You should react to Dancers to a Discordant System. So few reactions to this masterpiece.

You should really have a look at the Thomas Hakke playthrough of this - you get to watch genius at work.

Gotta love Meshuggah, Catch 33 is worth the listen from start to finish

Much respect for speaking your truth. Meshuggah took more than 10 years to click with me. I really enjoy their music now and that's about it. To each their own.

​ Critical Reactions A lot of Meshuggah stuff can be written down in different time signatures as well. Thomas Haake (the drummer) is well aware of that but he says to him personally it's in 4/4. Meshuggah kind of have their own way of thinking about rythms, groove and all that stuff. There are also a lot of jazz influences in their music. For example you can easily hear how lead guitarist Fredrik Thordendal is heavily influenced by jazz guitarist Alan Holdsworth. Overall, to me, a lot of Meshuggah's music has a lot of this trance-like feel like some electronic music or sometimes even ambient or whatever have. Thats also what the repetitiveness helps achieve. They create massive and deep soundscapes. Actually I think this video is quite a good visual representation of this. Maybe also check out a live video of them. They even have a light-guy who works in perfect unison with the musics rhythm which makes the overall experience even more impressive.

the guitar tone on this whole album is impeccably crisp

The rhythms of the bass drums and guitars try to trick you into thinking this is in an odd time signature. However, almost all of Meshuggah's songs are in 4/4. If you listen to the drums, the hi-hat or ride mark the quarter notes and the snare lands on count 3 of each measure. However, in this particular song, they don't do that a lot. They are more tricky with the time in this one, even though it is still a steady 4/4 throughout. This is not really the best introductory song to Meshuggah. I'd suggest something like Straws Pulled at Random or Do Not Look Down to really get what they are trying to accomplish. When you can combine the 4/4 beat with the odd rhythms that the guitars do in your head, it's like you can hear a 3rd rhythm which usually kicks your ass. That's when you realize Meshuggah is doing something really cool that nobody else is doing, and you become a huge fan. I was not a big fan of Meshuggah my first few listens, but now I'm hooked. Even the vocals... its hard to imagine another type of vocals working as well with this type of music. Think of the vocals as another rhythm instrument.

Meshughah is god-tier when it comes to polyrhythms. If I can suggest another of theirs that you’d dig other than Bleed, “Dancers to a Discordant System” is a masterpiece. Cheers buddy.

As a fan of Meshuggah, I’d have to say that your critique was well-informed and fair. The band is all about the drums and guitar as you said, and I personally block out a lot of the vocals as I’m listening. I’m not a fan of the vocal style tbh, but the band rocks so hard I can’t help but to keep listening. And the rhythms are so complicated that I listen to some of their songs dozens of times and still can’t predict where the 1 is going to be.

This entire album has been recorded live in the studio. It sounds hard to believe, but it is absolutely true.

Meshuggah is one of those few bands that you actually need to know something about music to get a full understanding of the raw skill being shown in 99% of their songs. Also the part at 6:38 is probably my favorite 10 seconds in all of metal. Like this song pummels you for 4 minutes straight as if you're trapped under waves and for that split second your head breaks the surface and you can breath before it crashes back down on you again.

Got some recommendations for you for some interesting bands: Daughters - “Satan in the wait” (One of the best noise rock bands out there) Amenra - Either “A solitary reign” or “Plus pres de toi” (A great post-metal/doom band) Converge - Either “Dark horse” or “A single tear” (Progenitors of metallic hardcore. One of the most important metal bands) Neurosis - Either "Stripped" or "Purify" (Progenitors of post-metal. One of the most important metal bands) Brutus - "Sugar Dragon (Live version at Ghent)" (Just a really interesting post-hardcoreish band) Oathbreaker - “10:56/Second son of r.” (No idea how to classify it. Post-metal(?) with elements of black metal??) Tool - “Intermission/Jimmy” (Not a standard pick for tool but one of my favourites) Mastodon - “Crack the Skye” (Progressive sludge band, maybe not a standard pick) Alice in chains - “Down in a hole” (Grunge classic)

That white scrape on your blue wall under where the music video is played looks like a tiny white sailboat in the ocean somewhere warm

Been watching your stuff lately, love the more in depth and knowledgeable approach! I'd like to recommend Cynic, who in the early days of death metal started doing some wildly unique jazz-fusion influenced metal that was from Mars when compared to more meat and potatoes bands of the time. I'd suggest 'The Space for This' off of their second album. I think it'd be an interesting departure from some of the 'brutal' bands you've been getting recommended lately.

Destroy Erase Improve - their best album for me. Meshuggah is one of a kind/ It's about madness and agression. That's why their music is like that. And also Frederic's solos are INSANE!

you 100% need to give them another shot man! This is one of their most rhythmic centered songs with no steady groove, most of their other stuff is incredibly groovy. Bleed and Clockworks are their most rhythmically intricate, but not easily enjoyable in my opinion. If you enjoy Periphery’s groovy djent riffs, you’ll love Meshuggah’s other stuff. You should check out Do Not Look Down!

It took me very long to get into Meshuggah, feeling it was boring and sterile, but little by little I found their songs can have a very strong groove. I finally love New Millenium Cyanide Christ, Combustion, Obzen, Chameleon Corridors, Future Breed Machine, Marrow, Electric Red, Perpetual Black Second, Swarm, Colossus... Don't think about melodies, every instrument is acting like drum in this band, and it's so awesome to try to keep track of all beats. On the other hand, I find Clockworks boring too... Like you said some parts groove and some don't

I think you should check out demiurge by meshuggah. It's definitely more on the groove side and less on the technical. I definitely understand what you mean about the technical appeal of meshuggah while loosing the melodic aspect of the music.

Meshuggah - I There u have a reaction 😁🤘👊🏼

Glad to see a reaction to Clockwork :D many other do Bleed or New Millenium Cyanide Christ (witch are grate too). To follow the Swedish them i recommend Opeth - Blackwater park!! I think you will like it more then this, they are more melodic and progressive but still heavy!

Meshuggah is a hard sell for those who aren't accustomed to this type of music. If you're looking for melodies you won't find them here, as you yourself said they are all about the rhythm, the chug. I'm glad that you at least gave them a chance.

Meshuggah are using the vocals mainly as a percussion or a more background thing rather than having it as a thing to stand out. When you start taking vocals as so - it kind of finds it's place. (at least for me).

I'm a big Meshuggah fan. I really enjoyed your analysis and respect your point of view. I don't think songs like Bleed and Clockworks are everyone's cup of tea. You really have to be in to Meshuggah for those songs. That totally makes sense to me. If you are open to something different from Meshuggah, I'd recommend listening to the song Behind the Sun. I think you'd appreciate it more and it is a little more accessible. While it still plays around with time and rhythm, the melody of the song takes center stage much more than the songs you've heard so far. The album/song "I" also has segments that are much more about the melody while at the same time experimenting with time and rhythm. The entire second half of "I" is a total masterpiece (in my opinion) and really experiments with tonality/atonality and melody.

It's always fun to find the part in the drums that's resting on the 4/4 pulse, and then try to find the 1 beat. Good luck.

Check out Inmazes by VOLA, the climax of that song always gives me goosebumps

8:34 that really summarizes what Meshuggah is about

Completely understandable point of view. As a meshuggah fan i don't like Clockworks so much, I would have recommended you something like Rational Gaze from the album Nothing.

The whole song is in 4/4. Find the pulse, nod your head to that, and feel the patterns falling around you. There-in lies the magic. As a matter of fact. Most, if not all, of Meshuggah's catalog of music is in 4/4 or common time. It's the patterns weaving in and out of the pulse that make it sound like different time signatures.

Where do u compose? Tiktok?

I’m not sure if anyone has posted this but, there is a drum video of Tomas playing this song. It’s on YT and really cool to watch. Check it out.

Thanks for being an honest reacter who says what he doesn't like too!

I only have a few Meshuggah songs that I put in prog-metal playlists of mine but what just fascinates me about them (especially being a hobby-drummer myself) is that you could headbang through the whole song and always have a beat to go for (usually the drummer's hi-hat or crash cymbal) but at the same time everything around that beat keeps shifting and moving and you don't really understand what's happening :D

1940's British male coming home from work: *tips fedora* M'shuggah

Few Meshuggah's songs I'd recommend Dancers to a Discordant System Straws Pulled at Random Lethargica Stengah Pravus Ivory Tower Born in Dissonance New Millenium Cyanide Christ In life is death/in death is death Future Breed Machine Neurotica Corridor of Chameleons Soul Burn Electric Red Perpetual Black Second There still are a lot of amazing songs from them can't list em all tho.

Clockworks is ot my favorite song by Meshuggah, but glad to see you've given it a reaction. One of my favorites by them was off of their older album Nothing, called Straws Pulled at Random. Not for super advanced time signatures or anything, but the solo and the groove/rhythm in the last 2 minutes is just so soothing. Unlike most of their other stuff in that regard.

Meshuggah is one of the greatest bands of this century along with Gojira, Tool, and Car Bomb to name a few. 🤘🏽💀👍🏽

I want to add a small bit to my Gorguts recommendation, which I gave in the comments to your Shylmagoghnar reaction. Instead of Obscura LP you can try something from their most recent album Colored Sands, for example "Le toît du monde". It's still quite dissonant and brutal, but not as grating and raw as Obscura, with a more reserved and academic approach to composition (there's also an orchestral piece in the middle of the album, that divides it into two lyrically and thematically distinct parts - the first is about Tibetian culture eligion and the other one is about its recent tragic history, which is directly related to Chinese occupation of course).

You should go to one of their gigs. Their light show is tightly connected to the rhythmic of the music, just like in this video.

When I'm sitting at work at my computer, I probably won't find myself humming this tune.

I never "got" Meshuggah... It just didn't make any sense to me... Until I saw them live 2 years ago, and then I was like "Oooooooooohhhhhhhh". The music takes on a whole different chara ter when you're watching the guys play it right in front of your face.

I just got that same SDGR Ibanez 5 string last week you have in the background

The lights guy for their live shows always does awesome work.

Oh shit I got here early! Love this band

Have you tried Gorguts?

No odd time signatures here. Just polymeter over 4/4

Between The Buried And Me - Selkies Endless Obsession. Would love to hear your thoughts on that one

+1 for a reaction to vektor “recharging the void”

Hello again Brian, Suggestions for some Meshuggahner "Controlled Chaos" . . . I had read many years ago (maybe an interview with Rhythm Guitarist Marten Hagstrom) where someone in the band said each band member exchange turns being the "Percussionist", and at times the Drums are the "lead" instrument. I thought that was freakin' brilliant. This album I dare say is more "Prog Metal" for their brand of Extreme Metal: 1. 1995's "Destroy Erase Improve" album (2nd full length album). The opener "Future Breed Machine" (the 1st 20 seconds) was what sealed the deal for me and I have been a fan ever since. "Jens Kidman's" vocals were a happy medium between "Cookie Monster" and screaming. And Lead Guitarist "Fredrik Thordendal's" soling style was a lot more inspired by Jazz/Fusion guitarist, the late-great Allan Holdsworth (who you should checkout his solo albums, live performances, his "drummers", and the debut album by the Progressive Rock band "UK") as its become much more atmospheric (I call it; "The Sirens of Peril"). Drummer "Tomas Haake" is a freaking _marathon runner_ and it's hard to believe he has that dexterity for a 2-3 hour show. 2. The outstanding "Fredrik Thordendal's Special Defects" - Sol Niger Within, album. If you can stand the vocals (it took me time to get used to), the music within is violently sublime. But, its actually 1 song in "parts", most of the _sub-tracks_ sound out of place if you don't listen to the whole album (much like Meshuggah's "I" or "Catch33"), so you may save it for your personal enjoyment . . . or insanity :p. Remember, the repetition is the groove to violently headbang too . . . which in Meshuggah's case, it may snap your neck. You may need to see "live" footage.

David has made quite a few great requests. I woul definitely back him on Vektor and Gorguts based purely on the uniqueness of their sound.

Apreciar a meshuggah es bastante trabajo pero cuando haces click disfrutas cada segundo de ellos

Hey Bryan, if you ever end up reading this, here's some food for thought: Most if not all of Meshuggah's music is rhythm centric. I get why you were/are a bit put off by this. Their style evolved (or devolved, depending on one's take) into this musical machine over time. Back in their early years - I'm talking late 1980s to mid 1990s here - there used to be way more diversity in their music. There was an obvious and strong jazz influence in both the drum and guitar work. Seeing how the internet seems to worship tracks like Bleed, Future Breed Machine and Demiurge, I'd strongly suggest you try some of their old OLD material. There's more substance for you there, judging by the points you brought up during this video. A couple suggestions: - Sublevels (last song on their 2nd Album "Destroy Erase Improve", 1995) - Humiliative (opening song of their 2nd EP "None", 1994) - Ritual (3rd song on the aforementioned "None") - Straws Pulled At Random (specifically the original version from their album "Nothing", 2002) In 2006 they re-recorded Nothing and replaced the raw, human drums with programmed drums. This re-release is definitely the inferior version to most fans. It's more in line with the newer stuff, but it lacks the emotion and raw musicianship the original offered. The original has yellow album art, the re-release a dark earthy blue tint. Give the original a try if you're cusious. It's my favourite album. :) Cheers!

The crazy thing is most of their music is written in 4/4 - listen to the hi hat and ride patterns. They are just playing odd meters or rhythmic groupings over a 4/4 time signature and moving the downbeat like you mentioned. Don't get me wrong, shit is still wild and these guys have a ton of talent! Love me some Meshuggah!!

love to see a reaction to Tool, anything really.. be great to hear some insight

You need some Cardiacs on this channel! The track 'Dog Like Sparky" would be a fun one.... or "The Duck and Roger the Horse"! ha

What you say on the vocals :they are considered to be percussive. Everything is drumms

Just discovered you and i really like your videos :D Would love to see you react to August Bruns Red - King of Sorrow. I absolutley love this band and they can put so much in just a 4 min song :D

Man you don't have to like something just cause it has a huge fan following! Give it multiple listens, and even if it doesn't click with you, you are free not to count yourself as a fan!!

That being said, please check out Inmazes by Vola or Mute by Native Construct

Do Not Loook Down is a shockingly "poppy" and short song from these guys.

Porcupine Tree's Anaesthetize would be a great track for you to break down. 15 min complex arrangement full of interesting melodies and shifting riffs. For a near-flawless live version check out the official release Live at Tilburg.

As far as weird sense of melody goes their guitarist Fredrik Thordendal has cited Jazz-Fusion artist Allan Holdsworth as one of his influences to his lead guitar approach (which is also Very apparent in his solo project 'Fredrik Thordendal's Special Defects') you should check some of his stuff out to get more of an appreciation for what's going on in here in relation to what's going on rhythmically

I'd love to see a reaction to Car Bomb's song Secrets Within!

Video is really cool...and it has a very deep meaning..I believe..if you are close you miss the big picture may be a good explanation.

Wish you would have watched the drum-cam version of this instead so you could see all the ghost-note goodness. You'd probably enjoy some Ulcerate as well. Tremendous drummer in Ulcerate. Nice job!

It's a very right brained kind of approach it seems like to design music around math.

You should check out Uneven Structure - frost/hail It’s got nice ambience great clean vocals and nice heavy chugs. Super cool space-y djent stuff!

For a different take on this shifting-rhythm thing, much mellower and more melodic, check out Nik Bärtsch's Ronin.

You should try symphonic death metal like septicflesh

i suggest you react to JG Thirlwell & Simon Steensland - Heron

Neurotica from them. A very groovy song, on the older side of the work.

Def check out the group "Into Infernus" the song "into the woods" you would dig it.

Been listening to extreme metal for 20 years. I'm not the biggest fan of Meshuggah, in general. That being said, Clockworks is a fucking masterpiece. This song is amazing. Also David Kempe has amazing taste. Kayo Dot is so good, and The Manifold Curiosity is a truly unique form of progressive rock/metal.

I'd assume you're familiar with dream theater, but if not, they have some masterpieces. Super ambitious: six degrees of inner turbulence. Technically one 42 minute song broken into multiple tracks. They play this with a live orchestra in one of their most recent live blu-rays Octavarium or A Change Of Seasons would be the two others to check out

Should have used the drum play through so you could actually see what Tomas is doing.

Check out the band A.C.T. It's interesting and fun music with cool lyrical concepts aswell. I recommend either "a truly gifted man" or "wailings from a building".

Tool - The Grudge. Adam Jones is a fan of Meshuggah. Also, Neurosis - Throgh Silver In Blood or Under the Surface. Edit: talking about controlled chaos, The Mars Volta.

You should hear Opeth - Deliverence Give Sweden another chance

I love this band. 👍🤓👍

you want to hear meshuggah-type metal but with more melody? check out the band Periphery. start with the song Icarus lives

Eh, Clockworks isn't really a major stand out kind of contribution....Bleed kinda fits a similar pattern of idea, but the drumming is really well done as is the rest of the composition. I generally tend to prefer things like "Rational Gaze", "New Millennium Cyanide Christ", "Destroy, Erase Improve" is fairly decent, essentially most compositions from "Chaosphere", and "Nothing" are pretty good, and the preliminary were kinda like a testing field where they seemed to experiment a bit to find their own "vibe"/"groove" then after "Nothing", and possibly "None"...some have been pretty good, actually most, but there's always that 1-2 per most of the productions that just go kinda into a drone mode kinda thing..still get the "cosmic" and "AI mechanic" style of solos as I like to call them, because that's kinda what I get from them in how they accent or fit the overall rhythm, timing, etc., but yeah poly-rhythms can be interesting to say the least...I wound up coming up with guitar riffs some time ago...didn't really pay attention to the timing, just piecing it together from several riffs I came up with....like a puzzle, but without a pre-determined definition of how the "picture" was supposed to look....so taking each piece, and trying it out in a certain variety of orders til I got a good combination with a good flow, and transition effect, but later, when having a friend keep an eye on the time signatures as I played the composition everything was in "odd" time signatures which I found amusing because I wasn't trying to emulate anything, or purposefully comprise something with odd time signatures it just kinda manifested that way as I created it, and ran through it, I just liked the sound combinations with the rhythm selections, and a few emphasis notes in certain areas I felt would suit that particular spot at that exact moment...it just sounded "right" so I went with it.

great reaction, but you should really look up the Tomas Haake (Meshuggah's Drummer) playthrough of this... sick fucking shit. Genius.

I highly recommend you check out Meshuggah - I am colossus ( kzfaq.info/get/bejne/nLqJi8V32L3LXYE.html ) or Meshuggah - Pitch Black ( kzfaq.info/get/bejne/bctjgtiG3rHakps.html ) or Meshuggah - Break Those Bones Whose Sinews Gave It Motion ( kzfaq.info/get/bejne/o598o7CL2qipfZ8.html ) All three tracks are groovy as hell, and easily digestable (for Meshuggah). Good introduction to get into Meshuggah imo, and once you get into it, it really is something else.

Crazy good song

not to mention that this was recorded live lol

Meshuggah pinnacle-Straws pulled at Random!!!

It's 4/4. Most of Meshuggah is 4/4

the solo is not weard. it's JAZZ :)

yes bro try Dancers to a Discordant System. :D

Wheel - Wheel reaction. You would like it

Check out Gorguts Pleiades Dust if you have the time .it's about 32 minutes long

Yup definitely ghost notes between those accents. Drum cam for this is great. And to parrot everyone else.. VOLA’s the bees knees

Please react to a song called "Entropy" from Voyager. It has a cameo from the lead singer of Leprous. I think you will like it.

almost every song by them is in 4/4

hey dude, nice videos. maybe you should check if you can get your overall volume a little bit higher in the videos. - Best wishes, Julian.

Uh, is there a third Phoenix bother? :D

Please react to Hacride - To walk among them

Can you react to death-zombie ritual?

Damn you should've watched the drum cam version

You're talking right as the good parts start!

You would like an earlier album like chaos sphere