Meshuggah

Meshuggah are a Swedish metal band that formed in 1989, pioneering a new style of death metal that has becoming increasingly popular throughout time. They are still active today and are in the process of writing and recording a new album.

Meshuggah's first few releases were a lot more on the thrash metal side, still carrying a sound that had been well established in the metal genre. The None EP (1994) and the Destroy, Erase, Improve LP (1995) were the releases in which Meshuggah had begun to develop a sound that crossed boundaries and simultaneously belonged to none. Their songs became rhythmically complex in a way that is staggering, yet hypnotizing. In addition, Frederik Thordendal's use of obscure jazz fusion elements certainly separated Meshuggah from a typical style.

Nowadays, Meshuggah is considered a legendary band that has become an influence to a majority of current artists. Their approach is highly focused on rhythm, each instrument (including the vocals) being a factor in the multi-layered "groove". Due to the imposition of unaligned rhythmic groupings into a meter, Meshuggah's riffs turn out to have a three-dimensional quality. The full aural experience requires a simultaneous hearing of the intertwined layers of rhythm; this is what creates an entrancing, zen feel. It is similar to the simultaneity required in seeing magic eye images, or solving a Rubik's cube. Before I get too abstract, let's make things more literal with an example. Here's Meshuggah's classic two tracks "In Death - Is Life" and "In Death - Is Life" from their milestone concept album Catch 33.



This is from one of their more experimental release, so it's a bit more dynamic than a lot of other material. I have decided to cover one of Meshuggah's most recognized songs, "New Millenium Cyanide Christ". This is from the 1998 album, Chaosphere.