I must confess (to my shame) that I only became acquainted with Meshuggah about three years ago, when I heard the album "Catch 33," which at the time literally blew my head clean off. My opinion of the band was formed, and since then I have been following their work with the utmost attention, each time becoming convinced that I do so for good reason.
Another (seventh) full-length from the Swedes, and once again we plunge into an eclectic mix of ultra-complex thrash, vicious hardcore, metallic soundscapes, and who the hell knows what else. A mix that, when the ingredients are clumsily thrown together, could yield a chaotic, disorderly, and meaningless result — but when carefully stirred, meticulously dosed, and skillfully prepared, produces the outcome described by yours truly at the very beginning of this piece: total head removal. Complete and irreversible.
Every Meshuggah album is, without any doubt, a new word in heavy metal, and on their latest effort, the formidable Swedes have stayed true to their tradition. However, I shall be as banal as I am inexorably precise: this is exactly the kind of case where describing the music with words is almost meaningless. This is the case where Music simply needs to be listened to and heard. I cannot guarantee immersion into nirvana, but having your head blown off — that I can guarantee.