![]() ![]() The long instrumental 'They Move Below' shows how the two bands have influenced each other for years and have a common approach in the search for trance, with repetitive riffs ('The Faultless') that slowly evolve to kidnap the listener's attention, leaving him incredulous and disarmed in front of his Stockholm syndrome.īut even if the foundations of Meshuggah's music remain unchanged, solidly anchored in a technical djent that they invented themselves ('Kaleidoscope') and built on pachydermic thrash metal riffs (the huge 'Armies Of The Preposterous', the disturbing 'Phantoms'), the band evolves slightly with "Immutable". The effect of hypnotic stupefaction that "Immutable" provokes is finally quite close to the fascination that Tool's music can generate, of which Meshuggah is the extreme counterpart. So welcome to Meshuggah's hypnotic hell, with its eight-string guitars tuned at least two tones below normal, its soli only based on dissonances ('The Abysmal Eye', 'The Faultless'), the inhabited vocals of Jens Kidman whose screams compete with aggressiveness and whose whispers from beyond the grave are even more unhealthy ('Broken Cog') and unplayable polyrhythms that Tomas Haake, even with the help of his computers, is the only one to understand (the impossible rhythmic of 'God He Sees In Mirrors') Because whatever the case, it is impossible to remain indifferent to this steamroller of huge riffs and abysmal darkness. In fact, all the ingredients of the band's music are there, the very ones that carry away the adhesion of some and the rejection of others. Besides, by calling this ninth album "Immutable", the band warns from the start those who will say that Meshuggah is just doing Meshuggah. After 35 years in the service of extreme metal, the Swedes know the recipe by heart to stick us to our seats. ![]() Each track gives us a good slap in the face, but it is almost impossible not to turn the other cheek and not to give up in front of so much power. But, intrepid explores that we are, we shall seek enlightenment amid the musical chaos and complexity and, who knows, maybe uncover the Rosetta Stone that will unlock the whole Meshuggah mystery.It's always the same with Meshuggah's albums. Immutable, their ninth, is no exception and is an album that hides many secrets within its as-yet hidden passages. Meshuggah’s records have always grown and developed through expose. There is a tempestuous feel here, with the instrumentation conjuring images of a bleak and barren landscape, incessantly buffeted by the elements.Īs Immutable closes we are presented with the final track, Past Tense, another appearance from the acoustic guitar, this time creating an ominous sense of impending menace, the bass acting as a ticking clock, marking off the time. Sitting at the centre of Immutable is the ten-minute instrumental epic, They Move Below, a beautifully built composition, beginning with the gentle strings of an acoustic before giving ground to the incoming drums. The Faultless’ big groove will see bodies strewn about the pit every night and it will be a glorious sight to behold. ![]() Songs like Light the Shortening Fuse, Kaleidoscope and Armies of the Preposterous are just some of the reasons why a Meshuggah live show is not a seated event. Basslines at the core of Phantoms fire off like artillery as synthesisers give voice to the titular entities. Opening piece, Broken Cog, sits in a more ambient mode and, although it does contain plenty of abrasive moments, it is the calm before storm. ![]() The experimentation and stylistic cross-pollination allow for a rejection of classification and opens the whole musical spectrum for exploration. Meshuggah have never just been about off-kilter time signatures or brain-melting complexity, rather it is the effect of those methods that more interest the band and why they have a fiercely loyal set of devotees who worship at their feet. Instead, it seems the rage burns bright, expressed through those trademark polyrhythms, orchestrated by drummer Tomas Haake and bassist Dick Lovgren and supplemented by Martin Hagtrom and Fredrik Thordendal’s six-string sorcery. If you’ve checked out the lead single, The Abysmal Eye you’ll know the hiatus has not mellowed the band one-iota. Sweden’s most insane sonic architects, Meshuggah, return from outer reaches of musical experience with Immutable, their first studio record since 2016’s The Violent Sleep of Reason. ![]()
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