SOL NIGER WITHIN

This is the first solo effort from Meshuggah guitarist/songwriter Frederik Thordendal,and was released in 1997.In 1999 another version was released in the U.S. with 2 bonus tracks.This solo effort finds Thordendal mining the same fertile soil of Meshuggah,but with more variety and broader creativity.

Thordendal plays guitar,with Meshuggah drummer Tomas Haake on vocals,Kaipa drummer Morgen Agren on drums,Jerry Ericsson on bass,Mats Oberg and Jonas Knutsson on keyboards and saxophone,and Marcus Persson on "screams".

Sol Niger Within is basically a series of machine-like polyrhythmic metal blasts with soothing,melodic,legato jazzy passages over it all.This unusual combination culminates into one of the most inventive,most insane prog metal albums I have ever heard.The album is comprised of 26 short tracks,that basically flow into each other forming one long 50 minute song that explores the technical Meshuggah style but but with the addition of sax and more unconventional instruments such as gallskrik and yidaki(a flute-like instrument).Keyboards also play a larger harmonic role than you will ever find in Meshuggah.The guitars are compressed into tight,abrasive scratches of sound.The time shifts,odd meters and left of center approach are seemingly borne of a netherworld of insanity,but is put together with a lot of thought and care.Morgan Agren's laid back,avante-garde jazzy drumming is stunning,and the vocals are presented in a dry,almost robotic fashion.The lyrics have a sci-fi,philosophical mixture and the lyric sheet includes quotes from such diverse sources as Dante,Samuel Beckett,Shin Hsiu,Marquis de Sade,Herman Hesse,Oscar Wilde And William S. Burroughs.The quotes are not sung but are provided as a backdrop to the interspersed lyrics to tell the story.

Fresh,Stunning,Insane,Experimental and highly recommended to the fan of highly original Progressive Metal.4 stars.