Meshuggah released The Violent Sleep Of Reason last week, and as I said in my 10/10 review, the record “is as raw as we’ve ever heard Meshuggah, but in my opinion, it’s also as perfect as we’ve ever heard them.” Continue reading
Tag Archives: Tomas Haake
Meshuggah – The Violent Sleep Of Reason
Meshuggah will be releasing The Violent Sleep Of Reason on October 7th via Nuclear Blast, and the Swedish metal giants have outdone themselves. Continue reading
Video: Tomas Haake Of Meshuggah Performs Nostrum From The Violent Sleep of Reason
The mighty Meshuggah will be releasing The Violent Sleep of Reason on October 7th via Nuclear Blast Records. Continue reading
Tomas Haake of Meshuggah Issues Video Update
Meshuggah drummer Tomas Haake has posted a video update from the studio, where they are currently writing material for their new album, due out in 2016.
In related new, Meshuggah have confirmed these upcoming shows:
Apr 12: RockBar Theater – San Jose, CA
Apr 13: House of Blues – Anaheim, CA
Apr 14: House of Blues – San Diego, CA
May 29: Der Ring – Grune Holle Rock – Nurburg (DE)
May 31: Rockavaria – Munchen (DE)
Jun 02: Sonicsphere Festival – Milano (IT)
Jun 05: Sweden Rock Festival – Solvesborg (SW)
Jun 19: Hellfest Open Air – Clisson (FR)
Jul 11: Be Prog My Friend – Barcelona (ES)
Aug 07: Heavy Montreal Festival – Montreal, QC
Aug 20: Bergenhus Fortress – Bergen (NO)
Aug 22: Ullevi – Gothenburg (SW)
Meshuggah – I (Remastered EP)
Meshuggah. I can just end the review at the end of that first sentence, right? The name speaks for itself as easily the most revered and analyzed band of the decade and a half of extreme metal. They certainly have lovers and haters, but they have clearly set themselves apart from any other band. Many bands want to sound like them, but few can really do it. As the band continues to celebrate their 25th Anniversary with a Concert DVD and now this Special Edition remastered EP (Nuclear Blast) coming ten years later, now is as good a time as ever to expend a few more brain cells revisiting this creative and crushing release.
If Chaosphere established the bands footing in the underground, and Nothing foisted them into the consciousness of mainstream metal fans, I was made for unabashed, fan-boying worship. Arriving on the scene as a one-off release from Jason Popson’s (Mushroomhead) Fractured Transmitter label, this unassuming 21-minute plus singular track comprises in it everything great about Meshuggah. ‘I’ has insane time signatures, crushing, mechanical riffing, stellar drumming and the classic ranting vocals of Jens Kidman. The track was a flat-out masterpiece, certainly worthy of the best the group had to offer up to that point. Several movements and expansiveness of themes was a portend of future proggy tracks on releases such as Obzen and Koloss.
But hey, let’s not let our admiration totally blind us to a hole in the original version. The mix, especially up front in the first few minutes of the track was muddy sounding. Once the intro was over and the track really kicked in, it evened out sonically, the adjustment of which is audible with headphones. So audiophiles rejoice! The new re-master is crystal clear, upon A-B-ing the two versions.
As an added bonus to ‘I’, The release includes kickass versions of ‘Bleed’ and ‘Dancers To A Discordant System’ live, and a new version of the ‘Pitch Black’ single from 2013.
Worth picking up for fans and completists.
9.0/10
KEITH (KEEFY) CHACHKES
Meshuggah Announces 25th Anniversary Tour DVD/Blu-Ray
Meshuggah has announced the fall release of their upcoming new DVD/Blu-Ray from their recent Ophidian Trek Tour celebrating their 25th Anniversary since their first recording. The artwork has been confirmed and the track listing as well from the stellar tour. More details to follow.
From the press-release from Nuclear Blast:
With visual footage shot in the U.S. & Europe during The Ophidian Trek tour and festival footage from Wacken Open Air 2013 in Germany, the live audio was processed & edited by MESHUGGAH guitarist Fredrik Thordendal, mixed by Daniel Begstrand (MESHUGGAH, DIMMU BORGIR, BEHEMOTH), and mastered by Mats “Limpan” Lindfors (ROXETTE, OPETH, MANDO DIAO).
Drummer Tomas Haake shares the following about the upcoming DVD:
“We’re really stoked about this new MESHUGGAH live DVD! It’s been 4 years since the release of ‘Alive’ and with the band celebrating 25 years, we felt that we just had to get another one of these puppies out there! Audio/Video was recorded during our European stretch of ‘The Ophidian Trek’ tour, as well as at the Wacken Open Air festival – and we’re super proud of how it came out! For this one we used the extremely talented photographer Anthony Dubois for filming and editing, etc. and he’s really done a stunning job with it! Hope you guys dig it and here’s to another 25 (or maybe just a little less)!!”
The Ophidian Trek’s track listings are:
Live DVD:
01 – Swarmer
02 – Swarm
03 – Combustion
04 – Rational Gaze
05 – obZen
06 – Lethargica
07 – Do Not Look Down
08 – The Hurt That Finds You First
09 – I Am Colossus
10 – Bleed
11 – Demiurge
12 – New Millennium Cyanide Christ
13 – Dancers To A Discordant System
14 – Mind’s Mirrors / In Death – Is Life / In Death – Is Death
15 – The Last Vigil
Live CD 1:
01 – Swarmer
02 – Swarm
03 – Combustion
04 – Rational Gaze
05 – obZen
06 – Lethargica
07 – Do Not Look Down
08 – The Hurt That Finds You First
09 – I Am Colossus
Live CD 2:
01 – Bleed
02 – Demiurge
03 – New Millennium Cyanide Christ
04 – Dancers To A Discordant System
05 – Mind’s Mirrors / In Death – Is Life / In Death – Is Death
06 – The Last Vigil
The Ophidian Trek is MESHUGGAH’s second live DVD, the first being 2010’s Alive, which debuted at #8 on the U.S. Nielsen SoundScan Top Music DVD Video chart.
Read Ghost Cult’s review of the Ophidian Trek tour stop in Boston, MA.
Meshuggah on Facebook