Meshuggah

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Meshuggah

Meshuggah is a Swedish five-piece experimental metal band from Umeå, known for their use of extended polymetric passages, complex drum patterns, odd time signatures, angular, dissonant guitar riffs, and harsh screaming vocals.

History

Formation and early years (1987–1989)

Meshuggah has its roots in Umeå, Sweden where the band called Metallien formed in 1985 with frontman Roger Olofsson, Fredrik Thordendal and Peder Gustafsson on guitars, Janne Wiklund on bass and Örjan Lundmar on drums. After they recorded a few demos, Metallien disbanded and Fredrik Thordendal continued the band with different band members under a different name.[1]

Meshuggah was originally formed in 1987 with lineup including vocalist Jens Kidman, guitarist Johan Sjögren, bassist Jörgen Lindmark and drummer Per Sjögren. Meshuggah recorded several demos before Jens Kidman left the band, which broke up subsequently. Jens Kidman formed his new band Calipash, with guitarist Torbjörn Granström, bassist Peter Nordin and drummer Niclas Lundgren. Granström was soon replaced by Fredrik Thordendal on guitar.[1] Kidman, who also played on guitar,[2] and Thordendal decided to restore the name Meshuggah for the new band.[1] In 1989 Meshuggah released a self-titled three-song EP Meshuggah,[1][2] which is commonly known as Psykisk Testbild[3] (that could be translated as "Psychological Test-Picture").[1] This 12" vinyl EP has only 1000 copies, which have been released by local record store Garageland. On the back cover of the EP are the band members with cheese doodles on their faces. [3]

According to Jens Kidman Umeå has a healthy rock scene and a lot of people involved in rock music "probably because there is not a lot to do".[2] Mårten Hagström says that many of the session musicians in Stockholm are from Umeå.[2]

Nuclear Blast and Contradictions Collapse (1990–1994)

New drummer Tomas Haake replaced Niclas Lundgren and Meshuggah signed to German heavy metal record label Nuclear Blast.[1][2]

Meshuggah released their debut full-length album Contradictions Collapse in 1991.[1][2] Originally the title "(All this because of) Greed" was intended before Contradictions Collapse.[4] Nuclear Blast did not promote the album, which consequently sold badly.[2] The frontman guitarist/singer Jens Kidman decided to concentrate on vocals[2] and a new rhythm-guitarist Mårten Hagström, who had already played in a band with Tomas Haake when they were in the sixth grade, was recruited. The new line-up recorded the EP None in 1993, which had also a Japanese version with lyrics printed in Japanese.[5] Subsequently Fredrik Thordendal, who worked as a carpenter, cut off the tip of his left middle finger when working and Tomas Haake injured his hand in a grinder accident;[1][2] so the band could not perform for several months. Thordendal's fingertip was later sewn back on and he made a full recovery.[2] The Selfcaged EP was recorded in April and May 1994 and delayed released later in 1995 because of the accidents.[1][2]

Destroy Erase Improve (1995–1997)

Meshuggah returned to the public in January 1995 in a short European tour organized by Nuclear Blast.[2] After the tour the band returned back to studio to record the album Destroy Erase Improve, which was released at the same year.[1][2] Shortly after Meshuggah was on a European tour supporting the American band Machine Head for two months. During the tour bassist Peter Nordin became ill and had problems with his balance nerve in his inner ear. He had to leave the tour and go to Sweden because he was chronically dizzy, and constantly felt like he was falling. The bassist of Machine Head offered to help out, but Meshuggah decided to play as a four-man band. Thordendal at times played the bass. Other times, the band performed just with two guitars with Hagström playing through a pitch shifter, shifted one octave down.[2] Destroy Erase Improve was released in May 1995, with better marketing by the record label[2] and positive response by the critics for the "heady tempos and abstract approach".[1] Later in 2006 Destroy Erase Improve became the 21st album in Decibel magazine's "Hall of Fame" along with Slayer's "Reign In Blood", Sepultura's "Roots". Jens Kidman said about the cover of the album: "The title fits the pictures we cut out and stole from reference books in the library."[6] In mid-1995 Meshuggah had a short tour with a Swedish band Clawfinger in Scandinavia and Germany. Peter Nordin had to leave the band after few shows and was replaced by the bassist Gustaf Hielm since the show in Hamburg. In the late 1995 Meshuggah was also on a month-long tour with Hypocrisy[2]

During 1996 and 1997 Frederik worked on his solo album Sol Niger Within, which was released in March 1997 in Scandinavia and in April in Japan. He also hosted on the debut of Mats & Morgan Band. In 1997 Messhuggah recorded a demo, which was never released and made an occasional tour and few concerts in their hometown Umeå. Swedish Television recorded one show in February and broadcasted one song in the next week. In May, Meshuggah moved to Stockholm,capitol of Sweden, to be neared to their management and to the record industry in general. A new EP The True Human Design was recorded and released in late 1997 after numerous delays from the record-label. It contains one new song called "Sane" and one live and two alternate versions of the Destroy Erase Improve's opening track "Future Breed Machine" [2][7] Frederik's solo album Sol Niger Within was released in USA simultaneously and Meshuggah started to plan their new album in the end of the year.[2]

Chaosphere and Nothing (1998–2002)

Gustaf Hielm joined the band officially in January of 1998 after after more than two years as a session member. Peter Stöckli from Switzerland started a fan club and released a 36-page booklet with photos and info on the band. The fan club died due to financial problems. Nuclear Blast re-released Contradictions Collapse with addition of the songs from None EP. The title of the new album Chaosphere was reported in May 1998, when the recording started. After the record was ready, Meshuggah went for a short tour in USA and the album was released in November 1998. Afterwards the band was on tour in Scandinavia with Entombed.[2]

1999 continued with a USA tour with thrash metal pioneers Slayer. Through both the new album and the live performances Meshuggah won lot of a good press in the USA as "guitar, drum and metal mags".[2] In mid-1999 Meshuggah made several concerts in Sweden. The band started to write some new material but reported in mid-2000 that "songwriting isn't that dramatic, but we're getting there slowly."[2] While fans were waiting for the next album, a collection of demos (from Psykisk Testbild EP) and rare recordings was released as Rare Trax album.[2]

Gustaf Hielm left the band in July of 2001. The reason is not very clear, but he is still in contact with the band, so it was probably more problem of a technicality rather than he was kicked out. Meshuggah joined Tool on a huge tour, playing for more than 100,000 persons in total.[2]

In March 2002 Meshuggah recorded in their home studios three tracks-demos with programmed drums, which were based on Haake's sample Drumkit from Hell. Those showed the next level in Meshuggah's evolution. The upcoming album was recorded in 5 to 6 weeks in May.[2] A last-minute decision to join 2002's Ozzfest tour forced the band to mix the album in two days and master it in one day.[8] Meshuggah went again immediately after finishing the recording on a tour to USA, this time with the Ozzfest festival. Fans and also the bands on the tour were impressed.[2]

The album Nothing was released in August 2002[2] and and sold 6,525 copies during its first week in the US.[5] In the end of 2002 the band went on tour in USA with Tool again.[2]

Catch Thirtythree and obZen (2003–present)

In 2003 rhythm guitarist Hagström said also about the possible musical direction of the band's next album, "There's only one thing I really feel that is important. We've never measured our success in terms of sales, because we're quite an extreme band. It's more that people understand where we're coming from. I get more out of a fan coming up and saying that we've totally changed their way of looking on metal music, than having like 200 kids buy it. I mean, it would be nice for the money, but that's not why we're in it. So what I'd like to see is that we keep progressing. Keeping the core of what Meshuggah has always been, but exploring the bar, so to speak. Destroy Erase Improve was like exploring the dynamics of the band, Chaosphere was exploring the aggressiveness, the all-out side, and Nothing is more of a sinister, dark, pretty slow album, actually. So honestly, now I don't know where we're going. It might be a mix of all of them."[9]

After a small break, Meshuggah released I EP in 2004, which contains one single 21-minute track.[1][10] Catch Thirtythree, the only album where programmed drums have been used, was released in the following year and in May 31, 2005.[11] 7,000 Copies of Catch Thirtythree have been sold in the first week and landed at No. 170 on The Billboard 200 chart in June 2005.[12] Meshuggah were nominated for a Swedish Grammy for that album.[13][14] In December 2005, 10 years after inking their first deal with the publishing company Warner/Chappell Music Scandinavia, Meshuggah extended their cooperation with the company.[14] In November 2005 Tomas Haake said in an interview that the band was not contented with the production of Chaosphere and Nothing, which suffered of lack of time, because the band was on tour.[15]

Remixed and remastered Nothing with re-recorded guitars have been re-released in a custom-shaped slipcase featuring a 3D hologram card October 31 2006 via Nuclear Blast Records. It also includes a bonus DVD featuring the band's appearance at the Download 2005 festival and the official music videos of "Rational Gaze", "Shed", "New Millenium Cyanide Christ".[16] Thomas Haake told Revolver: "While we were doing it, we found new ways of playing guitar that give the music a really scary tone. That's going to make this record sound more brutal."[5]

In the same year Meshuggah returned to the studio to record their latest album obZen which was released in March of 2008.[1] ObZen sold 11,400 copies in the first week and reached No. 59 on The Billboard 200 chart.[12] This is currently followed by a world tour, which started in USA and follows in Europe, Asia, and Australia.[1] In May 2008 Meshuggah published a music video for the song "Bleed", which was produced by Ian McFarland and was written, directed and edited by Mike Pecci and Ian McFarland. Killswitch Productions said: "It's extremely cool to work with a band who is willing to allow the music and imagery to speak for itself and who does not insist on themselves being the prominent focus of the video.[12]

Members

Current members

  • Jens Kidman - lead vocals (1987–present), rhythm guitar (1987–1992, 2005), bass guitar (2005)
  • Fredrik Thordendal - lead/rhythm guitar, studio bass, synthesizers, backing vocals (1987–present)
  • Mårten Hagström - rhythm guitar, studio bass, backing vocals (1992–present)
  • Tomas Haake - drums, spoken vocals (1989–present)
  • Dick Lövgren - live bass guitar (2004–present)

Former members

  • Peter Nordin - bass guitar, backing vocals (1987–1995)
  • Niklas Lundgren - drums (1987–1989)
  • Gustaf Hielm - bass guitar (1995–2001, live/session member 1995–1998)

Discography

Main article: Meshuggah discography

Albums

EPs

Compilations

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Jason Ankeny and Bradley Torreano. "Meshuggah Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 2008-05-11.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa Espn. "A short biography". www.meshuggah.net. Retrieved 2007-05-16. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  3. ^ a b "Meshuggah - 1989". www.meshuggah.net. Retrieved 2008-05-11. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  4. ^ "Contradictions Collapse - 1991". www.meshuggah.net. Retrieved 2008-05-11. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  5. ^ a b c "None - 1994". www.meshuggah.net. Retrieved 2008-05-11. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help) Cite error: The named reference "name" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  6. ^ "MESHUGGAH's 'Destroy Erase Improve' Inducted Into DECIBEL's 'Hall Of Fame'". Blabbermouth.net. Retrieved 2008-06-08.
  7. ^ "The True Human Design - 1997". www.meshuggah.net. Retrieved 2008-05-11. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  8. ^ Cosmo Lee. "Meshuggah Nothing". Stylus Magazine. Retrieved 2008-06-08.
  9. ^ "MESHUGGAH: Off NUCLEAR BLAST, Weighing Their Options". Blabbermouth.net. Retrieved 2008-06-08.
  10. ^ "I - 2004". www.meshuggah.net. Retrieved 2008-05-11. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  11. ^ "Catch 33 - 2005". www.meshuggah.net. Retrieved 2008-05-11. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  12. ^ a b c "MESHUGGAH: 'Bleed' Video Available". Blabbermouth.net. Retrieved 2008-06-07.
  13. ^ "Swedish Grammy!". 2006-01-17. Retrieved 2007-05-16.
  14. ^ a b "MESHUGGAH Extend Publishing Deal". Blabbermouth.net. Retrieved 2008-06-08.
  15. ^ "MESHUGGAH Drummer Talks About Upcoming Studio Album". Blabbermouth.net. Retrieved 2008-06-08. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  16. ^ "MESHUGGAH: 'Nothing' Re-Release Track Listing Revealed". Blabbermouth.net. Retrieved 2008-06-08.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Meshuggah&oldid=218269703"