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.
Sublevels
Meshuggah Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Asleep but aware I'm lost again
Every time I close my eyes
I enter the dream to which I'm strained
A sudden change into a stage
Where life is dust
And everything flow
Circling above swirling seas
Vapour masques in the leaden air
Unleashed by death in a grubby dawn
Vacant faces reflecting sorrow
Hidden inside senses disowned
A maze of glass shattered by thoughts
Of a faltered soul freed in bliss
Clouds disperse revealing shades
Tempting my soul I can't resist
A vision of morbidity
Of ragged silent shadows
Dressed in black disease
They're closing up on me
Peering lifeless weary eyes
They drag me down into
Another world inside of me
Paralyzed by the view
Hypnotized let me wake
Mesmerized by the flames as I return
Into myself a slow conversion a silent
Change I wake into the brightened day
The lyrics to Meshuggah's song "Sublevels" explore the theme of self-discovery and the struggle to escape from one's own negative thoughts and emotions. The opening lines suggest that the singer is lost in his own mind and unable to escape from a recurring dream that haunts him every time he closes his eyes. He feels trapped on a stage where life is fleeting, and nothing seems to make sense. The next verse introduces surreal imagery of vaporous masks, sorrowful faces, and shattered glass, symbolizing the singer's psychological state of fragmentation and confusion.
However, amidst this chaos, the singer catches a glimpse of something beautiful - shades that tempt his soul, hinting at the possibility of a new beginning. The final verse introduces a vision of morbidity, with the singer being dragged down into another world inside him. But he emerges from this darkness, feeling mesmerized as he returns to himself, transformed and ready to face the world with newfound strength.
Overall, "Sublevels" is a deeply introspective song that speaks to the human struggle with mental health, and the challenge of finding one's way back to the light amidst the darkness.
Line by Line Meaning
Back again within myself
Feeling introspective and lost
Asleep but aware I'm lost again
Being aware of getting lost in dreams despite being asleep
Every time I close my eyes
The beginning of the dream sequence
I enter the dream to which I'm strained
Being trapped in the same dream over and over again
A sudden change into a stage
The dream evolving into something new
Where life is dust
The dream is devoid of life
And everything flow
The dream carries on without stopping
Circling above swirling seas
Floating above a sea of eyes
Of eyes upraised toward the unknown
The eyes look up to an uncertain future
Vapour masques in the leaden air
The air is thick with mist
Unleashed by death in a grubby dawn
Death makes its presence felt at the start of a new day
Vacant faces reflecting sorrow
Faces that are empty and drained of emotion
Hidden inside senses disowned
Abandoning feelings and senses to avoid pain
A maze of glass shattered by thoughts
Suffering from thoughts that shatter the mind like glass
Of a faltered soul freed in bliss
The soul is finally free from suffering
Clouds disperse revealing shades
The clouds part, revealing shadows
Tempting my soul I can't resist
Being drawn towards something that is tempting but ultimately harmful
A vision of morbidity
A disturbing image of death and decay
Of ragged silent shadows
Shadows that are tattered and quiet
Dressed in black disease
The disease is depicted as a black shroud
They're closing up on me
Feeling trapped and surrounded
Peering lifeless weary eyes
Eyes that are tired and unfeeling
They drag me down into
Being pulled down into a darker place
Another world inside of me
This is a world within the dreamer's own mind
Paralyzed by the view
Feeling unable to move because of the terror of the image
Hypnotized let me wake
Being in a state of trance and wishing to be awoken
Mesmerized by the flames as I return
Being captivated by the beauty of the flames
Into myself a slow conversion a silent
Feeling that one is transforming and changing inside
Change I wake into the brightened day
Finally being able to return to reality and the light of day
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: FREDRIK THORDENDAL, TOMAS HAAKE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind