Meshuggah...anyone seen them live?

43% burnt · #1 10-10-2005, 11:13 AM

I'm seeing them for the 1st time live tonight. I'm really psyched, and looking forward to a sick show. Has anyone seen them live? Am I in for a treat or what?

**Adam Barkley** · #2 10-10-2005, 11:30 AM

I saw them when they opened for Tool. Short of the Deftones, they were the worst band I've ever seen live.

Their sound was absolutely awful so that could be one explanation. It was also my first exposure to their style so that could be another explanation.

After checking out their catalog and liking most of it; I'd see them again.

43% burnt · #3 10-10-2005, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by abark000

I saw them when they opened for Tool. Short of the Deftones, they were the worst band I've ever seen live.

Their sound was absolutely awful so that could be one explanation. It was also my first exposure to their style so that could be another explanation.

After checking out their catalog and liking most of it; I'd see them again.

Really...? ouch.

I could see them either being very impressive, or just annoying. But, I've heard they're great live...and not to be missed. "like a machine" is how my friend described them.

Now, I'm having second thoughts.

justateenpoet · #4 10-10-2005, 12:41 PM

If it's the show at the Webster with God Forbid, go anyways. That's gonna be rocking, even if Messhugah isn't up to par. I won't be there, as I have work, but I'm sad to miss it.

And yes...as for your Member Name...I saw that live last Friday at Toad's...absolutely incredible

43% burnt · #5 10-10-2005, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by justateenpoet

If it's the show at the Webster with God Forbid, go anyways. That's gonna be rocking, even if Messhugah isn't up to par. I won't be there, as I have work, but I'm sad to miss it.

And yes...as for your Member Name...I saw that live last Friday at Toad's...absolutely incredible

Cool, another CT resident. Yep that's the show , the Haunted is playing too. Another band I've never seen.

I unfortunately missed Dillinger this past weekend, seen them many times though...great band.

bobbykokinos · #6 10-10-2005, 02:50 PM

I also saw them before a Tool concert. I dont know if it was the sound system, their playing, or their music but it was horrendous. Bad enough me and my friends hung out in the concourse until they were done playing and off of the stage.

I usually try to keep an open mind about bands I've never heard but this bad was just WAY too hard to swallow.

Matt Till · #7 10-10-2005, 05:55 PM

Strange. I was going to jump on the board to say I saw them open for Tool and they were amazing. Blew Tool out of the water IMO. But then again, it was at that concert that I decided Tool wasn't all that and a bag of Frito Lays.

Joe Turski · #8 10-11-2005, 03:01 AM

I've seen Meshuggah play live once at a tiny club in Springfield Ma. I thought they put on an excellent show. The sound wasn't the greatest due to the club they played at, but it was still a good show.

So, how were they?

43% burnt · #9 10-11-2005, 09:45 AM

Meshuggah live made my brain hurt. After they finished I felt like I had just been abducted by aliens, had my brain removed and placed in some sort of futuristic metal producing doom machine, ground to pieces, and then forcefully placed back into my skull. But in a good way.

So, I'd say they did a good job. They were tight as hell...which is mind boggling in itself given how unconventional their music is. Ther tone sounded just like thier albums, stiff, unnatural and mechanical. Personally, any other band with that guitar tone I'd say it was crap...but it fit them perfectly. They had a cool stage show with crazy-bright white stobes from behind through alot of smoke. Made them just look like menacing black figures on stage.

For me Meshuggah is somewhat of an enigma. They're a band you have to feel to get. There were moments last night where I was trying too hard to figure out their timing they were using. I found its much easier to enjoy them if i don't try to hard to comprehend what they're playing...and just get into the groove. They're definitely are not an easy pill to swallow...but all in all I'd say they were great. I glad I saw them.

**Vorago** · #10 10-11-2005, 09:50 AM

Go with the flow ey? I hear you, I'd like to see them live, too !

Matt Till · #11 10-11-2005, 08:52 PM

Agreed on the "you gotta feel them" thing. I never heard of Meshuggah until I saw them live. I was diggin' them and I then thought, whoa, they are doing some odd timed stuff like crazy. I tried to count it, but they kept moving sections around and I was like "screw it" and just dug the craziness. The guitar solos made me insane.

Lackey · #12 10-11-2005, 11:40 PM

Man, I'm so stoked about seeing them later this month! 43%, did they play "I" or any stuff off of Nothing or earlier? Much as I'd love to hear Tomas do the Catch 33 thing I'd also like to hear some of my old favorites....DEI, Corridor of Chameleons, Straws Pulled at Random.......

How are the supporting bands? I haven't heard any of them except God Forbid, and frankly wasn't impressed at all.

43% burnt · #13 10-12-2005, 09:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lackey

Man, I'm so stoked about seeing them later this month! 43%, did they play "I" or any stuff off of Nothing or earlier? Much as I'd love to hear Tomas do the Catch 33 thing I'd also like to hear some of my old favorites....DEI, Corridor of Chameleons, Straws Pulled at Random.......

How are the supporting bands? I haven't heard any of them except God Forbid, and frankly wasn't impressed at all.

I don't have all their albums, so I'm not too familiar with all of their stuff, but they did play I and some songs from Nothing.

God forbid was actually awesome. At least I thought so, they were tight as hell, and sounded great. Bass could've been louder...but what else is new.

I was kinda let down by The Haunted. I lost interest in them after a couple songs. Recorded I think they're great, but live I just wasnt that impressed. It could've been another case of "selective sound man mixing" since they were 2 bands before the headliners. Supposedly the singer was doing a seperate acoutic set at a local bar after the show...which I found to be interesting. I was too tired to go though.

Mnemic was ehh...kinda nu-metal sounding. Not my thing. I didn't know their stuff, so it's hard to say. They're bass player was amusing though...he was going off on stage. Plus he had a cool EBS full stack.

Halftooth · #14 10-14-2005, 09:43 PM

I've seen Meshuggah a few times, once with Tool, and once on their first headline tour of the US after the Tool dates. The Tool show was my first time seeing them live, and at the time, I thought they were really good live. The second time I saw them, it was at a really small club, and they absolutely kicked everyone's ass! Their sound was much better than at the arena, and they were very good with getting the crowd involved. They're definetly one of my favorite bands to go see live, right up there with DEP.

Vox Populi · #15 10-15-2005, 02:05 PM

I'm seeing them at El Corazon in Seattle next Sunday.

I'm kind of worried about how the 8 string guitars will sound... Are they defined at all, like on the studio albums, or are they just muddy walls of distortion?

I like the studio stuff (and unlike most people, I think Catch 33 is cool...), I hope they live up to it live. It cost me $30.

unatratnag · #16 10-18-2005, 03:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by abark000

Their sound was absolutely awful so that could be one explanation. It was also my first exposure to their style so that could be another explanation.

It might be the sound because i've seen meshuggah live where they did a bad job of mixing (the rave, WI)... they're always dead on when i see them (they perhaps messed up when you guys saw them, dunno)... I actually can't understand how they do it particularly in track 7 off of catch 33 where they all come in at the same time... they weren't looking at thomas, no audible cues, they just all hit the open chord at the same time... just outstanding.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 43% burnt

There were moments last night where I was trying too hard to figure out their timing they were using.

Most of Meshuggah's songs are in 4/4, they just cut riffs short, change where the accent is, or add in extra things here and there. Just find the beat like you would any other song (listen to the hi hat usually) and figure out what they changed on guitar. I spent a significant amount of time studying chaosphere and nothing learning a lot of the songs and now i can understand the philosphy a lot better, helps me a lot with soloing and using different accents too..

Quote:

Originally Posted by 43% burnt

God forbid was actually awesome. At least I thought so, they were tight as hell, and sounded great. Bass could've been louder...but what else is new.

he was playing tapewounds and had no definition from his mid EQ whatsoever... he was completely lost in the mix.

The Haunted are more thrash.. if you don't like that style i can understand why all their songs would sound the same. Perhaps check out the first few tracks from rEVOLVEr to see if it was just a sound issue if you do like thrash? Peter is back and is an awesome frontman.
EDIT: Just reread that you like them on album but not live... dunno man... maybe it's just not your thang live..*shrug*... i loved em.

xolin · #17 10-18-2005, 07:54 PM

I dig their excellent timing and tightness as a group. And those songs where there are no repeating parts...always keeps you on your toes...and I really love to feel the rhythm!

Suffocation, Aborted and Cryptopsy on the 29th Baby!

xolin · #18 10-18-2005, 08:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SMASH

Suffocation, Cryptopsy, Despised Icon, and Aborted in 2 hours maaaan !

Ha, you gonna give me a psyke up for the show with a review no doubt!

Lackey · #19 10-25-2005, 10:47 PM

Hmm, well different strokes.... Personally I love Meshuggah, dig the staccato rhythms and chugging guitars, and love Fredrik's soloing.

One thing I don't get - Why do I always hear people referring to 4/4 as the time sig? They use TONS of other signatures as well, usually in patterns, and although the patterns often resolve after 16 quarter notes, I fail to see how this qualifies it as 4/4.....16/4, sure. 9/8,9/8,and 7/4 do not a 4/4 rhyme make.

Anyways, I'm seeing them Sunday, superstoked and hoping they play some stuff off Nothing.....

unatratnag · #20 10-26-2005, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SMASH

Forumla = <snipit> random pseudo-death vocals overtop that only occasionally go with the music enough to prove the "singer" has even heard the songs before.

I like your breakdown, it was humorous because it's definately true in a sense

It's a stylistic choice for most of your comments, but pertaining to the singer; if you listen to them again, a lot of the time he locks in with the drummer and will then alternate with locking in on a stress from the guitars... not that i think this is always thought out, but his style ends up being so and I find it interesting *shrug*

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lackey

One thing I don't get - Why do I always hear people referring to 4/4 as the time sig? They use TONS of other signatures as well, usually in patterns, and although the patterns often resolve after 16 quarter notes

Hope you enjoy the show, the stuff off Nothing was fantastic live. In regards to your question, everything is open to interpretation I'm sure, but most of the songs actually are in 4/4. When you say it resolves, a lot of the time it's cutting short or adding in stresses etc not actually resolving the measure blah blah blah. Fits 4/4 according to my definition when i was learning percussion way back in the day... take it with a grain of salt though and don't get too caught up in the defintion.... My favorite is when a slide is cut short and it sounds like something is just very wrong. Anyways, hope u enjoy the show.