THE VIOLENT SLEEP OF REASON

Bird Box, a below average Netflix distributed horror film, portrays humanity facing off against cosmically demonic beings. Sane people who gaze upon the creatures are driven to self-harm and suicide. By contrast, the clinically insane are struck by the creature's magnificent transcendent beauty and are instantly converted into enthusiastic missionizers on behalf of the demonic beings. While the movie is ultimately forgettable, it functions as a useful metaphor for understanding the legacy of this album. While music critics like Anthony Fantano of YouTube fame lamented the albums alleged drudgery and lack of melody, emotionally overwhelmed metal fans were busy trying to process whether they had just heard one of the greatest metal albums of all time.

Admittedly, the album is a challenging listen at first. But an engaged listener will undoubtedly become captivated as the dizzying chuggs of the verses give way to expansive releases of tension as the songs develop. And once so engaged, the listener is sure to discern that these are the most melodic riffs and rich harmonies ever to be laid to track by Meshuggah.

The icing on the cake for this album is its raw sounding production, likely a biproduct of the instrumentals having been recorded live in the studio. And the album is just immeasurably better as a result