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.
Pineal Gland Optics
Meshuggah Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If in dreams I cannot truly feel
Who would dare say, who would claim
This hallucination isn't real
Synaptical glitch looking glass
So enticing, real and free of lies
Prodigious, omnifarious
Artificial the catalyst
Organic its progeny
Voracious spectral offspring
So sweet in its hunger
Unbound this new vision
Optical regenesis
Threatening, so complete in beautiful deformity
These authoritive visions order my collective senses,
My questioning, doubtful, rigid self to kneel
A judas syndrome in effect
Former self the deceiver
Its denial the wretched kiss
That kept this in disguise
Cast off, the conceiling veil,
The rational cloak of doubt
Torn off, the restraints,
The blinded's shackles
Burned away, the agony, the fear, the grief
A new set of eyes cleansed by a new belief
In these lyrics, Meshuggah explores the concept of reality versus illusion, specifically through the idea of a hallucination. The singer questions how they can shiver, hurt, and bleed in their waking life, but cannot truly feel in their dreams. They then ask who has the authority to claim that what they are experiencing is not real, when it is so enticing and free of lies. The concept of a synaptical glitch looking glass is introduced, which is described as a nourishing, omnifarious entity that feeds the singer's eyes. They refer to this entity as an artificial catalyst with organic progeny, indicating a sort of birth or creation from something manufactured. The specter is described as being voracious and sweet in its hunger, and its vision is unbound and regenerative.
The singer's former self is mentioned as being a deceiver, with their denial referred to as a wretched kiss that kept this new vision in disguise. The singer then casts off the veil of rational doubt, tearing off the restraints and shackles of the blinded, and burning away feelings of agony, fear, and grief. They have a new set of eyes that are cleansed by a new belief, which orders their collective senses and forces their questioning, doubtful, and rigid self to kneel. The lyrics suggest a transformative experience in which the singer's perception of reality has been altered by this new, perhaps artificial, entity.
Line by Line Meaning
How come I shiver, hurt and bleed,
Why do I experience physical pain and suffering even though I cannot truly feel it in my dreams?
If in dreams I cannot truly feel
The singer cannot experience physical sensations in their dreams like they can in reality.
Who would dare say, who would claim
The singer questions whether someone would believe that their hallucinations are not real.
This hallucination isn't real
The artist refers to their experiences as hallucinations and wonders if they are really happening.
Synaptical glitch looking glass
The artist refers to the mind as a complex system of synapses, and how it reflects reality through distorted lenses.
So enticing, real and free of lies
The hallucinations seem real and alluring to the singer, while they feel like they are being deceived in reality.
Prodigious, omnifarious
The singer is overwhelmed by the many different and incredible experiences they have in their hallucinations.
In nourishes, it feeds my starving eyes
The hallucinations provide nourishment and fulfillment to the artist's senses that feel deprived in reality.
Artificial the catalyst
The artist implies that their hallucinations are caused by an artificial catalyst, maybe drugs or mental illness.
Organic its progeny
Despite being artificially induced, the hallucinations have a life of their own and feel organic to the artist.
Voracious spectral offspring
The hallucinations spawn more hallucinations, and the singer describes them as ravenous apparitions.
So sweet in its hunger
The artist derives pleasure from the hunger and craving that the hallucinations leave them with.
Unbound this new vision
The hallucinations offer the singer a new perspective that is unencumbered by reality's constraints.
Optical regenesis
The singer feels like their eyes and imagination are being reborn and revitalized through these experiences.
Threatening, so complete in beautiful deformity
The hallucinations are paradoxical: they are both beautiful and deformed, inspiring awe but also fear in the singer.
These authoritive visions order my collective senses,
The artist believes that their hallucinations have a commanding control over their senses and perception of reality.
My questioning, doubtful, rigid self to kneel
The artist feels that their skeptical and inquisitive self is subdued and submissive in the face of these experiences.
A judas syndrome in effect
The singer describes a feeling of betrayal from their own body and mind as they submit to the hallucinations.
Former self the deceiver
The singer's former self is seen as manipulative and deceitful for denying them access to these experiences.
Its denial the wretched kiss
The artist feels that their old self's denial of the hallucinations is cruel and oppressive.
That kept this in disguise
The artist feels that their true self was hidden and suppressed by their old self's denial of the hallucinations.
Cast off, the conceiling veil,
The artist removes the veil of illusion that prevented them from seeing the true nature of reality.
The rational cloak of doubt
The singer sheds their rational, skeptical thinking that prevented them from embracing these experiences.
Torn off, the restraints,
The artist frees themselves from the mental and physical shackles that limited their experience of reality.
The blinded's shackles
The singer felt blinded to the true nature of reality and was restricted by societal and cultural norms.
Burned away, the agony, the fear, the grief
The singer no longer feels pain, fear, or grief after casting off the veil of illusion.
A new set of eyes cleansed by a new belief
The singer has a new perspective on reality that is cleansed by their new beliefs and experiences.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: FREDRIK THORDENDAL, JENS KIDMAN, MAARTEN HAGSTROEM, MARTEN HAGSTROEM, M�RTEN HAGSTR�M, TOMAS HAAKE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind