In 1994 I worked for an affiliate of the radio station Z-Rock in upstate NY. One of my record reps from Nuclear Blast records called me up ask me what type of bands I was into. He asked me if I like Iron Maiden, Queensryche and Metallica, I of course said YES!! He said that he had a new band that I would love that was from Sweden and they were called Meshuggah. I laughed and said "Meshuggah"? I though he was speaking Yiddish to me and told him to send it to me so I could check it out. I was pretty skeptical, but played it anyway, totally expecting to hate it & toss it aside. But to my eternal happiness, this was Meshuggah's None EP and a Meshuggah Head I have been ever since.
Jump forward to March of 2008 and the CD of 2008 has arrived, obZen, the type of record that will have all other bands step back & listen to what the future of Metal sounds like. The bar once again has been raised by the only band that continues to move forward and leave a path for all others to follow. That band is the finest Swedish export, the Mighty Eight Stringed Meshuggah!!
obZen the first new studio release since 2005's Catch 33, and finds Meshuggah pulling out all of the stops and going for nothing less than your jugular vain. The eight stringed fury that is unleashed within is down right frightening. The opening ominous riff of CD opener, "Combustion" lays the groundwork of the devastation to come. This 9 track disc is best described for Meshuggah Heads as a direct mixture of the speed and complexity of the CD of the millennium, Chaosphere and the grinding riffing found on the opus, Nothing. Could there be a better mix? I think not!! obZen is 9 songs of pure brutality, unheralded musicianship and simply 'goose bump' inducing mayhem.
Is there a drummer on this planet that can stand on the same stage as Tomas Haake? He has continued to redefine what precision drumming is about. The polyrhythmic drum god is in his usual untouchable form on obZen. How can one man manage to do the things he can do with the same 2 arms & legs as everyone else? Can you say air drumming? Haake has been "The Man" for the past 14 years since I 1st stumbled on to them and he has NEVER disappointed. Gone are the digital "Drum Set from Hell" and back is the more organic, acoustic Haake. Don't get me wrong, the "Drum Set from Hell" stuff on Catch 33 is some of the coolest drum riffing that I've ever heard, but a complete Haake bashed Meshuggah song, is simply the shit! The drumming on obZen is worth the price of this CD alone, not to mention his continued lyrical mastery of the intensely intelligent and complex and did I mention the CD cover art and concept were also Haake's?! If this was a sport, Tomas Haake would be league MVP!
The controlled chaos that makes Meshuggah well…Meshuggah, has been even more focused with Headbanger's from Hell results. Check out the mesmerizing "Pravus" or the dare I say, Tool-ish vibe of the amazing 9 & ½ minute, "Dancers to a Discordant System" or the pummeling lead single, "Bleed". The groove of the title track, "obZen" and the psychotic punch of "Lethargica", make this the most intense Meshuggah record since Chaosphere. Progressive, Death, Thrash, or what ever you want to call it, just Strap in, Sit down & Shut up!
Meshuggah, which now consists of Haake, singer Jens Kidman, guitarists Marten Hagstrom, lead guitar genius Fredrik Thordendal and new bassist Dick Lovgren, have crafted a perfect CD. Thordendal continues to push the envelope with his Allan Holdsworth style of lead guitar work, that is still so awe inspiring and so one of a kind as it was 10 years ago! Thank god guys like Steve Vai & Zakk Wylde have given him some much due respect in guitar magazines over the years! Jens Kidman also delivers his best vocal performance to date on obZen.
I understand that this form of Metal will never sell in the millions, but this IS the CD that Meshuggah fans have hoped for, the record that should put Meshuggah on the map for good. There is something for every type of Metal fan, without ever losing one ounce of what has made Meshuggah the band that others have been following for years. A perfect record from a band that has been a trailblazer for years and has yet to disappoint with any release to date, Meshuggah are and have been in a class by themselves and with obZen have again widened the gap between themselves and ANYONE else.
Behold the CD of the year for 2008, obZen by Meshuggah! 112 Stars out of 5!!!!
Track Listing
- Combustion
- Electric Red
- Bleed
- Lethargica
- obZen
- This Spiteful Snake
- Pineal Gland Optics
- Pravus
- Dancers To A Discordant System
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