The gods of “djent” return
If you listen to a lot of metal, no doubt you have heard the term “dejnt” at least once. Whether you love it or hate it, or have no idea what it means, Meshuggah is to thank for its existence. They have been credited as pioneering an entire subgenre of metal that bands like Periphery have continued to develop. Now, the extreme Swedish act brings us Koloss, their first album in four years.
I have to admit, I was never really into Meshuggah before their 2008 release ObZen. I respected their musicianship, and there were a few songs scattered across their catalogue I enjoyed, but for the most part, it just wasn’t for me. Once I heard “Bleed” for the first time, however, I knew I needed to check these guys out again. After buying (and loving) ObZen, I knew I had to look out for the band’s imminent next release, hoping it would be as good as ObZen. Is it?
Not quite. Not that it’s bad, however. Koloss lacks that punch and extreme ferocity that ObZen had. It sounds a lot more like a hybrid of Destroy, Erase, Improve and their newer material, so old school fans shouldn’t be disappointed, while newer fans (like myself) can still find something to enjoy.
The album opens up the lackluster “I Am Colossus”. While Meshuggah’s signature sound is there, the track just rolls along at a rather boring pace, and fails to do anything interesting. I wouldn’t be surprised if the band finished writing the album, and decided they wanted one more song, and threw this one together at the last minute.
Thankfully, track two, “The Demon’s Name is Surveillance” more than makes up for the album’s less than stellar opener. The execution and sheer aggression are absolutely flawless on this one, and Tomas Haake absolutely destroys on the drums.
“Do Not Look Down” has one of my personal favorite guitar riffs on the album, and features a fantastic solo. It isn’t the best the album has to offer, but it is definitely one of its better moments.
“Behind The Sun” is another bore, although it does feature some nice drumming from Haake. Again, like “I Am Colossus”, it just moves along at a forgetful pace, although it does pick up a little bit towards the end, just a little too late.
“The Hurt That Finds You First” is a definite stand-out. I love the guitar work on this one, so heavy it just makes you want to break shit. And again, Haake kills it on the drums. This will definitely please old and new fans alike.
“Marrow” is another high note. Again, the guitar work and drumming are masterful, and the pace is groovy yet aggressive. This song is also a perfect example of the “djentyness” that Meshuggah has become famous (or infamous) for creating.
“Break Those Bones Whose Sinews Gave It Motion” was the first track I heard of Koloss, and I was extremely worried about the album after listening. It unfortunately follows in the footsteps of “I Am Colossus” and “Behind the Sun”. The song never really gets going; you feel like it is all building towards something, some crazy riff or solo, but it doesn’t; it just ends. Very disappointing.
“Swarm” sort of suffers from the same problem, but the expert drumming and somewhat more interesting guitar riff and solo save this from being another victim of the “skip” button. It definitely isn’t the best Meshuggah has to offer, but it has its moments which are fucking stellar.
“Demiurge” is one of my personal favorites, in terms of lyrics and composition. I wish I could just speed down the highway at 120 miles per hour with all my windows down blasting this tune. I absolutely love it’s heaviness and technicality. Everything just comes together so smoothly on this one, it’s a shame the rest of the album wasn’t like this.
The album ends with a song entitled “The Last Vigil”. After hearing “Demiurge”, I was expecting nothing short of a masterpiece to top it and end this album with a bang. Unfortunately, “The Last Vigil” is a slow, string-orchestra style instrumental. I wouldn’t have minded if this was the album opener, but since it’s not, the band should have scrapped this one altogether and left “Demiurge” as the finale.
I know this review may seem overly critical, but I definitely think Meshuggah could have done better. ObZen was so technically beautiful, I was expecting something at least on par with it. Instead, we got something of a lackluster album with only a few brief highlights. Longtime fans should definitely check it out, but if you aren’t a die-hard Meshuggah fan, you should approach this one with caution.
C+
