Western Courier

Issue date: 8/27/04 Section: The Edge

Meshuggah "I"

Grade: A-



Sweden's Meshuggah is arguably the heaviest and most musically accomplished metal band in recent memory. Whereas many metal artists rely on their riffs to provide the foundations of songs, Meshuggah builds its material off of irregular drum patterns that pulverize the listener/victim into submission.

Rather than leading the way, Meshuggah's down-tuned guitars lock into syncopation with the jagged and mathematically complex percussion, creating a cold and mechanical din more abrasive than anything grindcore or death metal have to offer.

With albums like 1995's "Destroy Erase Improve" and 1998's "Chaosphere," Meshuggah won critical praise for remolding thrash metal to fit its own twisted and brutal design. With such an unorthodox attack, it isn't surprising that the group has yet to receive the commercial attention enjoyed by other Swedish metallists like In Flames and, to a lesser degree, Soilwork.

A handful of die-hard fans, however, maintain that Meshuggah's futuristic approach to metal represents a major step forward in the evolution of the form.

For those not yet acquainted with Meshuggah, the band's new release "I" would serve as a good introduction. An EP containing one 21-minute song, "I" is a sprawling chunk of thrash metal that incorporates elements from each of Meshuggah's previous efforts. More than a mere retread of past accomplishments, "I" contains some of the group's fiercest and most devastating music yet.

Meshuggah's considerable technical prowess reveals a subtle progressive rock influence, and the manner in which "I" mutates through a variety of musical passages bears a similarity to the work of 1970's prog-rock heroes like King Crimson and Pink Floyd.

"I" touches upon all the hallmarks of Meshuggah's sound. Indecipherable blasts of percussion are complimented by atonal guitar shredding and brief interludes that seem to have been inspired by jazz fusion. There are some plodding mid-tempo sections reminiscent of 2002's slightly more relaxed "Nothing" album, but there is also enough fast and furious chaos here to satisfy older fans who may have been put off by "Nothing's" looser feel.

Through it all, vocalist Jens Kidman exhibits his usual keen understanding of the band's disorienting approach. No matter how unusual the rhythms become, Kidman emits his throaty scream in sharp bursts that flow easily over the instrumentation. Like Phil Anselmo, Kidman alters the pitch of his screams to match the notes behind him, giving his voice a dynamic quality rarely heard in the work of metal singers.

Like every Meshuggah effort before it, "I" is an innovative and challenging work. Its brevity is certain to make fans wish that it had been expanded into a full-length album but this is a minor quibble over a superb achievement. Meshuggah's music may be too brash and cerebral for mainstream metal audiences but this is one of the most intelligent, musically capable and astoundingly creative groups in its genre.

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