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.
Ritual
Meshuggah Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Alone i fill my head
With
Everything i have
See
Into my empty face
Scarred
I know i'll never be
You're all the power in my fucked-up feelings
Worn out by frayed old visions
I know i am you too
So i wear your mission
Mark my every step
And i choke my lonely breath so i can bear my seed
Slay
Well i do know my hand
Obey
I look into myself
Crawling
Ragged in my brain
I'm
No enemy to me
I am the hate you made of flesh and blood
I am the man you ate
Now left your sour embark
My solitude fill up with pain
Beloved enemy you never betray
I know you
Still i pay
Simple way
Go insane
I don't beg
Never i choose
Will i ever
I'm still you
Chaos is the way you drain me into be you
Last traces of the me
Converted by your rein
Merge into an indigestible pestilent trip
Seasons of infinity
Inhabitant of pain
Incorporeal sense can't resist what i need
Spirits to release my power
Reckon i'm beyond recuperation
Swallow every hour
Here i stand in the middle of my entity
Revile my head
You're all i have and i ask your feelings
Ritual
Ritual
Hand in hand
Back to back
Yearning to
To obey
See
I go insane
Me
Your only friend
I
Never run away
Hate
You're all i ever have
You know i am seeing your realm at my bed
Our love never ending
You run my head
See i was made for you
You roll my mind away
Embedded in hate
You're all i have
You're all i have
The lyrics of Meshuggah's song Ritual reflect a person who is struggling with their own identity and their relationship with their inner demons. The opening lines "Alone I fill my head, with everything I have, see into my empty face, scarred I know I'll never be" suggest that the persona is facing their own insecurities, and they feel defeated by their own imperfections.
The chorus of the song "I am the hate you made of flesh and blood, I am the man you ate, now left your sour embark" represents the internal conflict of the persona with their own thoughts and emotions. They have become what they despise, and they are consumed by their own hate.
The lyrics "Chaos is the way you drain me into being you, last traces of the me, converted by your rein, merge into an indigestible pestilent trip" reflect the idea of being controlled by an uncontrollable force. The persona feels like they are being taken over by their inner demons and that they have lost their own identity.
In conclusion, the song Ritual is about the internal struggles of a person, who is fighting against their own demons. The lyrics suggest that the persona is struggling to find their own identity and has become consumed by their own hate.
Line by Line Meaning
Alone i fill my head
I am left on my own to think about things
With
Everything i have
With all that I am capable of thinking about
See
Into my empty face
Take a good look at the expressionless state of my face
Scarred
I know i'll never be
I am too damaged to ever become whole again
You're all the power in my fucked-up feelings
My emotions are controlled by you
Worn out by frayed old visions
I am exhausted from constantly seeing the same things
I know i am you too
I am a part of you
So i wear your mission
I adopt your beliefs and goals as my own
Mark my every step
You control my every move
And i choke my lonely breath so i can bear my seed
I suppress my own desires and identity to serve your needs and desires
Slay
Well i do know my hand
I understand that I am capable of killing
Obey
I look into myself
I try to find my own desires and beliefs, but always end up following yours
Crawling
Ragged in my brain
I feel like I am barely functioning, with my thoughts in disarray
I'm
No enemy to me
Despite everything, I don't hate myself
I am the hate you made of flesh and blood
I am a physical manifestation of the anger and hatred you cultivate
I am the man you ate
Now left your sour embark
You consumed me, leaving behind only bitterness
My solitude fill up with pain
Beloved enemy you never betray
Being alone only intensifies my agony, because I know you will never leave me
I know you
Still i pay
I am aware of the cost of being loyal to you, but continue to make the sacrifice
Simple way
Go insane
Following your orders is simple, but the toll it takes on me drives me crazy
I don't beg
Never i choose
I don't have a choice in my actions or my fate
Will i ever
I'm still you
I wonder if I will ever be free of you, but deep down I know I will always be your puppet
Chaos is the way you drain me into be you
You keep me disoriented and off-balance so that I can't remember who I was before becoming your servant
Last traces of the me
Converted by your rein
Any shred of my former self that remained has been overwritten by your influence
Merge into an indigestible pestilent trip
Seasons of infinity
Inhabitant of pain
All the terrible things I have experienced while serving you have become a part of me, and I will never escape them
Incorporeal sense can't resist what i need
Spirits to release my power
I feel powerless to resist you, and seek out supernatural means of gaining strength
Reckon i'm beyond recuperation
Swallow every hour
I have given up on ever being able to heal from the damage you have done, so I try to endure as best I can
Here i stand in the middle of my entity
Revile my head
I am trapped in my own mind, and hate what I have become
You're all i have and i ask your feelings
I have nowhere else to turn, so I seek your approval and affirmation
Ritual
Ritual
I follow your directives as if they are a religious ritual
Hand in hand
Back to back
We are united in our goals and actions
Yearning to
To obey
I crave the order and purpose that comes from following your commands
See
I go insane
I am losing my mind
Me
Your only friend
You are the only constant in my life, and the only one I can rely on
I
Never run away
I am too afraid to try to escape from you
Hate
You're all i ever have
You are the only thing I have ever known, and it is a relationship based solely on hate
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jens Kidman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@blueskythinking4745
This is like if alice in chains, Metallica and pantera had a baby this is what you would get
@jfleminator
The vocals at 2:35 remind me of Soundgarden
@BittersweetDuality
Never noticed before but the intro is like a proggier version of Would? lol
@SlyHikari03
Yeah.
@SlyHikari03
@@BittersweetDuality yup
@BFG-hv2ml
You kidding me man, was my first thought lol.
@nihilanth_mudrarakshas
Found out that Kidman wrote both the lyrics and music for this song. He should get into writing songs more often, even Behind the Sun is an absolute beast.
@Jon-cm8zq
behind the sun blows me away every time
@dogtrauma
Man, I wish Meshuggah was resurrect this song on the 8 strings. This is a great piece.
@JorgeLeitner
2:15 Reminds me of Opeth lol