Album Review: New Album from the mighty Meshuggah a maelstrom

Immutable. It's very apparent that Meshuggah were very much trying to make a statement here - it's like the band are saying "We are here to stay, you can't shut us up, we are going to continue to make the music we love to make" which like... fair enough! And in some ways, that's a brilliant statement to make in the world we are in after the last 2 years. A defiant statement, a "fuck you." Again, fair enough. For now-old-road-dogs (with certainly no LESS tricks in their kit bag), that usually goes one of two ways - it's either "we are going to make the same album over and over from here on out" or "we are going to change our sound completely". 

And to be honest, this album DOES feel different for Meshuggah. It's not like they've gone pop or another genre, and it's certainly no less aggressive, pulsating and punishing in it's attack, but it feels less fast-paced and vital than their last outing "The Violent Sleep of Reason". I will leave far bigger fans and historians of Meshuggah lore to compare the album to the rest of the catalogue over the years, but I definitely encourage you to give it a listen tonight or in the next week to get your head around the record and if it's for you.

It's a big mixed bag - a maelstrom of ideas and sounds and tempos and time signatures. Which like... sounds like a mess, but it's not, and it's also what all Meshuggah records are. So all in all - if you are already a Meshuggah fan.. chances are you aren't interested in our opinions on the record and are on to your 3rd or 4th listen of the record anyway! If you weren't already - I think perhaps a listen to ObZen and The Violent Sleep of Reason would probably give you a better indication of Meshuggah, before diving into this one!

Overall: It's brutal and punishing and a big middle finger that would have definitely felt cathartic for Meshuggah to make and put out into the world. Here's hoping that we see Meshuggah on the stage in Australia again real soon. Though I feel like this record possibly isn't going to end up in the higher eschelons of 'Best Meshuggah Albums ranked' pieces, I reckon it's a solid AF listen that deserves a listen accompanied with a joint and a bunch of head-banging mates. Pick it up now at https://meshuggah.afr.link/immutable!