CATCH THIRTYTHREE

I wanted to write this review along the same time as Cynic's Focus because Meshuggah has generally been at the forefront of metal creativity. Other than the heaviness, they basically are entirely different than any other act. This record also reminds me strongly of Focus because of the jazz, complexity, and a brief appearance of "space vocals" on Mind's Mirrors.

It's also heavy as heck, maybe the heaviest to date of their career (8 string guitars go pretty low), though the machine gunning sound is gone. With their last several releases, this is right in line with the progression of their sound (although I was not as impressed with Nothing). All the song's flow together as one gigantic, slow, heavy, droning, complex sound. Again, prog traditionalists beware, this record's not for you. No fine melodic passages, no prog conventions (other than being different), and no pleasant sound.

If one is not paying attention, much of this will all sound the same and will seem boring, unimaginative garbage. However, if proper attention is given, one can notice the subtleties to the sound, the ever present complexity of the work (without running all over the fretboard), and most importantly, the progressiveness of the work (easily the most progressive of all Meshuggah albums).

It is their densest material to date and the most difficult to "get". Catch 33 represents a great transition in their sound and really is the evolution of their sound. I sense future works to expound upon this new change which certainly has divided their fanbase. Those wanting to explore the depths of heavy music, and I do mean heavy music, will have made a wise choice in listening to Catch 33.

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