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13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ultra heavy intense Cyber Metal, 28 Dec 2003
Meshuggah are a bit of an oddity. They’re often described as being a technical Death Metal band, and when you first listen to them, it does seem as if this is true. However, if you actually analyse what is being played, it is not that technical or intricate at all, especially if you compare it to a genuine technical Death Metal band such as Cryptopsy. This doesn’t mean that Meshuggah are a bad band though, far from it, it’s just that their reputation sometimes puts people off because they believe that it will only be liked by serious musicians. However, I think that this will appeal to any fans of heavy music. Bizarrely for a band with the image they have for ultra-complexity in their music, the band Meshuggah sound most like is Demanufacture-era Fear Factory with their staccato riffs and liberal use of double bass drumming. However, one aspect where these Swedes are far ahead of the American band is in their guitar solos. In these days of pre-packaged plastic Nu-Metal rubbish, guitar solos have gone somewhat out of fashion, but if you want to hear a skilled guitarist showing what he’s capable of, listen to this record. The solo that Fredrik Thordendal pulls off on the opening track Future Breed Machine is quite simply breathtaking, whilst the one on Soul Burn is even better, and neither would sound out of place if Trey Azagthoth played it on a Morbid Angel album. This is one aspect of Meshuggah’s sound which truly is technical; Thordendal’s level of skill on his instrument is something to behold. Also, every riff on the whole album is satisfyingly meaty, with seven stringed guitars sometimes used to make the sound even more skull-crushing. The heavyness is not quite at the insane level of the next full album 'Chaosphere', but it still mops up the floor with Fear Factory or any other band of similarity. Another great point about Meshuggah is Jens Kidman’s vocals, whilst by no means the most brutal you will ever hear in Death or Thrash Metal, they are gruff and intense and fit the furious instrumental accompaniment perfectly. You really shouldn’t let the band’s slightly intimidating reputation put you off, so long as you like your music seriously heavy, fans of all kinds of Metal will enjoy this, not just the dedicated guitar heroes.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
a non 'metal-head' view, 8 Oct 2007
I felt compelled to write this review after reading about eight of the other reviews. As a quick preface: I'm not what you'd call a 'metal fan' as such. I grew up on a diet of classic rock (Zep, Cream, Purple etc), and even followed this interest through to the metal of the 'eighties (Maiden, Metallica, Slayer etc), but my chief musical passions lead me to music like Tom Waits, Joni Mitchell, and jazz, funk & soul (Coltrane, Davis, James Brown, The Meters, Curtis Mayfield etc).
My two main points are, however, firstly: that this is - musically at least - phenomenal stuff. Not knowing (or even particularly caring for) genres such as 'death metal' etc I can't compare Meshuggah with all the other bands in this area (e.g. I've never heard Fear Factory). As a drummer I can't help but be awed by Tomas Haake's incredible drumming, and, by way of illustrating some of my limited knowledge of contemporary metal, I find his whole approach (and that of the band as a complete entity) far more interesting and innovative than that of, for example, Mastodon, or their drummer, the much-lauded Brann Daillor. No offence to Daillor, who's clearly a brilliant drummer too, it's just that the Mastodon vibe is much more straight ahead and obvious, which goes for the rhythms and drumming too (and I really quite enjoy some Mastodon stuff by the way).
Before I get to point two, a quick aside re guitars: I think most jazz guitarists would sniff at the idea that the guitar solos are particularly advanced (especially in the harmonic sense: a true genius of the guitar, as long ago as the 1950's, is Joe Pass, and if you need distortion and intensity, then check out John McLaughlin's Mahavishnu period stuff), but I doubt that many open minded jazz drummers could deny that Meshuggah's rhythmic prowess and individuality is pretty awe inspiring. Their lead guitar sound is also so Allan Holdsworth-esque at times that the charge of it being derivative could quite easily be made to stick. It's when the guitars are being used as rhythmic jack-hammers, to bludgeon the senses with the low-tuned and unusual meter angular riffs that one can sensibly talk of Meshuggah's guitarists as being innovative and interesting.
So, on to point two: the vocals/lyrics. This a tricky and complex area, so I might not be that brief... I have to disagree with several reviewers here in commending the vocals. I mean no offence to the singer either, he does a sterling job. I absolutely love the music, but why is it mandatory in the metal arena to have guttural screaming and morbid lyrics? The music makes some very imaginative departures from the typical metal template... it's a shame the lyrics and vocal delivery don't go so far off the map. To qualify: the words are mostly at least interesting, intelligent and display a quasi-philosophical bent (it's great to hear openly athiest views expressed in music without it being in the guise of pantomime paganism or satanism), which is better than some of the teenage death-core tripe some other 'dark' metal bands concentrate on.
I remember a member of Slayer (or was it Dave Mustaine of Megadeth?), possibly Kerry King, saying how lyrics about flowers being sung melodically just wouldn't work in metal... why not? A subsiduary and related musical criticism is about variety. I like Vashti Bunyan and Meshuggah. Are there any artists (there's bound to be a few mavericks out there - The Mars Volta kinda lean in this direction at times) who don't plough such monorail furrows? Beck's a good example of an eclectic and experimental contempoaray pop artist. Metal could do with being less of a specialist introverted ghetto (the intense claustrophobia of much metal music aptly puts one in mind of a teenage lad's bedroom, probably one of the places where most 'dark' metal is consumed)... y'know, open up those doors and windows, let some fresh air in.
Anyway, ultimately Meshuggah are/were a blast of icy cold fresh air in their own way, and despite (and at times because of) their relentlessly heavy dark vibe remain a fairly unique and singular musical unit. I have my criticisms and all that... but I'm still giving this fantastic album the full five stars... 'cause it's brain blattingly brilliant. 'Nuff said.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is the best album I've ever heard., 13 Jan 2000
By A Customer
As far as musical abilities go, this band are awesome. I haven't heard any other type of music (including classical) as complex as this. Basically, if you can't cope with shouted vocals then you won't like this. If you're into silly time signatures, polyrhythms, contemporary classical & jazz, and/or bands like Slayer, Pantera and Fear Factory then you probably will. Its loud, it's nasty and its amazing.
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