CATCH THIRTYTHREE

It is basically a fact that Meshuggah are the godfathers of djent. Though while it'd take them a few years from 1987 through 1994 to become fully djent (at first they were a very technical thrash band) they would endure a long journey through their streak of djent music over the years, inspiring prog metal entrepreneurs like Periphery, Animals As Leaders, and Car Bomb to follow suit in this angular conga of mathematical metal.

While Meshuggah at first wasn't all that special to me, mostly due to me getting introduced to the band through their 21 minute song EP of I, which at the time, around late 2022, was kind of a disappointment as I thought it was simply just the same technical riffs over and over again, that was a while ago, and sooner before I knew it, I realized that Meshuggah is more than just a band that can do technical riffs, they can do a lot more, but I think if you have been in the prog metal fish tank for quite some time you might already know that, so let me skip the sentimental words and get into the real stuff.

Catch 33 is the band's fifth studio release, and here is when you can really tell the band took their sound to the extremes, creating a 47 minute song that is split in 13 different parts, kinda like the 43 minute track of Sol Niger Within by Fredrik Thorndal's Special Defects, though that album is split into 29 parts (but only on physical releases, on streaming it is just one big track). I feel like in Meshuggah's style, and compared to their other long track of I, Catch 33 is a really strong rendezvous through a mechanical labyrinth of brutal riffs, strong hooks, and a busy and existential atmosphere that goes through most of the album seamlessly.

What I really love about this album is how the band managed to make all the riffs after those from the first three sections feel like one big conglomerate, going from a very intense riff from Autonomy Lost, to this big and hypnotic melody at the end with Sum. I really like it when a band seems to create this melody throughout their playing, straying from the path occasionally, but always retaining that same familiar tune. That is why I really love prog epics like Tarkus or Supper's Ready, but here with Catch 33 they take it to a radical extreme, one that I can definitely appreciate and groove too.

I also will say that I really like the whole tempo and swing this album gives me. As stated from PopMatters review on this album,it is "Neither fast nor slow". While the sections are mostly 1-3 minutes at a time, with the exception of In Death - Is Death, it does take its time in establishing these hooks and series of events that, while relatively quick, feels like an entire experience feels like one giant sum, and I think that is really special. Even the minute and 40 second long opening track of Autonomy Lost is an amazing song that feels great to listen to for me.

I will say that this album can sometimes get boring, and on certain occasions it does. The entirety of Mind's Mirror and the last half of In Death - Is Death and Sum are honestly very weak compared to the rest of the album. I get giving the listener a breather, but I think there could be better ways at doing that then having these quiet and very nothing moments that honestly kinda break the album a bit for me. I think with bands like Between The Buried and Me and The Mars Volta, both equally technical proggy bands from around the same time, they managed to create these interesting softer moments that do not quite break the mold. But Meshuggah cannot make an interesting, more toned down movement, which I think is a shame, though I doubt that is what appeals people to Meshuggah in the first place.

I also feel like the bass doesn't quite get as much love here as opposed to other Meshuggah albums. It is there, and it is still really good when it shows itself, but I think the vocals, guitars, and drums just get a lot more love here instead of the bass, which is sad to me since I think Meshuggah with a strong bass can go a really long way. I think if they made the quieter moments on here more interesting, and made the bass more prominent, we might have one of the best Meshuggah records.

Catch 33 is a very good djent endeavor. It has most of the right gears in place, and compared to other great Meshuggah releases it is definitely a high tier listen despite its occasional hiccups. I recommend checking it out, though start with ObZen and Nothing (2006) before jumping into this album, as those are the Meshuggah releases that'll get you into this band, trust me.