NOTHING

What a humbly titled record from the Swedes. Don't let it delude you though, it is not nothing and what's more, it definitely is something! It's a fourth album from Meshuggah, extreme/prog/avantgarde metal band, whose previous record, Chaosphere was a revelation which threw metal world into turmoil.

Is Nothing another revelation? I'm afraid it's not. Nothing is a next step to an uncompromising, cold and technical style which was introduced with the previous album. Whereas Chaosphere is darker and faster, in NOTHING pieces are even more calculated and complicated but many of them, unfortunately, less interesting. They lack this incredible inhuman atmosphere of CHAOSPHERE which takes breath away with every listen. There is just no balance between rhythmical experiments and the concept.

Not all of the songs deserve 4-stars rating. The album as a whole deserves them though, mostly because of 5 star-songs: Rational Gaze, Straws Pulled at Random and Spasm. The songs are difficult to describe to someone not familiarized with Meshuggah. It's enough to say, that these pieces, especially in term of rhythm, make my mind melting. Moreover, I would even venture that Straws Pulled at Random has some kind of melody which is... very nice! And fantastic solo there, as a bonus.

Recommended to fans of rhythmical experiments, uncompromising heaviness and otherworldly atmosphere. Still, if you're more into atmosphere I recommend CATCH 33, CHAOSPHERE or I, since these are extremely dark releases.