Meshuggah
Swedish extreme metal band known for complex polyrhythms and djent influence.
Meshuggah, a Swedish extreme metal band, came together in Umeå in 1987. Their lineup has been stable since 2004, featuring founding members Jens Kidman (lead vocals) and Fredrik Thordendal (lead guitar), alongside rhythm guitarist Mårten Hagström, drummer Tomas Haake, and bassist Dick Lövgren. The band has released nine studio albums, six EPs, and eight music videos, with their most recent album, *Immutable*, arriving in April 2022 on Atomic Fire Records.
The group is celebrated for its complex, polymetered song structures and polyrhythms, which helped them gain a cult following and become a major force in extreme underground music. Their influence on modern metal is widely acknowledged; *Rolling Stone* named them one of the ten most important hard rock and heavy metal bands, while *Alternative Press* called them the most important band in metal. In the late 2000s, their sound inspired the djent subgenre.
Meshuggah earned Swedish Grammis Award nominations in 2006 and 2009 for *Catch Thirtythree* and *obZen*, respectively, and a Grammy nomination in 2018 for the song "Clockworks" in the Best Metal Performance category. They have played major festivals like Ozzfest and Download, and toured internationally on the *obZen* world tour (2008–2010) and the "Ophidian Trek."
Quick Facts
- Landscape
- yes
- Origin
- Umeå, Sweden
- Genre
- Progressive metal / djent / avant-garde metal / technical death metal / groove metal
- Years Active
- 1987–present
- Label
- Nuclear Blast / Fractured Transmitter / Atomic Fire / Reigning Phoenix
- Current Members
- Jens Kidman / Fredrik Thordendal / Tomas Haake / Mårten Hagström / Dick Lövgren
- Past Members
- Niklas Lundgren / Peter Nordin / Gustaf Hielm
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Meshuggah was formed in 1987 by lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Jens Kidman, who took the name from the Yiddish word for 'crazy'. After early demos and a disbandment, Kidman formed a new band with guitarist Fredrik Thordendal, bassist Peter Nordin, and drummer Niklas Lundgren, restoring the name Meshuggah. In 1989, they released the self-titled EP Meshuggah, commonly known as Psykisk Testbild, with only 1,000 copies. After replacing Lundgren with Tomas Haake in 1990, they signed with Nuclear Blast and released their debut album Contradictions Collapse in 1991. Soon after, Kidman focused on vocals, and guitarist Mårten Hagström was recruited. The band's early years included accidents that delayed releases, such as Thordendal severing his fingertip and Haake injuring his hand.
Reader's Guide
Meshuggah's significance lies in their pioneering of complex, polymetered song structures and polyrhythms, which influenced the development of the djent subgenre in the late 2000s. They were recognized by Rolling Stone as one of the ten most important hard rock and heavy metal bands and by Alternative Press as the most important band in metal. Their albums Catch Thirtythree and obZen earned Swedish Grammis nominations in 2006 and 2009, respectively, and their song 'Clockworks' was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance in 2018. The band's international festival appearances include Ozzfest and Download, and they embarked on the obZen world tour from 2008 to 2010 and the 'Ophidian Trek'. Their legacy endures as a cult-followed act that reshaped extreme metal.
Did You Know?
- The band's name Meshuggah comes from the Yiddish word for 'crazy', ultimately derived from the Hebrew word מְשֻׁגָּע.
- Their 1989 EP Meshuggah, commonly known as Psykisk Testbild, had only 1,000 copies released and featured band members with cheese doodles on their faces on the back cover.
- In 2002, Meshuggah became the first band signed to Nuclear Blast to crack the Billboard 200 with their album Nothing.
- Guitarist Fredrik Thordendal severed the tip of his left middle finger in a carpentry accident, which was later reattached.
More in Avant-garde metal musical groups 1-24
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