Meshuggah is just one of the strangest band names, ever. Their music is some of the heaviest music written, ever. Be warned, they are anything but sweet and sugary. Meshuggah has been together as a band for about twenty five years. Hailing from Sweden, Meshuggah grew from a miniscule band to one of the biggest on the planet. Their newest production, Koloss, was one of the most anticipated albums of 2012. Clearly showing determination, persistence, and hard work, Meshuggah have created a name that will be remembered for many generations.
Meshuggah is very well known because of the traits they inject into their music. A common element found within their music are poly-rhythms. They are heavily dominant in their previous albums, and they certainly are present within “Koloss”. Speaking of heavy dominance, Meshuggah’s music has a history of being heavy. The aura of the music makes any listener want to bang their head until the point of discomfort, and then some more.
“Koloss” is Meshuggah’s seventh studio album. The production has 10 tracks, totalling a little over fifty four minutes. I can safely describe it as groovy, brutal, and satisfying. Being a band with twenty five years under their belt and this being their seventh studio album, it shows that Meshuggah are more concerned with quality, rather than quantity when it comes to their craft. By no means does this mean that their music perfect. There were flaws that I did find and will be later addressed.
The initial track is entitled “I Am Colossus”. It is a good representation of what is to be expected with the next fifty minutes of the album. I personally did not care very much for this opening tune. It certainly has great moments, yet didn’t have enough to keep me from refraining to hit the next button. The second half of the song is definitely better than the first half.
The second track, “The Demon’s Name Is Surveillance”, is a huge step from “I Am Colossus”. It has interesting guitar riffs from the beginning which recur for most of the song. The solo at the end is such a treat. It puts the cherry on the top of a very well done song. I did not care too much for the drum part, it seemed to be very repetitive and not as unique as some of the other songs on “Koloss”.
The overall production quality of “Koloss” is very well done. All instruments are done to where one is not getting more attention than the other (with the exception of solos). Kidman’s vocals are just like the previous Meshuggah albums. If you liked them before, you will like them on “Koloss”. The musicality of the band is beyond remarkable. All of the members are clearly skilled in their respective instruments.
After listening to the entire album, I was astonished. It met my expectations, as well as other criteria I figured it would be up to par with. The really big problem I had with “Koloss” is that I found it to be easily forgettable. Quite frankly, some songs really did nothing but lose my attention completely. In fact, some songs just sounded so stretched out that at one point it started to sound the same to me. Some examples are the songs “Swarm”, “I Am Colossus”, “Break Those Bones Whose Sinews Gave It Motion”, and “Behind the Sun”.
The album did have some great shining moments. Songs like “Do Not Look Down”, ”The Hurt That Finds You First”, and “Marrow”. These songs are my absolute favorites off of “Koloss”. They encompass all that I love with a Meshuggah tune. Sophisticated guitars, keen drumming, all encompassed in the signature heavy Meshuggah sound.
“Koloss” had scored a 7.5/10. It had some incredible moments, but unfortunately there were some dull moments too. If you were a fan of Meshuggah’s previous albums, you will be a fan of “Koloss”.
“Koloss” was released on March 23rd in Germany, March 26th in the rest of Europe, and March 27th in North America through Nuclear Blast Records.
