SATURDAY
With the weather nothing like the crispy oven-cooked hellfire of last year’s Summerpocalypse, Bloodstock is a much happier place this year, and not even the first downpour of the weekend can dampen the spirits. Especially as today is Corpse-paint Day where everyone is invited to daub themselves in black and white make-up and become angry badgers for the next few hours.
Although the word itself suggests an insusceptibility or inability to change, Immutable (Atomic Fire), the title of the ninth studio album by prog/tech death metal act Meshuggah, proves to be the opposite, acting as another step forward in the band’s natural evolution. Continue reading
Ghost Cult is psyched to bring you an exclusive video from supergroup Imonlith today! The band has been productive during the pandemic, releasing a series of clips curating socially distanced tracks from their debut album! Today we are here to share ‘Breathe [The Quarantine Sessions]’ The group will release a new video in the series every Monday for the entire albums’ tracklist. The band just released their acclaimed debut album, State of Being, and features a veritable who’s who of tremendous talents, such as drummer Ryan Van Poederooyen (Devin Townsend Project), guitarist Brian ‘Beav’ Wadell (Devin Townsend Project), Jon Howard (Threat Signal), guitarist Kai Huppunen (Methods of Mayhem, Noise Therapy) and Scott Whalen (Econoline Crush). State of Being also features special guest appearances from Jens Kidman (Meshuggah) and Avatar vocalist Johannes Eckerström. Watch the clip now!
Ten years ago this week, Meshuggah released their sixth album Obzen, via Nuclear Blast, and simultaneously re-affirmed their status as one of the greatest bands ever, but also released a work of music that has become a modern masterpiece. After the experimentation of their EP catch-thirty three, Obzen was back to basics, if such a thing exists for this band. On every level, this album trumps nearly every prior notion the band created in terms of capability. From the music, the concept, the incredible artwork, it was inventing a new language musically for us to learn. By returning to their roots slightly, while still carving a path forward creatively, Meshuggah broke through to a global audience, leaving the underground behind forever. Continue reading
In an exclusive video interview with Tomas Haake of Meshuggah, watch him discuss the bands journey towards creating their own unique style. You can watch the video below:Continue reading
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
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