CATCH THIRTYTHREE

Meshuggah. Are they Prog or Progressive or neither? Without wishing to open old wounds, what do we mean? The term 'Prog' is generally used to define a style prevalent in the early 70s, sandwiched between Psychedelia and Punk, indeed against which Punk reacted. 'Progressive', on the other hand, implies an idea, that of wanting to continually push the boundaries of music. Take Genesis, for example. At first both Prog and Progressive, then Prog but not Progressive and finally neither. Or Marillion. Prog certainly but, by virtue of consciously looking back to an earlier style, hardly progressive. These are not value judgements, merely statements as to why or why not certain people might find them of interest.

Meshuggah then... Prog? Not in any way. No-one who has ever lionised an album by, say, Yes or Van Der Graaf or Jethro Tull would consider Meshuggah to be anything other than pointless noise. Progressive? Hell, yes.

Meshuggah are in one sense their own worst enemy, so uncompromising as to exclude rather than welcome. The first six tracks are one seamless vein of brutality to say the least. No introduction, just straight in feet first. If one can make it through that jungle of pummelling complexity, the sound world opens out into something quite magical with a masterly grasp of ebb and flow, building up to an utterly majestic climax.

Overall, Meshuggah are perhaps samey in tone but infinitely fascinating in detail. No long flashy guitar solos here, even though Frederick Thordendal is more than capable of producing them. And this is fundamental: these are not trouser- wearing glory hounds, these are people on a mission. The thing that makes them important is their uncanny, perhaps even superhuman musicianship, with none of the rewards for showing off for its own sake or preening themselves in front of an adoring public, only a total devotion to producing music that enthrals as much as it devastates.

That said, 'Catch 33' is not a good introduction to Meshuggah's sound world. It is their most out-there, the least accessible. 'Chaosphere' or 'Nothing', though hardly easy listening are perhaps more palatable introductions. Yet Meshuggah, in adopting a genre and taking it to its limits have (as with Zappa's jokey-ness or King Crimson's prog-ness or Dillinger Escape Plan's rage) invited an otherwise untutored fan-base to far more complex music than they would ever have considered listening to.

Like 'I', 'Catch 33' is really one long piece and listened to as such, has a majesty and grandeur that few other bands are frankly capable of. Not everyone's taste, most definitely, but absolutely unmissable. In the realms of progressive death metal, Meshuggah have no equal.