Meshuggah is widely acknowledged as an influence on many modern metal bands from Textures to Tool. They are regarded as pioneers by critics and musicians alike.
Discography
Psykisk Testbild (EP, 1989)
Contradictions Collapse (1991)
None (EP, 1994)
Selfcaged (1995)
Destroy Erase Improve (1995)
The True Human Design (1997)
Chaosphere (1998)
Contradictions Collapse and None (1999)
Rare Trax (2001)
Nothing (2002)
I (EP, 2004)
Catch Thirty-Three (2005)
Nothing (Re-Release With DVD) (2006)
obZen (2008)
Alive (2010)
Koloss (2012)
Pitch Black (2013)
The Violent Sleep Of Reason (2016)
Immutable (2022)
Band history
Meshuggah was formed in Umeå in 1987; two years later, the band released their first record, an EP entitled Psykisk Testbild (which can be roughly translated as "Psychological test image". This recording displayed a straightforward thrash metal influenced sound, with some strains along the lines of Metallica's concurrent releases. There were also hints of more complex music in the songwriting. As the group grew older, they further refined the technicality of their musicianship and songwriting. This led to a harsher sound, utilizing strong seven string guitar (and later eight string guitar) rhythms, manic sounding vocals, and a combination of jazz fusion elements as well. This caused the band's style to border on the lines of an esoteric feel. This style has shown to be hard to appreciate by some but it is widely embraced by Meshuggah fans.
While the band's music is extremely intense and aggressive, the members often demonstrate a strong sense of humour: their video for "New Millennium Cyanide Christ" consisted of the five band members sitting inside their tour bus headbanging and air guitaring to the song. Promotional photos of the band often include comical grimacing.
In late 2005, Meshuggah were nominated for a Swedish Grammy for the album Catch Thirty-Three.
Bands such as Dream Theater, God Forbid, Deftones, Textures , Lamb of God, The Safety Fire and Tool have cited Meshuggah as an influence.
Style
Among the band's most recognizable qualities are lead guitar player Fredrik Thordendal's abrasive, chaotic and dischordant solos, singer Jens Kidman's vocals, which resemble manic screams and shouts; the churning, dissonant rhythm guitars and the polymetric drum beats. In a typical Meshuggah song, drummer Tomas Haake plays two separate rhythms: a standard 4/4 beat with his hands, and a completely different metrical subdivision with his feet. The guitars mostly follow the bass drum work, creating an awkwardly pulsating rhythmic pattern to work as the basis of the song.
To give an example, the main riff of the song "New Millennium Cyanide Christ" from their 1998 album Chaosphere follows the aforementioned blueprint. Haake beats a rather slow 4/4 rhythm with his hands, while the bass drums and guitars play a repetitive 23/16 rhythm pattern on top of it. As the subdivided pattern is repeated, the pattern's accents shift to different beats on each repetition. After repeating the 23/16 pattern five times, a shorter 13/16 pattern is played once. These patterns sum up to 128 16th notes, which equals exactly 8 measures in 4/4 meter.
The band has evolved through a number of stylisitic periods. Contradictions Collapse and None have a sound similar to Metallica's concurrent albums. Destroy Erase Improve and Chaosphere have a more distinct off-time influence along with the thrash metal sound. Nothing and Catch Thirty-Three have a sound close to the vein of groove metal, consisting of droning and slow grooves.
While live drums were obviously not abandoned, a unique decision was made to use programmed drum patterns using Toontrack's "Drumkit From Hell" (developed in co-operation with Tomas Haake and Morgan Ågren) sample library on the latest album Catch Thirty-Three, not only providing a more precise and mechanized drumscape, but also making drum beat creativity a more collaborative effort amongst all of the band members. It cemented the album as one of the band's most complex works to date. The band members have, however, stated in several interviews that the decision to use programmed drums was due to the lack of time given by their label to produce the record.
On all records since Nothing, guitarists Thordendal and Hagström use custom-made Nevborn, and custom Ibanez eight string guitars. These guitars add two low strings to allow the crushing, heavy riffs to be played in even lower registers. They currently use Line 6's Vetta II Amps.
In regards to lyrics, the main lyricist of Meshuggah is drummer Tomas Haake, who uses complex, but precise, vocabulary and metaphorical styling. Through abstract descriptions, Haake's lyrics discuss such topics as the self, society, mendaciousness, and the human condition, all with an overarching theme that intertwines with metaphysical concepts relating to the psychedelic experience. While Haake tends to write the majority of the lyrics, guitarist Mårten Hagström also contributes to some songs.
Combustion
Meshuggah Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No wondering whether this is it
Clarity, so brightly shining
The image so painfully absolute
No edges blurred on this awareness
No unknown weight to tip the knowledge scales
Eyes dilated to grasp it all
An unquestionable picture, determined, complete
Its crystalline lines untouched by doubt
So vivid, so deprived of hesitation
Shining in its evil splendor
The burning hatred of man
A million degrees on display
Human voracity delineated
The demons in us all by fumes portrayed
Stare, see, take in, grasp
Comprehend, assimilate
Behold your reflection
The framing gold plated lies
The canvas hurting souls caught and weaved
The artist, the human dream
Incinerated, devoured, deceived
The lyrics of Meshuggah's song Combustion touch upon themes of clarity, absolute knowledge, and the darker aspects of human nature. The singer describes this clarity as being "so brightly wrong" and "painfully absolute", indicating that sometimes the truth can be difficult to accept. He notes that there are "no edges blurred" and "no unknown weight to tip the knowledge scales", suggesting that the picture being painted is complete and unquestionable.
The lyrics go on to describe the image as "crystalline" and "deprived of hesitation", indicating that it is a stark and unambiguous representation of some kind of evil. The "burning hatred of man" is depicted as "a million degrees on display", highlighting the intensity and seriousness of the subject matter. The chorus implores the listener to "stare, see, take in, grasp", encouraging people to confront the truth of their own reflection, even when it may be difficult to do so.
The final verse of the song speaks to the idea that the image being presented is not entirely accurate. The "framing" of this picture is described as "gold plated lies", indicating that there are some falsehoods at play. The canvas is said to be "hurting souls caught and weaved", with the artist being "human dream incinerated". This suggests that the picture being painted is not entirely true, and that there are deeper, more complex issues at play in the human experience.
Line by Line Meaning
No more ifs, no bias, no ambiguity
There is no room for uncertainty or prejudice
No wondering whether this is it
The truth is certain and obvious
Clarity so brightly wrong
The truth is so clear that it seems wrong
The image so painfully absolute
The truth is so absolute that it hurts
No edges blurred on this awareness
The truth is not blurry or unclear in any way
No unknown weight to tip the knowledge scales
There is no unknown information that could distort the truth
Eyes dilated to grasp it all
The singer is eager to understand the full truth
As every illusion of what we are fails
All illusions and false beliefs about ourselves are exposed and destroyed
An unquestionable picture, determined, complete
The truth is absolute and clear
Its crystalline lines untouched by doubt
The truth is so clear that there is no room for doubt
So vivid, so deprived of hesitation
The truth is so clear that there is no hesitation in accepting it
Shining in its evil splendor
The truth is unpleasant and evil in nature
The burning hatred of man
Human hatred is intense and consuming
A million degrees on display
The intensity of human hatred is extreme
Human voracity delineated
The human desire for consumption is clearly shown
The demons in us all by fumes portrayed
The metaphorical fumes of human greed and hatred show the evil nature inside all of us
Stare, see, take in, grasp
The artist urges the listener to take in and understand the truth
Comprehend, assimilate, behold your reflection
The listener must understand and accept the unpleasant truth about themselves
Its framing, gold plated lies
False beliefs and illusions are presented in a way that makes them seem valuable
The canvas, hurting souls caught and weaved
The false beliefs and illusions trap and control those who hold them
The artist, the human dream
Humans create these illusions and false beliefs
Incinerated, devoured, deceived
The truth destroys these illusions and false beliefs
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Fredrik Thordendal, Jens Kidman, Tomas Haake, Maarten Hagstroem
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind