes. Nothing wrong with that of course, but not like Catch 33 at all. From what i remember they sounded like pretty typical death metal to me.

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

I heard a few songs off the 2 albums you said, the ones i probably shouldn't check out. They were more, you know....song-like. They were like 5, 6 minutes. Nothing wrong with that of course, but not like Catch 33 at all. From what i remember they sounded like pretty typical death metal to me.

Funny you say that when C-33 have 2-3min songs combined into a large track. To say that Nothing sounds like typical Death Metal is a pretty narrow minded thing to say.

Here's some examples:

Straws Pulled At Random
Electric Red 3:29 
I Am Colossus Atleast listen to 2:04 that riff and onwards is pure fuckin metal! 
Sane Some old school Meshuggah. It's amazing this track is from 1998, they were so ahead of it's time. 2:44 until the end is the important part, who would have thought you could implement a valse into a metal track. 

[Buddyhunter1]

My top five Meshuggah songs would probably be:

1: Dancers To A Discordant System (obZen)
2: New Millennium Cyanide Christ (Chaosphere)
3: I
4: obZen
5: Do Not Look Down (Koloss)

[seasonsinthesky]

I heard a few songs off the 2 albums you said, the ones i probably shouldn't check out. They were more, you know....song-like. They were like 5, 6 minutes. Nothing wrong with that of course, but not like Catch 33 at all. From what i remember they sounded like pretty typical death metal to me.

Funny you say that when C-33 have 2-3min songs combined into a large track. To say that Nothing sounds like typical Death Metal is a pretty narrow minded thing to say.

yeah, there's really nothing "typical death metal" at all about any Meshuggah record. the closest they ever got was Contradictions Collapse, but even then it sounds more like And Justice For All than actual death metal. no blast beats, no growls — can't really play death metal without them!

[Buddyhunter1]

North American tour with BTBAM opening.

[Scorpion]

STRAWS.

PULLED.

AT.

MOTHERFUCKING.

RANDOM.



That is all.

[Tom Bombadil]

STRAWS.

PULLED.

AT.

MOTHERFUCKING.

RANDOM.



That is all.

Agreed. My favorite song by them.

[Nihil-Morari]

Just watched the Alive DVD yesterday, Electric Red absolutely slays live

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

MESHUGGAH live at Gröna Lund, Stockholm, 31-05-2014:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aSZEg1l31s

Tight as usual!

[Buddyhunter1]

Man, those live renditions of the songs from Contradictions Collapse sound so much better than the originals.

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

NEW LIVE DVD/BLU-RAY DETAILS REVEALED!




Commemorating the 25-year anniversary since the recording of their first EP, MESHUGGAH have announced the artwork and the track listing to their upcoming live DVD / 2-CD release 'The Ophidian Trek,' due out worldwide this fall and also available in Blu-ray.

PRE-ORDER 'The Ophidian Trek' at:
Europe: https://www.omerch.eu/shop/meshuggah/products.php?cat=3983
North America: https://bit.ly/mesh-tot-nbusa

With visual footage shot in the U.S. & Europe during The Ophidian Trek tour and festival footage from Wacken Open Air 2013 in Germany, the live audio was processed & edited by MESHUGGAH guitarist Fredrik Thordendal, mixed by Daniel Begstrand (MESHUGGAH, DIMMU BORGIR, BEHEMOTH), and mastered by Mats “Limpan” Lindfors (ROXETTE, OPETH, MANDO DIAO).

Drummer Tomas Haake shares the following about the upcoming DVD:

“We’re really stoked about this new MESHUGGAH live DVD! It’s been 4 years since the release of ‘Alive’ and with the band celebrating 25 years, we felt that we just had to get another one of these puppies out there! Audio/Video was recorded during our European stretch of ‘The Ophidian Trek’ tour, as well as at the Wacken Open Air festival - and we’re super proud of how it came out! For this one we used the extremely talented photographer Anthony Dubois for filming and editing, etc. and he’s really done a stunning job with it! Hope you guys dig it and here’s to another 25 (or maybe just a little less)!!”

The Ophidian Trek’s track listings are:
Live DVD:

01 - Swarmer
02 - Swarm
03 - Combustion
04 - Rational Gaze
05 - obZen
06 - Lethargica
07 - Do Not Look Down
08 - The Hurt That Finds You First
09 - I Am Colossus
10 - Bleed
11 - Demiurge
12 - New Millennium Cyanide Christ
13 - Dancers To A Discordant System
14 - Mind's Mirrors / In Death - Is Life / In Death - Is Death
15 - The Last Vigil

Live CD 1:

01 - Swarmer
02 - Swarm
03 - Combustion
04 - Rational Gaze
05 - obZen
06 - Lethargica
07 - Do Not Look Down
08 - The Hurt That Finds You First
09 - I Am Colossus

Live CD 2:

01 - Bleed
02 - Demiurge
03 - New Millennium Cyanide Christ
04 - Dancers To A Discordant System
05 - Mind's Mirrors / In Death - Is Life / In Death - Is Death
06 - The Last Vigil

The Ophidian Trek is MESHUGGAH’s second live DVD, the first being 2010’s Alive, which debuted at #8 on the U.S. Nielsen SoundScan Top Music DVD Video chart

[Buddyhunter1]

I would have preferred one from the most recent 25th anniversary tour, tbh.

But hey, I never get live DVDs anyways, so whatever.

[seasonsinthesky]

I would have preferred one from the most recent 25th anniversary tour, tbh.

But hey, I never get live DVDs anyways, so whatever.

agreed. there aren't any unexpected choices (nor any from earlier than Chaosphere). the 25th anniversary tour set blows it away by comparison.

[PolarizeMe]

I hear that I is getting a 10th anniversary reissue as well. To be released on the same day as The Ophidian Trek if I'm not mistaken.

[Buddyhunter1]

I hear that I is getting a 10th anniversary reissue as well. To be released on the same day as The Ophidian Trek if I'm not mistaken.

Yup. It's also got Pitch Black on it if you didn't get it back when it came out. It's a pretty cool song.

[PolarizeMe]

I don't really understand the inclusion of live versions of Bleed and Dancers To A Discordant System in the I reissue though. Kinda seems redundant if these are the same versions that'll end up on The Ophidian Trek. A live track or two from the Nothing/I tour would've made more sense IMO.

[adace]

"Do Not Look Down" from the new DVD: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FE7AuXNi2rU

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

Insanely tight as usual. I'm curious to know how much polish they do to the raw live mix? I've seen them live two times and they're always sound amazing and clear so i'm not doubting their ability to play. I know for a fact that they "gate" their guitar sounds live to get rid of unnecessary noises.

[seasonsinthesky]

I don't really understand the inclusion of live versions of Bleed and Dancers To A Discordant System in the I reissue though. Kinda seems redundant if these are the same versions that'll end up on The Ophidian Trek. A live track or two from the Nothing/I tour would've made more sense IMO.

they're not from Ophidian Trek — "Dancers" was released with "Pitch Black" in 2006, and "Bleed" is probably from the same recordings.

[PolarizeMe]

I don't really understand the inclusion of live versions of Bleed and Dancers To A Discordant System in the I reissue though. Kinda seems redundant if these are the same versions that'll end up on The Ophidian Trek. A live track or two from the Nothing/I tour would've made more sense IMO.

they're not from Ophidian Trek — "Dancers" was released with "Pitch Black" in 2013, and "Bleed" is probably from the same recordings.

Fixed it for ya! Pitch Black was released as a free download single by ScionAV last year with a live version of Dancers as its "B-side". I'm just wondering if the live version of Dancers and the one that's going to be on Ophidian Trek are the same or different performances.

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

So here's Dancers from TOT:

https://youtu.be/uq2HNLTxaZc?list=PLB4brr7vf-P7kx6j8S4UP4WlDDZLBpC5f

Don't really like his snare sound, sounds a bit weak to be honest. A little more "umff" would be nice other than that it sounds awesome!

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

Glorious stuff:

https://youtu.be/ymSb_EThxrw?list=UUxLbFcGicScOE07gwngd18g

 

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

Some kind of studio report by Thomas Haake, well not really but it's Haake in creative mode.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYjjwL022-0

Cool stuff.

[Kotowboy]

Insanely tight as usual. I'm curious to know how much polish they do to the raw live mix? I've seen them live two times and they're always sound amazing and clear so i'm not doubting their ability to play. I know for a fact that they "gate" their guitar sounds live to get rid of unnecessary noises.

They probably don't even use cabs & send a feed from Axe FX direct to the PA. The drums are probably all samples too. ** The vocals are probably the only true

"live" sound.



** perhaps with microphones to blend in a live drum sound to sound less triggered. This is how a friend of mine used to record. Triggers on the whole kit

and some ambient microphones to get the overall kit sound. Sounded great.

[BlackInk]

So hopefully a new Meshuggah album in 2016, awesome!

[Tom Bombadil]

Some kind of studio report by Thomas Haake, well not really but it's Haake in creative mode.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYjjwL022-0

Cool stuff.

Really cool video. Thanks for sharing!

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

MeSugar | Meshuggah played with Sugary Foods

I've said it before but the short lead at 3:14 in SPAR becomes so strong when it's used so sparsely. Brilliant stuff!

[Cable]

MeSugar | Meshuggah played with Sugary Foods

I've said it before but the short lead at 3:14 in SPAR becomes so strong when it's used so sparsely. Brilliant stuff!

That video was awesome!

I wish they would do more stuff like SPAR. I know they have a sound and style. But anything they do that sounds remotely melodic fits well, and is such a nice breath of fresh air.