CD review: Meshuggah--"Catch 33"

In the too-often cookie cutter world of metal, Meshuggah stands unique. They sound like nobody else, and so far nobody has managed to sound like them. It's not just the custom-made Nevborn 8-string guitars the band utilizes, not just Tomas Haake's bizarrely syncopated drum beats, not just Jens Kidman's mortar-dissolving vocal delivery. It's their writing. Meshuggah constructs riffs differently than any other band. They are frequently heavily syncopated and involve multiple odd time signatures. They can be like fractals, little iterative processes, where one repeated phrase is interrupted by a fragmet of itself, effectively throwing off everybody at home trying to count and get their heads around what they're hearing. Meshuggah's music is challenging and rewarding, and painstakingly heavy. Listening to Meshuggah is like watching an explosion in slow motion, noting for your own amusement the patterns of the shockwaves.

Meshuggah's fans have been waiting a while for Catch-33, their first full-length since 2002's Nothing. Last summer the Stockholm four treated us to a spectacularly realized experiment, the 21-minute one song EP "I". The experimentation continues on Catch-33, which Meshuggah themselves are quick to point out is not the next "real" Meshuggah studio album. Catch-33 is basically one 47-minute composition, broken up into 13 segments. Unlike "I", which frequently blasted away at dizzying tempos, Catch-33 is deliberately paced from start to finish, more like Nothing. One large difference from Nothing is the production. While Nothing's production was often muddy and indistinct, Catch-33 is crystal clear throughout, no matter how low those 8-string guitars get. The clarity of the production doesn't sacrifice any heaviness, though. When Meshuggah lock in and kick you in the stomach, you'll feel it.

Upon first listen it's obvious that Catch-33 is one sprawling composition, not a collection of individual songs. The first three tracks feature one central riff that spirals, fractures, and mutates. This is a common occurance across Catch-33, but that's not to say the album is one continuous evolving riff. While many tracks segue, some are more isolated, and the album is peppered with quieter passages, where the band's trademark lurching roar drops away to allow some contrast and relief. In "Mind's Mirrors" the music gives way to a spoken word passage with an oddly melodic phase effect. The 13-minute "In Death--Is Death" features a jazzy section with a distorted almost-walking bassline and tasty interplay with the drums. After pummeling the listener for a few more tracks, album closer "Sum" collapses a little before the halfway mark, leaving a quiet, pretty guitar part to close the composition. It's an uncharacteristically tender way for Meshuggah to close an album, and it gives the listener a pleasant little interval in which to reflect on the past 43 minutes. There's a lot to reflect on.

One other way in which Catch-33 is an experiment is in regard to the drums. Apparently, Catch-33 features no live drumming. Meshuggah's web site credits the entire band with drum programming for the album. I never would have known if they hadn't told me themselves, and I'm a drummer! This is a testament both to the programming on the album and to Tomas Haake's machine-like precision as a drummer. I can only assume the drum sounds were provided by Drumkit From Hell, a commercially available package of samples from Haake's own drumkit. The sound is pure Haake, and even knowing it's programmed I can't listen to the album and say, "Yeah, I can tell right there." I can't tell. Not at all. Wow!

Catch-33 is a CD all Meshuggah fans should own. Due for release in the States on May 31st, don't delay when it hits the shelves. People who have tried Meshuggah before and found them not to their liking will probably not be swayed by Catch-33, as it is not a dramatic reworking of the Meshuggah sound. What it is is a bold experimental piece by a top-tier metal band that is not afraid to challenge themselves or their fans. It may not be the next "real" Meshuggah album, but Catch-33 is enough to boggle your mind for the forseeable future.