Ten reasons why the heaviest album in my collection...
Written: Jul 06 '03
Product Rating:
Pros: Dynamic songwriting, ambient guitar solos, math-metal songwriting, heavier than a really heavy thing
Cons: Songs get repetitive, seems too dense at first, Jens has no melody
The Bottom Line: Not for the faint-hearted, children, elderly, or anyone too scared to listen to something as 'poppy' as Entombed or Sentenced. If you like your metal heavy, then buy it.
toolhead's Full Review: Destroy, Erase, Improve by Meshuggah
...is also one of the most enjoyable. For those of you familiar with Meshuggah (which, if assumptions are going to be made, would be only the most serious metalheads on the face of the Earth), Destroy Erase Improve is one of the necessary albums in their collection, some might say, their only necessary album. For those of you who have never been exposed to the band's unique style of music that tends to borrow, somewhat liberally, from Swedish death metal and jagged, time signature-altering math metal, you are likely to either love or loathe the band, an opinion generally formed by first listen. I myself still find the band almost incomprehensibly heavy, and this is coming from a guy who's been born and bred with the likes of Pantera, Tool, and Metallica over the years. Anyone who finds even the likes of Opeth or Emperor 'too heavy' for their liking is almost certainly going to find Meshuggah far too heavy to enjoy. More open-minded/aggressive/clinically insane heavy metal fans, however, Meshuggah may be right up your alley. That having been said, I'm here to tell you why Destroy Erase Improve, the band's 1995 metallic masterpeice, while easily (one of) the heaviest albums I have ever heard, is still one of the most enjoyable ones I own, as well.
1.) Meshuggah are heavier than, well, almost any band on the face of the Earth.
With the possible exceptions of Cannibal Corpse and Strapping Young Lad, no band comes to mind that matches the metallic might and sheer madening heaviness that Meshuggah has created. It's unfortunate that these reviews are curse-sensitive, because it's very difficult for me to describe just how heavy these men are without using the f-bomb. Seriously. Nevertheless, I will attempt to put into words just how bleeding heavy these guys are. If you could somehow manage to transport the Empire State Building to the surface of the planet Jupiter and drop it from a 300-mile crane, repeatedly, on a bag of molding, sour grapes...that's about how heavy Meshuggah tends to be. (Slight) exaggerations aside, these guys are seriously what I'd call the definition of heavy music, and although it isn't constant, relentless heaviness (they do take breaks, and utilize some softer dynamics), it's about the heaviest music you can get. These guys make Pantera look like the Partridge Family, and although Destroy Erase Improve is not their heaviest release (see Chaosphere, Nothing), it is still heavier than at least 95% of the metal out there. This is the sort of music that would make the members of Slipknot shrivel up in the corner of the stage and bawl their little eyes out. Very, very heavy.
2.) They make their own eight-string guitars.
This is more of a continuation of the last reason, but in an effort to impress the fragile ears of the American public, yes, these boys were bold as to actually contract a guitar company (in Sweden, I believe, where the band is based) to construct them bloody eight-string guitars. Let's try and put this into perspective. Most of the bands that are considered 'heavy' in the States (most notably Korn, and any other band that supports the Ibanez guitar company) support and utilize seven-string guitars...and those weren't heavy enough for these guys! How much heavier can you get than adding not one buy two strings, both in lower pitch, to your instrument? This is only further proof that when these guys talk about 'heavy music', they are anything but kidding around.
3.) Although heavy, Meshuggah also know how to use dynamics in their songwriting.
Alright, so in my first two justifications to buy this album, I explain just how balls-to-the-wall heavy these guys are, only to follow it with a reason that shows just how experimental they can be? You're damn right I did. Obviously, if the band did nothing but write music that was relentlessly heavy, without stopping. Luckily, Meshuggah is both creative and brave enough to insert an ample amount of dynamic, fresh songwriting in their music. Many of their predecessors, particularly thrash bands like Metallica and Sepultura, relied on fast, repetitive guitar riffing in order to accomplish their heavy sound, but later wised up and inserted more slow-paced, ornate elements into their songs without necessarily sacrificing the heavy sound of their music. The same is true with Meshuggah. Behold the 'loud/quiet/louder' approach of songs like "Beneath", marvel at the actual serenity of the unexpectedly calm instrumentals of "Acrid Placidity"! Meshuggah, believe it or not, are well-versed in the necessity of letting up from the head-banging heaviness of a song, when need be, and letting a lighter, unexpected interlude or bridge take place.
4.) Those beautifully atmospheric guitar solos.
Another reason why Meshuggah, while easily one of the bands on the face of the Earth, is more than just madenning heaviness. In an unexpected turn of musical style, approximately half of the solos on Destroy Erase Improve consist of free-wheeling, high octave guitar solos that are more about developing an atmosphere (a lighter one), while the metallic riffs and banging rhythm section continue to pound out mechanic heaviness bellow. Examine the bafflingly quiet interlude during "Inside What's Within Behind" (a song title exercise in adverbs)...this comes almost completely unexpected, and begins right after one of those trademark high-end solos the band loves so much. The solos, while definitely not the reason most fans will listen to the band, are interesting and inspiring enough to engage in. Another fortunate thing is that their solos, while indulgent, never, ever stray into the dreaded 'jerk-off' solo, like so many Van Halens and Motley Crues before them, and retain enough emotion without sacrificing technical ecstasy.
5.) The astounding amount of math that goes into the band's songwriting.
Alright, so heavy metal, almost since its very beginning, has been pigeonholed as one of the most stupid, intellectually-devoid musical genres on the face of the Earth, and sometimes, it is deserving of such a stigmata (Poison and Limp Bizkit, while false metal, immediately come to mind). However, with a burgeoning new scene of bands who aren't afraid to incorporate high amounts of signature changes, complex/jagged guitar riffs, and stop-start high energy drumming, the style of 'math metal' might just be what heavy music needs to give it the cranial boost needed to save it. Groups like Mudvayne, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Botch, and, you guessed it, Meshuggah, use large amounts of math in their songwriting, making their music a little less straight-forward, and a lot more engaging, for the listener who doesn't like to have their metal spoon-fed to them. Mind-boggling songs such as "Future Breed Machine" and "Transfixion" take more than a casual ear to appreciate or analyze properly, and this gives Meshuggah added longevity. It takes time to enjoy them, and to understand what they're all about...it's an investment that can also create big returns.
6.) The songs (begin to) describe themselves by their titles alone.
Alright, so Meshuggah's no Blue Oyster Cult or Radiohead when it comes to naming their songs, but outside of the truly obscene world of scare metal (Cradle of Filth, Cannibal Corpse), where can you get heavier song monikers than "Future Breed Machine", "Soul Burn", "Suffer in Truth", and "Terminal Illusions"? Like the tunes themselves, Meshuggah has a knack for keeping the titles of their songs short, angry, and malevolent. Admittedly, while listening to Meshuggah (any album), it's hard not to get the impression that these guys aren't trying just a little too hard to be a little bit too metal, but after awhile, that (terminal?) illusion slips away, and you start to think, "Good god, maybe these guys aren't kidding around after all?". Their song titles are a testament to that notion. Interestingly enough, "Acrid Placidity", arguably the ugliest, most bile-tasting name on the album is also the lightest tune of all.
7.) The album cover, while not quite iconic, is nothing short of self-descriptive.
Sometimes I wonder if I'm the only music fan on the face of the earth who's sick of bands releasing their records without any sense of true artistic design and creativity in their album sleeves. I've seen far too many good albums dampened, slightly, by an unattractive cover or liner notes, and unfortunately, heavy metal is probably the most offending genre in this case (er, scratch that, I forgot about the throwaway packaging that all radio pop albums come in). Fortunately, Meshuggah is one of the few bands who seem to be actually dedicated, or at least interested, enough to make sure their album artwork fits both the album's title and its contents. The front cover consists of three humanoid figures laid out in horizontal sequence; the first is an immolating figure (Destroy), the second a skeletal imprint in sedimentary rock (Erase), and the final image is of a man constructed out of computer chips and bits (obviously, Improve). It's not a visual masterpiece, but just a nice little accompanyment to the rest of the album, making it all the sweeter knowing that Meshuggah loves you enough to give you something fun to look at while you bang your head into oblivion.
8.) The man behind the mic, the voice within the man.
This is one of my favorite bits of Meshuggah fandom (that isn't directly music-related). After hearing that raspy, chaotic voice that holds the rest of the band together by screaming and wailing like a banshee with his head on fire, it's easy to concoct images of what such a man might look like, and even more fun to try and attach a name to such an intimidating look. Butch Eyestabber? Chainsaw McRipcord? Haggard the Horrible? Actually, the answer may surprise you...proving once and for all that you can't judge a book by its cover (nor a person by the name their parents gave them), that enraged, relentless man behind the microphone is named (ready?) Mr. Jens Kidman. Now, admittedly, the poor guy probably got the lion's share of taunting and tormenting on the playground when he was a little Swede growing up at home amongst the Alps, but if anything, that's only provided him with more fuel to add to his punishing vocal onslaught. Jens, while never known to implement standard singing elements (for example, melody and pitch) into his voice, is nonetheless a pretty impressive frontman...for if nothing else, his voice alone gives you the impression that he'd sooner give you a one-two combo in the throat than look at you. Dani Filth, eat your heart out.
9.) If you're not head-banging to this album, you're either paralyzed from the neck down or deaf.
All blatant political incorrectness aside, I can assure you that Meshuggah incorporates all the necessary elements of heavy metal songwriting into their music that makes the urge to thrash one's head rhthymically nearly unavoidable. These guys know how to work a deep, grinding, demonic groove like nobody's business, and I can think of many times where I've brought this album with me to work (I wash dishes for a Chinese restaurant) and plowed my way through towering stacks of plates, merely because it was helping me build my own aggression while keeping me concentrated on my task. Equal parts fury and precision, Meshuggah provide a brand new definition to a 'head banging hit', packing an unstoppable heavy metal punch while never letting down their unrelenting focus and concentration (not to mention unexpected time-signature switches). Metal fans who like a serious emphasis on 'heavy' should not avoid Meshuggah.
10.) The 'thank you' list at the end of the album.
Though it sounds like an unrelated, quirky reason to buy this record (and admittedly, if you purchase any album just to read its liner notes, this review alone won't give you the common sense you need), much like the sleeve artwork (see justification #7), it just gives it a nice little boost of enjoyment. Included in the band's list of inspirations are fellow heavy metal co-conspirators Death, Metallica, and Slayer (predictable), the Star Wars and Evil Dead movie trilogies (unexpected), as well as that lovable Icelandic pixie, Bjork (out of left field). It just goes to show that, even though Meshuggah seems to be a very narrow, secluded band writing music in one genre (Scandanavian death/math/prog metal with jazz tinges on the side...it's a really common style, trust me), they do draw influences from a wide variety of places in life, both musically and otherwise. This just adds another pinch of spice to the band's reputation and sound.
The detractors that keep this from being a five-star album: The lyrics, while not as morbid or ghastly as one might expect leave much to be desired. Jen's voice is certainly interesting, not to mention empowered, but some listeners will be left wanting more melody and traditional vocal stylings. Even though the songs carve their own identity, this will probably take some time, and individual tracks may seem to blend together in their repetition. This album is dense, and as such, will take time to digest fully (but, like any good meal, is ultimately satisfying by the time it's finished). Other than those minor flaws, I can see few major problems with this record, if any at all.
I would recommend Destroy Erase Improve to fans of the following bands: Opeth, Emperor, Tool, Morbid Angel, Pantera, Mudvayne, Converge, At The Gates, In Flames, Children of Bodom, Strapping Young Lad, and Johnny Cash. I would also recommend these artists to fans of Meshuggah.
I suppose there's little more that can really be said about Meshuggah and their humble sophomore album, either complimentary or defamatory. I can assure you that this album, this band as a whole, is definitely not for everyone. If you are a fan of lighter, mainstream metal bands like Korn and Linkin Park, chances are, Meshuggah will offer little interest to you. I've obviously hyped the album quite a bit, but it's important to realize just how heavy as well as complex this band is before getting yourself too dedicated to them. However, if you're the type who likes your music with as much musical and mental punishment as you can spare, than I would bet that Meshuggah is right up your alley. Fans of heavy, heavy metal are sure to find a lot of depth and intrigue in Meshuggah, and I would encourage you to seek them out if you're this type of music lover. Destroy Erase Improve, while neither their heaviest (Chaosphere) nor most readily accessible (Nothing) release, is an excellent combination of both, and most likely the prime jumping-off point for anyone who would like to introduce themselves to the band. A wary recommendation to anyone who can't stomach anything heavier than Slipknot (who are a hundred shades lighter than Meshuggah), but a confident recommendation nonetheless.
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