A truly groundbreaking and highly distinctive band best know for using complex polymetric passages and time changes with gutteral barking vocals, chugging riffs and some absurd drum work. Pretty much responsible for smashing the conventions and preconceptions of metal.

Their obvious masterpiece is 'Destroy Erase Improve' which houses the wicked song 'Future Breed Machine'. Other briliant work include the uber aggressive 'Chaosphere' and the 21 minute experimental ep 'I'

It took me ages to fully appreciate this band and I saw them live before knowing any of their music. Heh, trying to headband along to these guys is a near impossiblity. Fantastic band and the members are a great bunch of guys with a fantasic sense of humour.

I have the album 'Catch Thirty Three'. I have to admit, I didnt like it as much as i thought i would... I would like to listen to some older material, to see if it changes my mind, but so far... I think theyre overrated...

Catch 33 is an odd one. It was critically acclaimed for the most part but alot (including myself) don't really like it that much. It works on the basis that it's 1 song split into 13. It's a good idea but I don't think it workls that well. The main qualm I have with it is that it's very repetitive. It often repeats the same riff over and over and can get quite dull.

I strongly urge you to try out Destroy Erase Improve. Each song has it's own identity and is just overrall a legendary album. Might take some getting used to though.

Written by Guest on 18.05.2006 at 13:59

Catch 33 is an odd one. It was critically acclaimed for the most part but alot (including myself) don't really like it that much. It works on the basis that it's 1 song split into 13. It's a good idea but I don't think it workls that well. The main qualm I have with it is that it's very repetitive. It often repeats the same riff over and over and can get quite dull.

I strongly urge you to try out Destroy Erase Improve. Each song has it's own identity and is just overrall a legendary album. Might take some getting used to though.

Ok, sure... ill give that a try, thanks...

Yes, Destroy Erase Improve is indeed their best album.

The first album of theirs I purchased was the Contradictions Collapse + None compilation which is also quite good - hearing Meshuggah play more "traditional" sounding metal just sounds strange.

I then got Chaosphere which was quite aggressive. There were some "miss" songs, but most of them were excellent.

Then I got Nothing and practically gave up on the band. I recall saying "Meshuggah, this time you've gone TOO far with your style." Everything just felt horribly bland on that album.

Haven't seen 'em live yet, but I ought to the next time they come to Massachusetts.

I have "D,E,I", "CC&N", and "Chaosphere" as well, and I like them in that order. I listened to some of "C33", and while I applaud their vision and creativity, I am not sure I would enjoy that album as much as their older works.

hm, i listened to the album 'nothing' and i liked the wierd rythms they use, but im not a big fan of the vocals.

Contradictions Collapse is a great debut album...they weren't just thrash on that album and a lot of people though that...it's more technical then that...Destroy, Erase, Improve obviously is when they came together and make their big splash...Gods Of Rapture is their best song in my opinion...the bridge in that song is just fuckin' insane...I'm not sure if it was Chaosphere or Nothing which was a craptacular album....I don't like thier new album...repetitive, monotonous, tedious, overdone, over-produced, processed...

Written by LethargyMan on 18.05.2006 at 18:58
Then I got Nothing and practically gave up on the band. I recall saying "Meshuggah, this time you've gone TOO far with your style." Everything just felt horribly bland on that album.

All right... writing that line inspired me to give Nothing another good listen, so I left it in my Car's CD player for the past few days. I now take back what I said about Nothing. The more I listened to it, the more it grew on me and the more I understood the nuances in each song.

Kudos, Meshuggah.

Also, in this epiphany, I picked up Catch 33, which is just fantastic (but probably fantastic only under the precept that it is indeed an experimental album).

Written by LethargyMan on 23.05.2006 at 07:22


All right... writing that line inspired me to give Nothing another good listen, so I left it in my Car's CD player for the past few days. I now take back what I said about Nothing. The more I listened to it, the more it grew on me and the more I understood the nuances in each song.

Kudos, Meshuggah.

Also, in this epiphany, I picked up Catch 33, which is just fantastic (but probably fantastic only under the precept that it is indeed an experimental album).

Nothing is indeed a good album, and I think it is normal that it take some time to get into the music like messhuggah, their is chaothic and technical.

They keep getting more and more ridiculous (in a good way) with each CD, Catch33 is almost impossible to grasp... they're definitely my favorite 90's metal band, by a long shot. Let's see what they come up with next, and hope Thordendal releases a new solo album sometime!

I must be the only one who grasped Catch 33 in one go? Then again, i always listen to Meshuggah albums from start to finish.

Wgeb a lisen to Catch 33; i lisen to the hole record (I do thtat with the most of my records). But i don't find "In death - is death". I really don like thtat song, i just that nothing happen i that song!

Well i thought "C33" was a great album, its very different from the rest.The repeated riffs i dont find annoying. It takes a few listens to really get into it.

It takes time to enjoy this band ... give it time and u will surely enjoy it .. amazing drummer and an amazing guitarist ... thorendall and haake jus take the music to one level higher ... i for one, love the band

On Catch 33 they used a drum machine.....

Written by Guest on 25.05.2006 at 06:46

On Catch 33 they used a drum machine.....

are u sure of that ... cuz from wat i heard...they can pull all those songs off live as well .

No, it's true, the album had to be completed by a particular time so they employed a drum machine to get the job done. Has nothing do with Haake's abilities as a drummer. Hell no.

Anyway, the drumming I heard on their EP I was both faster and [in my opinion] complex, and was not done with a drum machine.

Also, Hakke's Drumkit From Hell did a fine job. And since Meshuggah don't characterize Catch 33 as a "real" album, I doubt the use of the DFH will be the norm.

I must say that my prefered album is Catch33...takes time but is an one track album that must be listened several times to enjoy it....
10. Shed
11. Personae non gratae
12. Dehumanization
13. Sum
What a killer sequence!!!

i so much wish to get a chance to see them live some sooon day
DESTROY - ERASE - IMPROVE.
heh

"are u sure of that ... cuz from wat i heard...they can pull all those songs off live as well . "

Dead sure

They've got a really great drumming sound going on and they are highly skilled. However, I'm not too keen on the shouted vocals. I enjoy this band overall but I can't listen to them over long periods of time for some reason. I perfer listening to a few tracks here and there.

I lsitne to a bit of them and the drumming was certainly impressive but the vocals were so awfull they could belong to a hardcore band.

Written by Guest on 08.06.2006 at 21:39

I lsitne to a bit of them and the drumming was certainly impressive but the vocals were so awfull they could belong to a hardcore band.

only the old ones....more recently the vocals are better...listen Catch 33
I hope they keep this way

Written by Doc G. on 20.05.2006 at 00:41

hm, i listened to the album 'nothing' and i liked the wierd rythms they use, but im not a big fan of the vocals.

I agree about what you say, Im not big fun of this band and I agree what you say thay has funny ritms and no good vocals

And band are old I never had listen them much but thts why i dunnno how thay has changed true years

I don't think they have funny ritms... their music is a fucked up mix of technical riffs (damn look at their 8-strings guitar), extreme and innovative music, screaming ritmated vocals...
Meshuggah's music take you to another dimension...
I think they're the one of the most innovative band of the last few years (with "The Dillinger Escape Plan")... just take a look to the EP " I " ...

Math Metal at its finest, so complicated at times

I love this band, Destroy Erase Improve is just amazing.

I just Love It. Meshuggah is unique, never heard something like that, eventho ive been looking for similar bands. Its just amazing, their music creates a kind of .... oppressing atmosphere when i play it in my room (dont ever play Meshuggah loud if you dont have a good sound installation, its a shame). I think the song that shows it the most is "Spasm", in the 'Nothing' album.

I just wonder how they can play their music live, i should look for some live performance video, i havent done it yet. And i cant see myself playing those amazing drums, *boom boom* *silence* *boom boom* *silence*. It sounds so irregular, yet its so fucking well done and structured, theres a sort of harmony in all the songs, between the riffs, vocals, and drums.

And btw, (@Revenant) the vocals have always been great.