This album, their first, has been the only hole in my collection because it's been really hard to find...until today when I picked it up from a Schoolkids special order.

And in the few hours following, it has gained a spot in my all-time favorite albums. Holy shit.. I know I rant about Meshuggah on here ad nauseum, but this album is rivaling Destroy, Erase, Improve for my favorite; only the test of time will tell.

It's almost a thrash album, a la old-Metallica, Pantera, and a lot of the late 80's-early 90's thrash gods...but it's got that distinct Meshuggah polymetric and jazzy style.. a perfect combination. It's a shame that it never got much press, I guess due to poor promotion or something, because this album is fucking incredible.

There's actually a little melody (which is strange ground for the band) and Kidman's vocals sound eerily like MoP-era Hetfield, making them a little easier to digest right from the start. The whole album is just a solid piece of work with some fucking heavy distortion and riffing, the signature Thordendal solo style, and a very impressive and organic performance from Haake (and as always my favorite part of any Meshuggah album). It's also nice that the bass is prominent, with a clean but very metallic and angry sound.

There is ample dynamic too, which is something typically lacking from thrash as a whole...one minute they're clawing your face off with an insane riff, and the next they're relaxing you with some jazz-fusion style grooves. This is one hell of a debut record, and it's ridiculous that I've been such an obsessed fan for so long and only just now got it.

If you like Meshuggah or if you want to hear some thrash with a twist, get this \m/

3/15/2006 1:20:48 AM

noone?

3/15/2006 12:44:47 PM

Ill have to check it out man. I have never heard this album. but obviously i like them

3/15/2006 12:49:04 PM

id have to say the None EP was better.

3/15/2006 12:50:55 PM

luckily the version I got had the CC album on it as well as the None EP following it. The EP is indeed incredible, I like its maturity as compared to CC, and it's definitely the link between the acid-thrash of CC and the philosphic acid math-metal of DEI. I don't know if I like it better yet, but they're both transcendent

3/15/2006 12:58:31 PM

Back in the day I bought one of their albums, I don't remember the name. The song that got a lot of play on WKNC sounded exactly like the buzzer on my alarm clock. Other than that the only think I really remember were the meandering, random note, all the same guitar solos.

3/15/2006 1:38:25 PM

that was probably Future Breed Machine off of Destroy, Erase, Improve

and yeah, if you're not familiar with their style of metal you probably wont like them at first, they're not exactly easy listening. and most people dont like the fact that they're mostly amelodic, completely rhythm based...but those solos you're talking about are fucking insane, the scales he uses are unknown to me. at first it just sounds like a lot of random finger-tapping, or like an old 50's-movie computer beeping really fast; if you listen to it though, there is a WHOLE lot there, Thordendal is a god. and he does "regular" solos too, just as much as those crazy ones. these guys are a fucking trip


[Edited on March 15, 2006 at 4:06 PM. Reason : .]

3/15/2006 4:05:19 PM

I saw Meshuggah open up for tool a few years back, it was amazing.

I havent heard the first, but im more into the later meshuggah than earlier stuff, the later has more of the odd time signature type stuff to it.

3/15/2006 6:10:54 PM

i drove all the way from RI to Wisconsin to see Meshuggahs first US apperance at the Milwaukee Metal Fest way back. It was supposed to be their only US show, but they ended up adding 3 other dates...one being an hour away in Springfield MA.

3/15/2006 7:55:11 PM

haha. that sucks but at the same time it gave you a story to tell

3/15/2006 8:41:49 PM

it was worth it anyway. I drove Dehumanized and Skinless there in my 15 passenger van....so i got paid to do it...plus King Diamond, Mayhem and a ton more played.

3/15/2006 9:27:39 PM

that's awesome man. i've never seen them live, OR tool for that matter. 2 of my three favorite bands i've never seen live (Opeth being the other, but I've seen them a few times)

and yeah, the None is growing on me real quick, it really is quintessential Meshuggah...

3/15/2006 9:46:17 PM

Tool has to be the most boring show ive ever been to. I fell asleep at a show of theres in Hartford.

3/15/2006 9:49:31 PM

you obviously werent tripping hard enough

3/15/2006 9:56:02 PM

Candiria is far better than tool.

3/15/2006 9:58:15 PM

never heard of them...still progressive rock, or what? hook a brotha up

3/15/2006 10:05:44 PM

depends on which album you go with. older stuff is technical jazz/metal/rap. more recent stuff isnt nearly as brutal..but still good. black singer.

youtube is slow as shit, so i dont even know the quality of this video..but

3/15/2006 10:11:13 PM

here this ones better.

3/15/2006 10:14:01 PM

nice...definitely going to check them out now

any combination of the below subgenres:

technical
progressive
acid

preceding any of the below genres

metal
jazz

is right up my alley...of course this is not all-inclusive, but it's a sure thing

3/15/2006 10:18:44 PM

My old band use to play with them a lot back in like day. good guys

3/15/2006 10:22:54 PM

heres a taste of candiria, but theyre pretty diverse...so dont just go by this.



[Edited on March 16, 2006 at 8:22 AM. Reason : ]

3/16/2006 8:21:57 AM

fuck yes, I love Candiria...I can't wait until they tour again

the two times I saw them the headliners were Vision of Disorder and Bad Brains...not bad

3/16/2006 9:36:34 AM

god i saw meshuggagesguh open for TOol in winston salem a couple years ago.


worst fucking music i ever heard.

3/16/2006 10:14:22 PM

bttt

3/16/2006 10:23:11 PM