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.

more Martyr

I have decided to cover one of Martyr's more accessible songs from Feeding the Abscess.




The audio quality is good on this one!

Between the Buried and Me

Between the Buried and Me is an experimental metal group from North Carolina, USA. This is the kind of band that changes their sound with every release (with the exception of the last two full lengths), but the band's signature, eclectic sound pervades all of the releases. BTBAM have gained a large following with their later albums, becoming a band that represents an ever-growing popularity of fusing progressive elements with metal.

BTBAM's debut album Between the Buried and Me introduces us to the diversity of sound that BTBAM is known for, despite sounding somewhat "young". Their next release The Silent Circus, my favorite in particular, has a more refined sound. The production is thick while maintaining clarity, and the music is brutal with a wacky twist. Alaska was recorded with significant line-up changes, bringing in Dustie Waring, Blake Richardson and Dan Briggs. This was the onset of the new sound of BTBAM, which went even further into experimental territory.

Colors is the next album, and it is probably their most widely regarded due to its more sophisticated songwriting. Every song is seamlessly transitioned to blend as one epic song.



Here's a video of my playing the closing track "White Walls". This song puts together various musical segments from the rest of the album in a brilliant way. Enjoy!