OBZEN

If there was ever a doubt as to the direction Meshuggah has taken over the past few years, it was answered here, with Obzen. In what I like to call their most efficient album, Meshuggah cuts through the pulse again with another mathematically proficient work. The rawness found on earlier albums is mostly gone, and the high octane style is much more rhythmically efficient and seemingly effortless than the complex rhythms of its predecessors. This is not to say that this album sounds stale and merely a perfection of a style that has been being honed for over a decade, indeed, there is much more to take from this.

The band seems more in tune with each other than ever before, setting down rhythmic patterns that will make one's head spin with a relative grace that was not found on previous heavy records that were more raw, brutal, and unforgiving in nature. The highlight here is Bleed, which essentially represents the core of Meshuggah, and what makes them go, with impeccable playing from all of the band members. The beginning is lost here behind a sure-to-remember rhythmic pattern that will leave most simply befuddled in awe. If one was to ever doubt the status of Meshuggah as going full on into groove or jazz metal, be warned, the metallic chaos is back and as strong as it was on Chaosphere and DEI.

Simply put, Kidman and company are back on track, releasing their indistinguishable sound and quality upon all who dare to try their technical and unforgiving style. Highly recommended.

Share this MESHUGGAH review

Social review comments () BETA

---

---

Review related links

• Send comments to OpethGuitarist
• Report this review (#178395)
• Buy MESHUGGAH music online with PA partners
• Show all MESHUGGAH MP3/Stream
• Go to MESHUGGAH page for videos, full discography with ratings, reviews and much more
• Go to ObZen page for more details, where to buy and ratings/reviews
• Search the Forum for MESHUGGAH related discussions