Artist: Meshuggah
Label: Nuclear Blast Records
Release Date: 8/6/02
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Title: Nothing Artist: Meshuggah Label: Nuclear Blast Records Release Date: 8/6/02 |
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Abyss's Review:
The new album from Swedish metallers Meshuggah is called Nothing, and that's pretty much what it delivers. I find myself really disappointed in this record. Actually, Chaosphere was a disappointment; this album is just tedious. Meshuggah of today now have very little in common with the band that put out the impressive, Destroy, Erase, Improve as their work since then seems to be an uninspired clone of what once was.
"This record has all the personality of Al Gore and it's about as annoying as his wife." The band seems like it's struggling to maintain its reputation of start/stop 'math metal' riffing. They still do the start/stop thing, but it's alternating between half timed bland riffs and quarter-timed bland riffs. Bland doesn't really encapsulate what I'm hearing on this record. Instead of their normal eclectic time changes being innovative and interesting, they come across as awkward and boring. This record has all the personality of Al Gore (before he got the beard), and it's about as annoying as his wife. I don't know if it was the added media attention of being the only real metal band to wind up on the Ozzfest stage, but this album seems unfocused and hastily put together. It's almost like they didn't have any ideas, but wanted to get an album out so that they could capitalize off of their Ozzfest exposure.
Meshuggah seemed to have slowed down considerably; never hitting the dizzying levels of chaos and technicality that made them such a breath of fresh air seven years ago. They now seem like they will only be appreciated by the tech heads who can appreciate their talent and accept their lack of songwriting (perhaps they'll get a new following amongst Dream Theater fans! They'll listen to anything!). Their more successful parts of the album, like the song "Closed Eye Visuals" still only reach the level of filler, whereas some tracks (the middle of "Straws Pulled At Random") actually make me physically agitated when I'm listening to them, but not in a good way.
"One word review: Poor." Perhaps this album is suffering a bit due to all of the quality metal I've had access to recently. The new Vader, Impaled, Nile, The Forsaken, Vehemence and Dark Tranquillity all seem to make this one sound tepid and impotent (and not in a good way. Oh wait, it's my girlfriend that is happy for impotence). For those of you who thought Chaosphere was worthwhile, you might find a good deal to hold dear on this album, but as I said, I didn't really like that album.
Death's Review:
In recent months, Meshuggah have opened for Slayer and for Tool, have been mentioned on TV's hottest show, and are now touring on Ozzfest. Yet Meshuggah, of course, remain part of the underground. Lest we not forget, Meshuggah are a Swedish death metal band known for odd song structures, manic drumming and severely downtuned riffing who headlined last year's New England Metal and Hardcore Festival. Now they are finally ready to release their first new studio album in a while: Nothing.
"This is definitely not a sellout record." It is good. This is definitely not a sellout record. Yes, the riffs are so downtuned and groove oriented--albeit in an off-kilter kind of way--that this has things in common with nu-metal. But those familiar with Meshuggah also know that the band plays anything but commercial music, and that has not changed with Nothing. There are death vocals, killer riffs, downtuned heavieness, weird time signatures and even cool guitar solos and interlocking melody lines at points ("Perpetual Black Second"). This is less commercial than Slipknot's Iowa for a frame of reference, but nevertheless has a certain aesthetic that could have a chance to tap the same commercial vein. Who knows?
If I have one complaint with Meshuggah, it is the same one I had before: after a while, I get bored listening to their records. It is good stuff, but I can only hear so much Meshuggah in any one sitting. I'm rooting for them, and this is a good Meshuggah album that fans will enjoy. Nothing will remain in my playlist for the next couple of weeks, but there is a lot of stuff out there right now and before long I will move on. Still, let's hope the nu-metal refugees looking for a heavier replacement for that scene find Meshuggah. I'll endorse it.
"If you appreciate technical precision and tightness, the album does take on new dimensions." I might give this only 3 skulls, but the fucking sheer musicianship is so outstanding it demands a rating of no less than four from me. Cool album cover too. Anyway, if you appreciate technical precision and tightness, the album does take on new dimensions. Fans of the band should be psyched.
Hel's Review:
The promotional tag line for this album, ever since the title was announced, is: "You'll get Nothing and like it!" Well, I've got news for you, in my opinion, this be changed to: "Expect Nothing and you might like it." 'Cause you know what? I'm totally disappointed in this record. There is one track that I outright despise - "Spasm" - "ugh" is the word that invariably comes to mind whenever this crap-infested song starts. The rest of the album varies, ranging from progressive brilliance to re-hashed ideas from older material.
"Overall, the quality of these new songs is completely inconsistent."
"The new Meshuggah record is really Nothing to get too excited about." Overall, the quality of these new songs is completely inconsistent. All tracks contain their expected, ridiculously complicated time signatures, but with varying degrees of success. Occasionally, I get mildly excited, "Perpetual Black Second" is a good song, for example, but overall, this album is too inconsistent to be truly enjoyable. As usual, the musicianship is amazing, but that is not, unfortunately, enough to completely salvage the album. While, on the whole, Nothing is it mediocre at best, the occasional excellent song and general talent of the band salvage it somewhat, therefore I am giving it 3 skulls - probably one more than it truly deserves, but I'm generous like that.
The new Meshuggah record is really Nothing to get too excited about.
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