Review: Meshuggah - The Abysmal Eye

Last updated: January 29th 2022

Alright. Gonna dump my thoughts here, as I listen to the new Meshuggah single: "The Abysmal Eye."

• 0:00:
  • Catch 33-style riff (tremolo at 9b, etc. + long roots)
  • In functional programming talk, C33-era Meshuggah = intersperse.
  • Also getting I vibes
  • "Inexorable!" Classic Meshuggah.
  • Kick sample sounds Koloss-era
  • Snare is huge. Hugh snare on Meshuggah also a C33 things.
• 0:45:
  • I think I just heard Jens say "This menacing creation!" Classic Meshuggah.
• 1:05:
  • Damn you. Yes, you caught me there. Carefully placed trap in 4/4 context. A-holes.
• 1:28:
  • ObZen-era feels from this short bridge for some reason. Anyone else?
  • Washy cymbal sounds pleasing in background.
• 1:50:
  • Bitch what? Play that again from 1:47. That lead note's tail overlapping with this bar. Hermosísimo! Maestro! Presto!
  • Vox got a healthy dose of stereo delay here.
• 2:11:
  • TVSoR-type arrangement + ObZen era (e.g. Pineal Gland Optics) syncopated game.
  • TVSoR-type rhythm play that allocates more notes to the snare.
  • (^ this sounded more natural in TVSoR, with this snare sample it sounds more violent)
  • Holy shit this big snare sample ain't fucking around lmao. Cannon shots time!
• 2:35:
  • There it is. The thing Meshuggah's little clones, djent bands, etc. never do right: Musical story.
  • The musical changes that give a story arc to the song.
  • Listen. To. This. (While remembering the previous parts.)
  • The rest of us make collections/chains of riffs, Meshuggah makes riff stories.
  • (Some "progressive" tech bands have lyrics with complex stories and shit, I know. But nope. Musically, they're still meaningless chains of riffs. Not stories)
  • TVSoR-era groove here ("Stifled"). Yes.
• 2:56:
  • Check out the transition.
  • See what I'm talking about?
  • Does your stupid super tech djent prog song have cool transitions? No it doesn't. Because you don't make an effort. And that is why your wife is leaving you. Tomorrow. She is. I'm sorry.
• 2:58:
  • Look at this mfer overlay his 16ths on the guitar over the drum fill.
  • It's details like this that cure the 'rona. Go ahead, fact check me, bitch. Solo-based dewormer in my veins.
• 3:01:
  • Fredrik solo time. Classic Chaosphere-era clean stochastic-yet-ordered tappity tap tap.
  • Backing the solo: That TVSoR-style "Stifled"-style groove from earlier. Love.
  • Ghosts notes on the China (or whatever that cymbal is). Much love.
• 3:45:
  • Final bridge at exactly 3:45. 3:4:5 right triangles anyone? Pythagorean Triples much? Hello? Am I being conspiranoid?
• 4:03:
  • Here it comes, here it comes. Insert "Demiurge" outro right heeeere...
• 4:07:
  • Oh, oh, oh! I see. Actually a Koloss-era groove plus TVSoR-era "Clockworks"-style riff. I'm in.
  • Consuming the note pattern stream in syncopated chunks.
  • Please don't do the fade out. Do NOT fade-oh, cool, you didn't! Good. Thank you.

(P.S.: Lyrics: Didn't pay attention. Probably some criticism of modern society, or "humans," expressed as a big abstract monster/entity that's devouring everything or something. They always write the same shit lololo. Troll.gif.)

Overall: As usual, a Meshuggah track comes in, and one, the metal musician, goes "Same notes. They use the same three goddamn notes as everyone else. And yet... It sounds better. Damn you, masters. Goddamn you all to hell!"

Final rating: Solid 7.654 / 10.

I hope for more frantic TVSoR-era aggression in the album, but this is not a bad first taste at all. Looking forward to the rest.

--Zander Noriega