Nothing (Meshuggah album)

Last updated

Nothing
Meshuggah-Nothing.jpg
Studio album by
Meshuggah
Released6 August 2002 [1]
RecordedMay-June 2002 [2]
Genre
Length52:37
Label Nuclear Blast
Meshuggah chronology
Rare Trax
(2001)		Nothing
(2002)		 I
(2004)
Remastered edition cover
Nothingremastered.jpg

Nothing is the fourth studio album by Swedish extreme metal band Meshuggah, originally released in 2002. The album entered the Billboard 200 chart at number 165, slightly higher than the band's following effort, Catch Thirtythree . [3]

Contents

A last-minute decision to join 2002's Ozzfest tour forced the band to mix the album in two days and to master it in one. As a result, the album had its guitars and drums re-recorded for a remastered re-release in 2006.

Musical style

The songs on this album consist of slower tempos and a heavy focus on groove instead of the thrash metal style of previous albums. Jazz fusion elements such as the interludes found in some songs on the band's Destroy Erase Improve album are still present in this release.

This is also the first album on which guitarists Fredrik Thordendal and Mårten Hagström experimented with 8-string guitars [4] by re-recording the guitar tracks, replacing the original performances made using detuned 7-string guitars, due in part to their custom Nevborn guitars not being ready.

Release and reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [5]
Blabbermouth.net 7.5/10 [6]
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal 8/10 [7]
Ox-Fanzine 10/10 [8]
Pitchfork 8.1/10 [9]
PopMatters 9/10 [10]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [11]
Stylus B [12]

The track "Rational Gaze" was promoted with three music videos. The first was a repetitive black-and-white sequence of pictures, and did not have much connection with the song structure; the second version, directed by Torbjörn Oyesvold, featured a blue-greenish environment with the band performing, heavy post-processed by blurry video filters; the third version, entitled "Mr. Kidman Delirium Version", was not an official video, but rather a handicam of Jens Kidman performing as his bandmates, with the help of different wigs. In January 2018, Loudwire named Nothing their favorite djent album. [13]

Nothing has sold over 95,000 copies in the US.

Re-release

A re-recorded and remastered version of the album was released on 31 October 2006. The new version features new rhythm guitar tracks re-recorded with 8-string guitars. The drums were also re-recorded by using the original drum hits as triggers for new audio produced with virtual drum software. The vocals were not re-recorded, but were given effects processing.

There are two songs significantly modified from their original version. These include the tempo of "Nebulous" which was lowered, and the track length of "Obsidian" was nearly doubled with the ending fadeout removed.

The re-release also includes a DVD containing music videos and their Download Festival performance in 2005, as well as modified cover art.

Track listing

Original 2002 Release:

All lyrics are written by Tomas Haake, except "Nebulous" by Mårten Hagström

No.TitleMusicLength
1."Stengah"Hagström, Haake5:38
2."Rational Gaze"Thordendal5:04
3."Perpetual Black Second"Hagström4:39
4."Closed Eye Visuals"Thordendal7:25
5."Glints Collide"Thordendal, Haake4:55
6."Organic Shadows"Hagström, Haake5:08
7."Straws Pulled at Random"Hagström5:10
8."Spasm"Thordendal, Haake4:14
9."Nebulous"Hagström6:33
10."Obsidian" (instrumental)Meshuggah4:20
Total length:53:37

2006 Remastered Edition:

All lyrics are written by Tomas Haake, except "Nebulous" by Mårten Hagström

No.TitleMusicLength
1."Stengah"Hagström, Haake5:38
2."Rational Gaze"Thordendal5:26
3."Perpetual Black Second"Hagström4:39
4."Closed Eye Visuals"Thordendal7:25
5."Glints Collide"Thordendal, Haake4:56
6."Organic Shadows"Hagström, Haake5:20
7."Straws Pulled at Random"Hagström5:16
8."Spasm"Thordendal, Haake4:14
9."Nebulous"Hagström7:06
10."Obsidian" (instrumental)Meshuggah8:35
Total length:58:35
DVD track listing (Remastered edition)
No.TitleLength
1."Straws Pulled at Random" (live at Download 2005) 
2."In Death—Is Death" (live at Download 2005) 
3."Future Breed Machine" (live at Download 2005) 
4."Rational Gaze" (music video) 
5."Shed" (music video) 
6."New Millennium Cyanide Christ" (music video) 
7."Rational Gaze" (Mr. Kidman Delirium version) 

Personnel

Charts

Chart (2002)Peak
position
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [15] 41
US Billboard 200 [16] 165

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meshuggah</span> Swedish extreme metal band

Meshuggah is a Swedish extreme metal band formed in Umeå in 1987. Since 2004, the band's lineup consists of founding members Jens Kidman (vocals) and Fredrik Thordendal (guitar), alongside guitarist Mårten Hagström, drummer Tomas Haake and bassist Dick Lövgren. Since its formation, the band has released nine studio albums, six EPs and eight music videos. Their latest studio album, Immutable, was released in April 2022 via Atomic Fire Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fredrik Thordendal</span> Swedish guitarist

Fredrik Carl Thordendal is a Swedish musician, best known as the lead guitarist and backing vocalist for the extreme metal band Meshuggah, of which he is a founding member. Along with Meshuggah's rhythm guitarist Mårten Hagström, Thordendal was rated No. 35 by Guitar World in the top 100 greatest heavy metal guitarists of all time.

<i>I</i> (Meshuggah EP) 2004 EP by Meshuggah

I is the fifth EP by Swedish extreme metal band Meshuggah. It was released on 13 July 2004 via Fractured Transmitter Recording Company. A remastered reissue was released on 30 September 2014.

<i>Chaosphere</i> 1998 studio album by Meshuggah

Chaosphere is the third studio album by Swedish extreme metal band Meshuggah. It was released on 9 November 1998 by Nuclear Blast, and is the only studio album to feature bassist Gustaf Hielm. Chaosphere's sound shows the band toning down some of the thrash style of their previous releases in favor of the technical, polyrhythmic, groove-oriented sound they would continue to explore on subsequent albums. A video was made for "New Millennium Cyanide Christ".

<i>Destroy Erase Improve</i> 1995 studio album by Meshuggah

Destroy Erase Improve is the second studio album by Swedish extreme metal band Meshuggah. It was released on 12 May 1995 by Nuclear Blast. This is the first studio album to feature rhythm guitarist Mårten Hagström and the final to feature bassist Peter Nordin, as he left the band during the supporting tour due to vertigo.

<i>Contradictions Collapse</i> 1991 studio album by Meshuggah

Contradictions Collapse is the debut studio album by Swedish extreme metal band Meshuggah. The album was released on 1 May 1991 by Nuclear Blast. Contradictions Collapse was originally titled (All This Because of) Greed. The album leans more towards a thrash metal and alternative metal sound than the band's later works, featuring heavy riffs and influences of industrial dance in the drum patterns. It was re-released as a digipak with an incomplete version of Meshuggah's second EP, None, in 1998, with no liner notes or lyrics included in the booklet.

<i>Rare Trax</i> 2001 compilation album by Meshuggah

Rare Trax is the first compilation album by Swedish extreme metal band Meshuggah. It was released on 21 August 2001 by Nuclear Blast. It compiles the three songs from the band's first 1989 release, Meshuggah, along with other rare songs that the band had recorded but never released.

<i>None</i> (Meshuggah EP) 1994 EP by Meshuggah

None is the second EP by Swedish extreme metal band Meshuggah. It was released on 8 November 1994 via Nuclear Blast. The band started embracing a more complex approach that would lay the grounds for their later style. The EP has been reissued by Nuclear Blast in November 2018, the first four tracks are also available on the Contradictions Collapse reissue while the fifth track is on the Destroy Erase Improve reissue. This is the band's first release to feature rhythm guitarist Mårten Hagström.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mårten Hagström</span> Swedish guitarist

Mårten Hans Hagström is a Swedish musician, best known as the rhythm guitarist for the extreme metal band Meshuggah. He joined the band after the release of their first album, which allowed Jens Kidman to focus on his vocal performances and give up rhythm guitar duties. He and fellow Meshuggah guitarist Fredrik Thordendal are known for their complex rhythm guitar playing. Hagström has cited Rush, James Hetfield, Squarepusher, Autechre, Strapping Young Lad, and GISM as influences.

<i>obZen</i> 2008 studio album by Meshuggah

obZen is the sixth studio album by Swedish extreme metal band Meshuggah. It was released in Europe on 7 March 2008, and in North America on 11 March 2008 by Nuclear Blast. Tomas Haake made his return as a studio drummer for the record after the Drumkit from Hell drum software was used on Catch Thirtythree. It is also the first album on which bassist Dick Lovgren performs despite having been a member of the band since 2004; this is due to the bass having been digitally programmed on the previous album, Catch Thirtythree, and the bass having been performed by guitarist Fredrik Thordendal on the previous I EP. The release of the album was followed by their first world tour. A music video was filmed for a shorter version of the song "Bleed". A two-disc vinyl re-issue was released on 22 March 2019 through Nuclear Blast. A remastered version was released 31 March 2023 for the 15th anniversary through Atomic Fire.

<i>The True Human Design</i> 1997 EP by Meshuggah

The True Human Design is the fourth EP by Swedish extreme metal band Meshuggah. It was released through Nuclear Blast on 19 July 1997 in Europe and on 25 November 1997 in the United States. The EP includes an enhanced CD-ROM video track for the song "Terminal Illusions". All of the songs, except for the live recording of "Future Breed Machine", were featured on the "Reloaded" re-release of Chaosphere.

<i>Selfcaged</i> 1995 EP by Meshuggah

Selfcaged is the third EP by Swedish extreme metal band Meshuggah. It was initially recorded as a demo for the upcoming album Destroy Erase Improve but was eventually released in 1995 by Nuclear Blast as a teaser for the next album. Re-recordings of the tracks 1–3 on this EP appear on Destroy Erase Improve.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meshuggah discography</span>

Meshuggah is a Swedish extreme metal band formed in 1987 in Umeå. Meshuggah is known for its use of extended polymetric passages, complex time signatures, dissonant guitar riffs, and harsh vocals. As of 2008, the band consists of vocalist Jens Kidman, guitarists Fredrik Thordendal and Mårten Hagström, bassist Dick Lövgren and drummer Tomas Haake.

<i>Alive</i> (Meshuggah video) 2010 video by Meshuggah

Alive is the first live album by Swedish extreme metal band Meshuggah. The film was released as a double album through Nuclear Blast on 5 February 2010 in Europe and 9 February 2010 in North America.

<i>Catch Thirtythree</i> 2005 studio album by Meshuggah

Catch Thirtythree is the fifth studio album by Swedish extreme metal band Meshuggah. It was released on 16 May 2005 in Europe and on 31 May 2005 in North America, through Nuclear Blast. Catch Thirtythree entered the Billboard 200 chart at number 170. The album is a single song, a continuous suite, with 13 movements. It exclusively used drum programming, leveraging Toontrack's EZDrummer software synthesizer with the "Drumkit from Hell" Expansion, instead of traditional acoustic drums.

<i>Koloss</i> 2012 studio album by Meshuggah

Koloss is the seventh studio album by Swedish extreme metal band Meshuggah, released on 23 March 2012 in Germany, on 26 March in the rest of Europe, and on March 27 in North America, by Nuclear Blast.

<i>Pitch Black</i> (EP) 2013 EP by Meshuggah

Pitch Black is the sixth EP by Swedish extreme metal band Meshuggah. It was released on 4 February 2013 on Scion AV. Pitch Black is available as a free download from the label's website. The song "Pitch Black" was recorded in 2003.

<i>The Ophidian Trek</i> 2014 video by Meshuggah

The Ophidian Trek is the second live album by Swedish extreme metal band Meshuggah and directed by Anthony Dubois. Recordings were compiled from various locations in Europe and the US in 2013 and Wacken Open Air 2013.

<i>The Violent Sleep of Reason</i> 2016 studio album by Meshuggah

The Violent Sleep of Reason is the eighth studio album by Swedish extreme metal band Meshuggah. It was released on 7 October 2016 via Nuclear Blast. This album was recorded live in the studio, simultaneously with all members, rather than recording each instrument separately as is more common for modern recording. The band announced the new album, its title, and track list via Blabbermouth.net and Revolver magazine on 5 August 2016.

<i>Immutable</i> (album) 2022 studio album by Meshuggah

Immutable is the ninth studio album by Swedish extreme metal band Meshuggah. It was released on April 1, 2022 via Atomic Fire Records, making it the band's first studio album to not be released through Nuclear Blast.

References

  1. ↑ MESHUGGAH Guitarist Speaks Out On OZZFEST 2002 Experience blabbermouth.net, retrieved 9 November 2017
  2. ↑ Espn. "A short biography". Meshuggah.com. Archived from the original on 13 May 2007. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  3. ↑ "Meshuggah - Chart history". Billboard.com. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  4. ↑ "Meshuggah Interview" . Retrieved 6 June 2017.
  5. ↑ Serba, John. "Nothing - Meshuggah". AllMusic . Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  6. ↑ Cipolla, Alex. "Blabbermouth.net CD Reviews - Nothing - Meshuggah". Blabbermouth. Archived from the original on 25 May 2008. Retrieved 3 March 2012.
  7. ↑ Popoff, Martin; Perri, David (2011). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 4: The '00s. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. pp. 318–319. ISBN   9781-926592-20-6.
  8. ↑ "Review".
  9. ↑ Violante, Isaiah (15 October 2002). "Meshuggah - Nothing". Pitchfork Media . Retrieved 4 December 2012.
  10. ↑ Begrand, Adrien. "Meshuggah - Nothing". PopMatters. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  11. ↑ Kot, Greg (12 September 2002). "Meshuggah: Nothing : Music Reviews". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 30 December 2008. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  12. ↑ Lee, Cosmo (17 January 2007). "Meshuggah - Nothing". Stylus Magazine . Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  13. ↑ "THE BEST METAL ALBUMS FROM 40 SUBGENRES". Loudwire . Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  14. ↑ "MESHUGGAH presented by POWERMETAL.de". Archived from the original on 13 December 2021. Mårten Hagström says in this interview (at 3:18) that Tomas Haake designed the artwork for the album Nothing.
  15. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Meshuggah – Nothing". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  16. ↑ "Meshuggah Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.